A MOTHER from Hartley Wintney has marked the next stage of her business after opening her new hair salon.

Kate Goddard has over a decade of experience in the hair industry, and celebrated opening Studio K at Newlyns Farm Shop near North Warnborough with a launch party on Saturday, September 4.

Speaking to The Gazette, the mum of three said she decided to open the salon to give back to the community.

Kate said: "We’ve all suffered over the past 18 months due to Covid-19 and everyday life has become tough.

"On a personal level, I felt the need to give back to my clients and the community by offering a place where they can relax, feel pampered and have that extra bit of luxury. It’s not just a new chapter for me but for my clients too. It was mostly because I wanted to grow the business and I was looking for a way of doing that."

The beauty industry has not been immune to difficulty over the past 18 months, with salons and hairdressers forced to close for long periods through lockdowns.

Speaking about the pandemic's impact on her, Kate said: "I have found it pretty tricky. It was difficult not being able to earn any money but also being able to work and then having to stop."

The 30-year-old added: "It was all or nothing over and over again, especially during the winter months, it was difficult.

"But that gave me the time to think about what I wanted and gave me this idea.

"I know it is risky at the moment because who knows what the future holds but I was willing to take the risk."

The salon is partnering with Schwarzkopf to apply greener ways of doing things, with Kate describing herself as "environmentally conscious".

She concluded: "Opening Studio K feels right and I’m so happy we can put a smile on people’s faces after such a difficult run of events.

"We’re not out of the woods yet, and conscious that we’re taking the risk of opening at a time of uncertainty, however I am confident that the salon will thrive."