Getting to know… 

InTandridge is committed to showcasing local businesses, particularly independent businesses.

Our “Getting To Know” feature, is all about getting to know local businesses and their owner’s, to give local Tandridge residents a bit more of an insight, and to perhaps inspire people to try a business they haven’t used before.

Lauren Berke  |  Owner of Lauren’s Home Hair Styling 

Lauren Berke is the owner of Lauren’s Home Hair Styling, a mobile hair stylist, based in Oxted and covering Tandridge.

Lauren’s 27 years old and lives in Hurst Green, Oxted, with her soon to be 4 year old daughter, Lucy.

Self employed since December 2008, Lauren previously worked in an Oxted hair salon for about 5 years.  She decided to go self employed to give herself more freedom and to be her own boss.

Since then, she had her daughter Lucy, and “things couldn’t have worked out any better”.

What do you like about running your own business? 

“Being self employed means I get to choose my own working hours and in turn, I get to spend as much time with Lucy as possible. We enjoy going swimming, playing in the park, meeting friends and doing all the things any Mum and daughter like to do together! Being able to watch my daughter grow up is something I am very fortunate to be able to do, as I know a lot of Mums and Dad’s out there are too busy working jobs to see this. This is one of my main reasons for being so happy to have chosen the path I did.
I’m also very fortunate to have parents that help me with childcare when needed, so I’m very flexible with my hours, which is great for my clients”.

What did you want to be when you were growing up? 

“Since the age of 6 I wanted to be a hairdresser. Never had I ever thought of any other career choice.

I started working as a Saturday girl at 14, and by 15 (once I passed my GCSE’s ) I started work in a salon as an assistant. It gave me invaluable experience with clients-something that you don’t get from learning at college. Training was also far more one-on-one in salon and this has certainly made me a more confident and skilled stylist”.

Tell us a bit about your business… 

“I understand that working Mum’s, elderly ladies, ‘ladies that lunch’ etc, don’t always want to spend half their day in a salon, and in all honestly, some simply can’t due to a number of reasons, for example, work commitments, child care, and the time spent traveling to and from a salon.
Not only that but salon prices are becoming more and more expensive and sometimes your hair just doesnt make it onto your monthly budget list.

My aim is to make my prices reasonable, so that your hair colour/cut/style DOES make it onto your budget list.

Your hair is SO important and I don’t think anyone can deny that if your hair is looking great, you feel fab!’’

What do you like about your local area? 

‘’I like master park (Oxted) as it is such a large area with a lovely park in the summer for the children.

Oxted and Tandridge in general, is a very friendly place with a great sense of community!’’

Lauren left us by citing Joan Crawford:

“I think that the most important thing a woman can have – next to talent, of course – is her hairdresser.”

Do you agree?  

Feel free to comment below and please leave a review on Lauren’s Home Hair Styling page on InTandridge.