Teus Brand describes his business as “essentially a chain,” but he doesn’t run Hairview from a distance. He knows everyone by name, visits all the branches, and still cuts the hair of a group of regular customers who have been with him for 40 to 50 years. That fits his background: a sixth-generation barber, he started at age fifteen as a barber’s assistant for his grandfather, is a passionate competitor in barbering competitions, and teaches at a barbering school.
Hairview grew slowly and deliberately: from four locations in 1995 to twenty hair salons with approximately one hundred employees. Since 2016, all salons have gone by the same name: Hairview. Previous names included Europa Hairstyling and Kapsalon Modern.
If you ask Teus where the problem lies, he quickly brings up workforce availability and retention. He jokes about his own hair color when discussing staffing challenges: employees on long-term sick leave, managers who are pregnant, and shifting schedules. Behind that joke lies a serious observation: a lot of energy that you’d rather put into your work is now being spent on retaining staff. He sees companies reaching out to one another and also mentions a “code” to avoid poaching each other’s employees.
At the same time, he knows that temptation works: “Sometimes another employer lures your employee away by offering them no more Saturday shifts or an extra 200 euros a month.”
That’s why Teus takes a two-pronged approach: relationships and compensation. During the pandemic, he started vlogging to stay in close contact with his employees. He paid everyone on time and built goodwill with people he often trained himself. And he’s clear: someone who performs well should also be well compensated. Performance-based bonuses are part of that.
The core of Hairview lies in training. Teus completed teacher training himself, is actively involved in education, and has developed his own training system. Hairview offers a masterclass in collaboration with a regional training center (ROC). Many students in vocational training programs (BBL) joined the company through this program; some went on to become salon managers. Hairview is a dedicated training company, with five trainers and a dedicated training day. That structure provides consistency across all locations: it makes quality less dependent on chance and more on a system.
Every Wednesday, all the students go to the training center in Sliedrecht. There, they take two-hour sessions covering both theory and practice: cutting men’s hair, applying foil to long hair, and other components of a diverse curriculum. According to Teus, they learn “a great deal” and will be ready to work in a salon within a year. That pace aligns with his vision: you don’t leave craftsmanship to chance; you organize it. It doesn’t stop there: every salon has a manager who provides guidance and makes adjustments, ensuring that quality and craftsmanship remain consistent, even when working with multiple teams.
Teus also makes a clear choice in this regard. He deliberately selects students from vocational training programs because of their hands-on approach. And he emphasizes that the profession involves more than just cutting hair: spontaneity, eye contact, and social skills are all part of it. “I definitely base my selection of applicants on those qualities.”
Teus speaks out strongly against rules he “hates.” He mentions practical issues such as municipal parking permits and fines resulting from regulations on rat-running. He notes that industry associations are lobbying (he mentions ANKO), but in his day-to-day work, it’s mainly about time and frustration: “You want to run a business, but you have to go through all these bureaucratic hurdles.” At the same time, there’s a practical reason behind my irritation: I want to support my employees effectively, and every extra rule takes time away from that.”
Teus considers absenteeism and the role of the occupational health and safety service and the company doctor to be a more complex issue. He calls it a gray area, because the doctor deals with both the “patient” and the company. “That creates friction,” he says. Especially when Teus notices signs that are difficult for him to discuss. “Absenteeism costs me a lot. I used to have insurance for it, but my experience has made me skeptical about what such insurance actually delivers in practice. I paid substantial premiums over a long period, while the payout remained relatively limited.”
To Teus, that feels like an unfair balance. That’s why he now covers the costs for the long-term sick himself—preferring to be in control rather than feeling like he’s paying for something he can’t count on. He sees this as a choice to take control: he’d rather bear the burden and steer the process himself than be dependent on conditions that only become apparent when things go wrong.
A decision like that also requires constant adjustments within the organization. Teus can reassign staff, but he’s noticed that they don’t always want to be moved. And sometimes the situation on the ground forces him to take tough measures. In Gouda, for example, there were three sick employees at one location. Teus sat down with the team and decided to close for two days. His reasoning is straightforward: if you’re open, you need to be fully staffed. That way, I’m not only protecting the customer experience, but also the people who are actually there.”
Teus is feeling economic pressure from multiple sides. He cites payroll taxes and wage increases mandated by the collective bargaining agreement. He thinks it’s a good thing that hairdressers are earning more, because otherwise you’ll lose even more people. But he immediately adds: ultimately, the consumer pays for it. At the same time, rates are under pressure, and he believes self-employed professionals have an advantage because they don’t have housing costs. “My response to this? You have to ensure your price remains worth it by distinguishing yourself through quality and organization.” So he doesn’t seek to stand out by being “cheaper,” but by being better organized and better trained.
As Teus looks ahead to 2030, he expects middle management to face challenges due to staff turnover, illness, and absenteeism. At the same time, he sees opportunities for supply chain companies that are better organized. “And there’s a direction I’m actively exploring: collaborating with entrepreneurs who want to operate under the Hairview brand, with support from the group. Think of access to systems, purchasing advantages, and practical support. The core remains clear: if you want to grow and maintain continuity, you also need to organize things better.” In his view, it’s about sharing risks and building structure, not just “bigger for the sake of being bigger.”
Energy costs are a constant concern. Hairview works to make its buildings more sustainable wherever possible, though this isn’t feasible everywhere (for example, in shopping malls). Teus mentions practical measures such as LED lighting and water-saving showerheads. He also looks into eco-friendly products and actively learns from suppliers and colleagues. In his view, you should never assume you know it all; there’s always more to learn.
His in-house maintenance team plays a major role in this: a dedicated team that handles renovations, both cosmetic and sustainability-focused. This reduces costs and allows for quicker action. It also makes sustainability initiatives feasible: you can move forward more quickly without every step turning into a major external project. In addition, Teus is looking into digitalization and the customer experience, such as AI screens in the salon and taking and posting photos after a haircut. He wants to form a think tank to translate that development into practice. “You have to keep innovating your business to stay relevant.”
Meanwhile, Hairview continues to offer services beyond just haircuts. In addition to the salons, there is a tanning salon and an in-house hairpiece studio. And just as with training apprentices, learning doesn’t stop after a single session: the team receives ongoing training several times a year and develops training materials.
Anyone who follows Teus will notice that, for him, the word “chain” is primarily a practical one. One day he’s in Gouda, the next in Sliedrecht, Dordrecht, IJsselstein, or Culemborg. He stops by, chats with people, and sometimes just gets right to work.