Tell Me Why....

Dear Friends,

 The most frequent questions that salon owners and industry professionals across Florida ask me are, “why do we need an association, and what is FAB Professionals going to do for me?”  I appreciate these questions and believe that they really are very important questions to ask.  I always answer by first pointing out that you would be hard pressed to find one other industry that does not have a professionally run, business association representing them.  Do you know that Florida beekeepers have a state association? And so do music teachers, mappers, talent agents, florists, and librarians.  In fact, Florida has over 670 associations representing businesses throughout the state.  But, until FAB Professionals came along, Florida’s Beauty Industry, which is a two billion dollar a year industry and has the second highest number of licensees in Florida, went virtually unrepresented in the state! 

Associations exist because businesses, like you, must be heard and acknowledged in the law-making process.  We cannot assume that every lawmaker understands the challenges of this industry.  We cannot assume that state representatives comprehend what kind of effects deregulation would have.  We cannot assume that the legislature is going to be looking out for your businesses and your profession’s best interests, especially during difficult times when the pressure to cut spending and regulation is paramount.

The most important service that associations provide members is protection.  FAB Professionals is dedicated to serving this industry by monitoring every piece of legislation in Florida, defeating legislation that is harmful for you and this industry and working to fix some of the problems plaguing this industry and your business.

So, to answer the question, you need an association like FAB Professionals to ensure that you have a voice that will speak on your behalf to government and lawmakers.  You need an association like FAB Professionals that will help to further legitimize the industry and promote it to its deserving place as a powerful and influential Florida industry.  You need an association like FAB Professionals that is looking forward and proposing to fix the problems plaguing this industry. 

Please help FAB by lending your support and joining today.  FAB cannot succeed without your support.  Go to www.fabpro.org now to learn more about the legislative issues, the services and benefits FAB offers members or to download an application.  You can also apply online by clicking here.  Please give us a call at 850.580.4064 if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Rick Wallace

CEO/President FAB Professionals

 

 

Grow Your Salon Green by Becoming FAB PRO Green Conscious

As you know, with the consumer push for greener, cleaner and more eco-friendly businesses growing, many businesses are looking for opportunities to show their environmental commitment to consumers.  In an effort to provide you the possibility to collectively contribute to the green movement like other businesses in different industries, The Florida Association of Beauty Professionals (FAB) has developed an industry-wide certification program that will allow you to demonstrate your commitment to the industry and consumers.

I invite all environmentally conscious Florida salons to go green by becoming a FAB PRO Certified Green Conscious Salon.  This certification is an effort initiated by FAB Professionals to encourage and promote green consciousness in the beauty industry and help businesses save money by reducing energy costs. 

The FAB PRO Green Conscious Certification is a self-certification program that requires salons to meet certain minimum standards in order to qualify. Those standards include successful completion of criteria in three areas: communication, commitment and waste reduction, in addition to completion of two additional green activities and one salon-specific green activity. 

Once certified, you will receive a window decal indicating that your salon is a FAB PRO Certified Green Conscious Salon, a listing on the FAB Web site and a marketing kit to promote your business to the public as having met the standards as a FAB PRO Certified Green Conscious Salon.

To download an application for certification, please visit us online at http://www.fabpro.org/green. 

We look forward to helping many of you obtain certification as a FAB PRO Green Conscious Salon, and, as always, please do not hesitate to call us 850-580-4064 if you have any questions or need support. 

 

Sincerely,

Rick Wallace

President/CEO FAB Professionals  

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Dear Beauty Industry Professionals,

For the past week, we have been hearing a lot about the topic of deregulation and how insufficient government oversight led to what some are calling the greatest financial crisis in decades. 

As many of you are already aware, Florida has come shockingly close to completely deregulating this industry for the past several years and each year, we inch closer to that frightening actualization. We have confirmed that the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) wrote and was intending to submit a bill that would deregulate cosmetology and barbering, along with several other licensed professions this past July! And, we are already anticipating that a similar bill will be supported by the Department next session.

