STRUGGLING to fully staff her business, a Coffs Harbour salon and shop owner is thinking outside the box on filling employee vacancies, looking to the region’s older workforce for answers.

Rhonda Locke, who opened Price Attack in Toormina Gardens Shopping Centre in 2022, is hoping to utlise the time-gained skills of the Coffs Coast’s retiree community.

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“I am hopeful there are retired hairdressers in the region who could help me meet the market,” she said.

Rhonda understands not everyone wants to work full time so is meeting the market with flexible work hours and shifts, combined with upskilling, through simple and rewarding onboarding and training experiences.

“There is a wealth of underutilised talent out there, hairdressers who have stopped working for various reasons from single mums or dads, struggling to find work around school hours to baby boomers who no longer want to work fulltime,” she said.

“Those are just two examples of lifestyles that would be a great fit for our business.”

The salon owner said she had been looking for staff for six months on various job platforms.

“Fortunately, we are operating with some parttime and casual staff but meeting demand really means we need more permanent staff.

“While I would love to have full time staff, casual staff are critical to meeting the market at this time,” she said.

Rhonda pointed out that being a franchise model, when you support a Price Attack salon, you support a local business and support local families.

“The community has been very supportive, visiting the store to buy all their hair care products.

“Everyone wants Price Attack to stay so they want me to be successful.

“I’ve assured them I’ve signed a very long lease so I’m not going anywhere.”

By Andrea FERRARI