A cut above: Hairdressing industry leader Sandy Chong wins National Small Business Champion award

Hairdressing industry leader Sandy Chong was awarded the title of National Small Business Champion at the 2023 Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) summit, in recognition of her long-serving commitment to hair stylists, barbers, and educators nationwide.

Chong, who serves as chief executive officer and board director of the Australian Hairdressing Council (AHC), accepted the award at the National Small Business Summit’s gala dinner on Tuesday night, in front of industry peers and fellow small business representatives.

Speaking to SmartCompany, Chong said the unexpected honour came after a period of “relentless” advocacy for members of Australia’s hairdressing industry, as they continued their recovery from COVID-19 restrictions and faced a litany of industrial relations reforms.

“I can be seen as an interruption to someone’s day, I’m sure,” she said.

“But when I represent my industry or small businesses to a department, an individual, or a politician, the decisions they make can affect our families, our livelihood, our businesses, our industries, the future sustainability of our industry, education and training, by them either helping us or breaking us.”

Lawmakers and others in a position of power “may not even realise how important that half-hour meeting is, and the end result of what that advocacy words mean.”

But “I think you always have to make a stand and you always have to have some representation forward,” she continued.

Chong reflected on the AHC’s advocacy during the creation of Australia’s new paid domestic violence leave scheme.

In the AHC’s submission to the Senate committee which considered how to implement the scheme, Chong called for paid domestic violence leave not to appear on a worker’s payslip.

Removing that detail would safeguard a survivor’s privacy, while also shielding them from potential discrimination by accountants or real estate agents who could access their payslips, the AHC said.

Ultimately, the paid domestic violence leave scheme — which small businesses will need to follow from August 1 — was enacted with strict rules forbidding the inclusion of paid family and domestic violence leave on employee payslips.

Current advocacy projects include a call for small businesses to receive government financial support to pay staff wages in the four weeks after a significant natural disaster.

Chong, who has owned her own Newcastle salon for 39 years, said her advocacy is informed by her own experience as an entrepreneur.

“I understand what a small business goes through,” she said.

“And I understand how that feels as a small business owner: the stress, and the angst, and the fear of it all going downhill.

“And because I think every business is a roller coaster. It’s not easy.”

Chong, who recently wrapped up a six-year stint on COSBOA’s board, thanked the organisation for its support.

“I think with being an association head, it’s often a thankless job,” she said.

“So when your peers thank you, then for that I’m really grateful.”

Sandy Chong’s honour comes after rural business advocate and Pointer Remote founder Jo Palmer accepted the National Small Business Champion award in 2022.