Tabatha Coffey’s successful first series of Tabatha’s Salon Takeover is due to launch in Australia on Sept 16 on Arena TV. Its a formula made famous by programmes like Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares and the Australian media has been quick to draw comparisons between Coffey & Ramsey for both being harsh, dramatic and swearing a lot.  That might on the surface be true but I think what underlies it with both of them is that they know what they’re doing and both care an awful lot.  Sure, they shake people up and challenge them, but then again if you’ve let your business get to the state many of these are in – you need a rocket or else you simply may as well roll over and die.  Plus you’ve got to figure into it that both of them are trying to turn a failing business around in a week, so its not surprising if they have to issue a clear wake-up call.

Comparison’s aside, Tabatha’s Salon Takeover is a good show for small business operators because it shows rather starkly the problems which many businesses face – whether they’re hair salons, restaurants or whatever.  Small business has a habit of being overly emotional & attached to what they are doing – not surprising because its very much their creation. So they just can’t see and can’t accept what’s going wrong.  They often think that something like a lick of paint, new uniforms or a few new products will fix it and rarely is that the case.  You do need to step back and take a pragmatic look at what the customer wants and what they are actually experiencing – and then be prepared to recognise that the things you love may not be what the customer loves.  Its hard and it hurts, and that’s why these types of shows seems so dramatic.

Tabatha’s second season debuts in the US on November 3 and features 10 salons in the Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami areas. The series has the potential to be even more challenging than the first as its easy for business owners at the moment to hide behind or blame the economy for their problems.  No doubt you’ll hear a lot of “F### the recession!” from Tabatha as she tries to get salons to come to grips with the fact that businesses can be successful even in an economic crisis – if they manage things well.