Success Story: Classic Beauty Salon

Classic Beauty Salon – Bowman, 2018

Bowman, ND — Bailey Quintanilla wasn’t exactly ready when the opportunity to become a business owner was presented to her, however, she wasn’t going to let that stop her. As a little girl, she was often found playing with someone’s hair, working to make them feel and look their best, dreaming of the day she would own her own salon.

The journey definitely started early on in preparing Bailey to be a cosmetologist and business owner. “Mom and dad set an example of a good work ethic,” Bailey said, and she witnessed them run businesses and had their support when she decided to attend cosmetology school. Her first job was a good experience, but not the ideal situation. She was a single mom, working odd hours, so finding daycare and additional support was not always easy.

When a chair became available at The Classic Beauty Salon, Bailey jumped at the chance to be closer to family. She began to build her clientele and reconnect with her hometown. Two years flew by while Bailey cut, styled, colored, manicured, waxed, and more. And then she was approached to purchase the Salon.

Challenge/Solution
Bailey needed to negotiate and find the necessary capital to purchase the business. The Small Business Development Center was brought to Bailey’s attention by the seller as a potential resource. Purchasing a business was new territory for Bailey, and the Bowman SBDC was able to answer many of her questions and what to expect. They started with business planning and then looked to potential financing. Through creative approaches, Bailey was able to move forward to purchase The Classic Beauty Salon and become the owner, operator, and key stylist.

“The SBDC is a great place to learn about the programs that a business can access,” Bailey mentioned.

In addition to assisting Bailey at the time of purchase, she had been back to the Bowman SBDC office for assistance with staffing and market analysis. She also participated in training events through the SBDC office.

Impact
August 2018 marked the five-year anniversary for Bailey as owner of The Classic Beauty Salon. The full-service salon has continued to offer professional and recommended services to its clientele. Staffing has been one of the biggest challenges that she has had to face in her time as owner. Finding cosmetologists who want to work full time has not been easy. Bailey has been able to work around their scheduling requests and maintain a variety of availability for the clients.
In 2016, Bailey added a small boutique section to increase traffic to the salon. The fulfillment of watching her business grow and succeed has made the challenges and bumps in the road all worth it. Bailey is interested in creating innovative ways to reach her clients and dreams of a day when she collaborates with others in the Bowman area to create a spa.

Bailey speaks from experience when she lets anyone interested in starting or buying a business know the key to making it work: “Work hard – If you want it, you have to show up and do it!”