Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lauren Wilde, owner of Rose and Onyx Hair Company, located in St. Albert, AB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Our business is called “Rose and Onyx Hair Company,” but we are really more than just a hair salon!
Firstly, we are one of the only fully inclusive salon spaces in the Edmonton area, meaning we don’t discriminate and rather cater our services to all ages/gender identities/hair types/financial needs of our clients!
Our services are priced by length and time (instead of gender) to help offer a more inclusive space to folks of all gender identities. This ensures that everyone feels comfortable and accepted. We offer barbering and hairstyling services under one roof because we don’t believe that it should be segregated based on gender.
Our team is well-rounded and diverse, offering specialties in all areas, including curly hair textures and all forms of non-surgical hair replacement.
And lastly, we offer scaled services to our clients in an effort to be inclusive to all budgets! I’ve always believed that everyone deserves quality hair services, and offering them at different price points has helped to widen our demographic.
Tell us about yourself
When I opened my business, I wanted to create a space that was super comfortable and welcoming to everyone, so it feels like you’re coming to visit with friends the way barbershops and salons used to be! Clients can feel the energy in the salon, whether negative or positive, and we work really hard to ensure clients feel a sense of comfort when they visit. We are motivated by our team and the feedback from our community, and they continue to inspire us daily, to keep thinking outside the box, and to offer something “different.”
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Our team members have won many individual awards over the past few years under my mentorship, which is a gift on its own! We recently won the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce “Ignite Award,” which is awarded to a dynamic business that has run for less than three years that has experienced incredible growth!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Three years ago, I was sure my answer would be different, but the pandemic has been the greatest challenge to overcome in my 10+ years of running businesses. Most of us don’t prepare for unplanned crises’, and this proved to be the most stressful thing for us to manage and overcome. Not only was it challenging to keep our new business above water, but it was also stressful to worry about the livelihoods of our team members as well.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- You can never be too prepared or financially equipped. There is no way to predict a pandemic, but there are also going to be other issues that randomly come up when you don’t expect them.
- If you’re getting business loans, work with BDC (and Futurepreneur)! They are fantastic and set you up with a business mentor to help support you on your journey, which is someone that I still connect with today.
- Make your personal time a priority, and schedule it in your calendar. Everything from family time, vacation, social time, church time, etc. It’s easy to give yourself entirely to your business, but it’s also easy to burn yourself out that way.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Connect with other business owners in your community! Especially within your own industry. You never know when having these connections will benefit you and your business, but it’s almost guaranteed that they someday will!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.roseandonyx.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roseandonyx
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roseandonyxhair/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.