But NOT if FAB Professionals has anything to do with it! We intend to fight hard, and we understand that we have to be diligent and communicate with as many legislators, regulators and consumers as possible to let them know how debilitating deregulation would be on the industry and to the public health.

In order to accomplish this, we need your help. Please show your commitment to this industry by joining FAB Professionals today. The only way we will be able to be successful this spring is to offer a united and powerful voice to stop those who want to take your license and your livelihood away.

In addition to monitoring any bill that would directly or indirectly deregulate your industry, FAB is industriously advocating legislation that will help this industry grow. Currently, FAB supports a tax-tip credit, booth rental licensing, a solution to product diversion, and an increase in required hours.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Do something now. Empower your association with the membership numbers and the resources to tackle the proponents of deregulation. Divided we fail; together we will succeed.

Rick Wallace

President/CEO FAB Professionals





Visit FAB online at www.fabpro.org or click here to apply for membership. Also, don’t forget to sign up for the FAB PRO e-Newsletter.

Are You Passionate about this Industry?

Hello Friends,

 

The Florida Association of Beauty Professionals (FAB) kicked off its bi-annual membership drive this month.  FAB staff has had the pleasure of speaking with many of you about the issues that affect your business and our legislative platform, which includes:

 

Booth Rental Licensing  

Federal Tax-Tip Credit (HR Bill 3016) 

Product Diversion solution in Florida 

Increase in Educational hours for incoming professionals

FAB is so pleased to have the opportunity to tell you about your association and the important work done on your behalf.  FAB needs to secure enough resources, and that means membership numbers and revenue to accomplish our goals for this year.  The most important asset that we offer is you, the member.  There is great power in numbers.  Do you think a Florida legislator would ignore an association of 5000 members in a two billion dollar a year industry?  As Helen Keller said, "Alone we can do so little, together so much.”

 

A number of you have already come on board and joined the association.  We thank you for your support.  If you haven’t yet joined, I ask you—Are you passionate about your work?  Do you love your industry?  Do you want this industry in Florida to become more respected, influential and protected? 

 

You see, as a businessman and someone who has managed associations for many years, I can attest to the profound importance of a business association for an industry.  I have seen small industries make quite a stamp for themselves by understanding that a collection of united voices behind one well-connected body ensures success.  We are not unique.  Every industry has an association and every smart, businesses-minded owner joins to protect his/her venture that he/she has worked so hard to create.

 

Give us a call today to apply for your membership or visit us online at www.fabprofessionals.org. You can apply online right now by clicking here. We need you, 5000 members strong by this spring.

Rick

We want to hear from you!

Hello friends,

  

 I am Rick Wallace, CEO and President of the Florida Association of Beauty Professionals, the only professionally managed association representing the beauty industry in Florida.  FAB professionals represents licensed salons, spas, schools, industry professionals and students. Our mission is to provide strong industry leadership by bringing a unified voice for legislative representation and to provide quality services and programs for members to grow and prosper.

Over the past two years, we have been working hard to ensure that the beauty industry continues to thrive in Florida, but as you know, there is still much work that must be done.  We are currently tackling some important and substantial issues affecting your industry like ending product diversion, fighting for a tax-tip credit to ease the tax burden on salons and ensuring consumer safety by promoting a booth renter salon license.

In order to accomplish these goals, FAB is calling on you to help.  We need member support to show a unified voice, so that we can take these issues all the way to the Florida Legislature. Together we can make a lasting impact on the Florida beauty industry, but we need your voice and your membership comittment.

We have launched this interactive blog as yet another tool for us to communicate with you more effectively, and for you to communicate with us.  I will be posting every week, and I encourage you to leave your comments and feedback to let us know what more we can do for you and your business.  

I also strongly encourage you to visit us online at www.fabpro.org to learn about all of the great benefits and services we provide to our members.  Many of you will find that the benefits alone pay for membership.  

I hope that you will join FAB and show your commitment to your industry. 

Sincerely,

Rick Wallace

FAB President/CEO