WHEN Cads meet Femmes Fatales expect excitement.

That is what happened to husband and wife, David and Valerie Smith, when his hairdressers, called Cads, combined with her salon, dubbed Femmes Fatale, in Fossgate, York.

Now the businesses, which are run jointly on the same site, but kept discreetly apart, are together pitching for both the Small Business Of The Year and Growth Business Of The Year titles in The Press Business Awards 2006.

Cads first opened in Church Street, York, 27 years ago as one of the first gentlemen's hairdressers in the city centre and first to also cater for colouring and perms.

Under Mr Smith, who has won more than 30 national awards, the business outgrew its premises, then moved to Stonegate Arcade.

Meanwhile, Mrs Smith, a trained beauty therapist, became the manager of Femmes Fatales, then based in nearby Stonegate, but it also outgrew its premises and relocated to Fossgate.

There she established a beauty department as an extension to her hairdressing services, offering its female clients massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, waxing, manicures, pedicures and facials.

Even so, with 2,000 sq ft of ground floor space available in the former coaching inn there was room to spare.

The result has been a big leap in turnover. In the past six months alone, sales for the year increased from £380,000 to £400,000.

The Smiths share in a passion for high staff standards last year Femmes Fatale achieved Investors In People status and Cads has always insisted on top training.