Carly Hibberson and Tara Wendt have just opened a beauty parlour in Tumut, called JeanLouise. It has been open just shy of a fortnight, and we chat to one of the owners, Carly Hibberson, about why she decided to become a beauty therapist, and what it’s like to open a brand new business. Carly and first met Tara when she was doing her apprenticeship at the beauty parlour in which Tara was working. “We knew from the first moment we met that we wanted to start a business together!” Carly laughs.
They worked together for 2 years, and have worked in several salons for the past few years, until they decided to open JeanLouise, their own beauty parlour. “We wanted to make something our own, and to put our own touch to it.” Their business covers waxing, nails, massage, tanning and tinting – and their own personal touches. “We want customers to just be themselves when they come in.”
They’ve both studied a Certificate IV in Beauty Therapy, and Carly has also studied a Diploma in Beauty at Wagga Wagga TAFE. They’re also both currently studying a Diploma in Business, so they can learn more about the business world.
But being a beauty therapist hasn’t always been Carly’s dream: she decided to get involved in beauty therapy because she wanted to get involved with people. She initially studied medical science, but couldn’t work with people in that industry. So she decided to study beauty therapy so she could put practical use to her medical science studies – and work with people!
Tara, however, has always been enthusiastic about Beauty: “Tara was born ready to be a beauty therapist!”
And, it seems to be well worth the career change: the best part of the job, Carly says, is making her customers happy when they leave. “They can be having the worst day when they come in, but when they leave, they’re happy, floating on a cloud,” laughs Carly.
The two had challenges starting up the business.
Their initial concerns when they were planning the business included a shop that was the right shape –“I know it sounds funny!” Carly laughs – but it needed to be long and narrow so the booths could fit in. The location needed to be near a main road, but not get the noise of the man road, they needed to work out which equipment to buy, how to go about running their services, what procedures to go through, and to work out just what makes the salon special.
Their specialty, Carly says, is paying attention to the little details of every customer. However, both girls have different strengths: “Tara is the Queen of Nails!” laughs Carly. “She’s great at nails and waxing. I focus on facials and massage.” But on a more serious note, Carly says that their knowledge of the local area has a huge impact on the business. Tara has all the local knowledge as she grew up in the area and can welcome anybody in.
Carly reckons, conversely, that because she isn’t local – that is her strength: “I have a different perspective of the town.”
And, so far, it seems smooth sailing: “We’ve just employed a new apprentice because we’re getting so busy!”
The best part of the job?
The best part of working in a trade is that you learn great customer relation skills, have great problem solving skills, you keep learning all the time, and you can do it anywhere in the world.
The hardest part of the job?
The challenges of their job are the bookwork. We know the beauty side of things, but we’re still learning about the business side.
What’s involved in a typical workday?
Day-to-day tasks involve setting up appointments in the morning, setting up the respective rooms, greeting clients, doing their appointments and answering phones. In the afternoon we also need to do the banking, the bookwork, computer entries, noting details of the clients for their next appointment – such as small details we need to keep track of for the next time the client comes – such as skin conditions, or issues in the clients’ life which we need to take note of. Most importantly, we make sure our clients leave happy!
What personal qualities are needed for the job?
The personal qualities needed for the job include being friendly, willing to listen – listening is huge in this industry – and attention to detail (that’s what keeps getting customers back!)
What’s the salary like?
In the next few years, we hope to earn $200 000 a year when the business is established. For our first year, however, we hope to break even.
Advice for people entering the industry?
Just hook in and have a crack. Just give it a go!
