Former celebrity hairdresser Jacqui McIntosh, now a senior manager of The Francesco Group, is on a mission to find out why the company's profits are down. Even in recession, the health and beauty market is buoyant. But if Francesco want to expand and take on the major players, Jacqui needs to go undercover to find out where things are going wrong. But she's left reeling when she's turned away by staff who don't feel trained to wash and dry Afro-Caribbean hair. She also unearths empty salons, complacent stylists, ageing franchisees and an older clientele, and meets a desperate owner dealing with visits from debt collectors. It's not all bad though, as she's inspired by a young, visionary stylist, and moved by a franchisee passionate about his NHS work crafting wigs for patients. By the time she returns to Head Office Jacqui knows there's a lot of work needed if Francesco Group is to take on the industry leaders.