Since they started styling hair about 14 years ago, Hollie Beckett and Akia Hicks have focused on building good relationships with their clients.
Shades of You Unisex Salon, the business they started together, got its name from a holiday greeting they sent to customers years ago.
Beckett and Hicks, who met while attending hair school, worked together at two department store salons before starting their own business. Shades of You will celebrate its first anniversary this month.
While at one of the salons, they collaborated with a co-worker to prepare a holiday greeting for their clients.
It was a card or calendar, and it’s message was something like, “to the many shades of you, we would like to thank you for your continuing support of us in our business and as we grow to become better stylists,” Beckett said.
Beckett and Hicks chose part of the phrase as the name for their salon. It celebrates the diversity of their clients, Beckett said.
The salon is both unisex and multicultural. Hicks said that she and Beckett had an opportunity to work with clients who had many different hair textures while at the department store salons.
Beckett and Hicks created a business plan, and opened at their current location, 2538 Brunswick Pike, on Oct. 1, 2009. The location previously housed SV Concepts, a salon and spa.
Shades of You offers a variety of services, including color, styling, conditioning treatments, perms, relaxers, weaving, extensions, and haircuts for women, men and children. They also offer facial waxing and hope to offer massages and facials in the future.
Hicks said keratin treatments have become a popular choice among clients.
Keratin treatments are chemical-free and are used to straighten hair and eliminate frizz, Hicks said.
“A lot of women want to have the versatility of straightening their hair, but they like their natural curl pattern, so it gives you that flexibility without taking all of your natural curl out of your hair, ” Hicks said.
Hicks says the salon puts the interest of the customer first.
“If you come in here and you ask for a service that we don’t feel is good for your hair, we’ll try to get you to that point, but we’re not just about money. We care about the customers,” Hicks said.
Beckett said that the stylists work with clients, teaching them the best ways to care for their hair at home.
Shades of You recently hired a new stylist, Jaime Swain, and they are currently seeking more stylists to add to their team.
They have also recently hired Tiffany Davis, who is attending college and hair school. Davis works as an assistant and receptionist, and runs the salon’s page on the social networking Web site, Facebook.
Beckett said Davis uses the Facebook page to build relationships with customers, and often leaves messages simply to wish them well.
Beckett and Hicks said that a large part of their client base has followed them from their days at the department store salons.
Beckett said the salon has started a “loyalty points” program, which awards points to customers based on the services they purchase. Customers can redeem the points for discounts during future visits, Beckett said.
Hicks said the salon is also planning to start offering rewards to clients who refer new customers.
Beckett said the salon works to ensure that customers feel comfortable from their very first visit.
“We are on a first name basis with all the customers,” she said. “We try to make sure, even if it’s your first time, we try to make sure we go to that computer, and throughout the whole conversation, or whole time you’re here, we’re calling you by your name as if we were next-door neighbors.”
Shades of You is open 6 days a week and accepts payments by cash, check or credit card. Cards accepted include Discover, Visa, MasterCard and American Express.
More information about Shades of You Unisex Salon is available via phone at (609) 883-9400, or e-mail at shadesofyouunisexsalon@yahoo.com. Online visitors can also view the salon’s website at shadesofyouunisexsalon.com or visit its Facebook page.
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