Road to salon success not always rosy

Jaimee Smith is a finalist in two awards. Photo by Linda Robertson.
Jaimee Smith is a finalist in two awards. Photo by Linda Robertson.
Ask Jaimee Smith the secret to her success in business and the answer is simple - a lot of hard work.

Zaibatsu Hair Art, established by Ms Smith in Dunedin 13 years ago, is a finalist in the 2011 Kitomba New Zealand Association of Registered Hairdressers Business Awards in two categories - entrepreneur of the year, and excellence in marketing.

Ms Smith was both honoured and thrilled to make the final, saying it capped an "amazing, successful year" and motivated her even more to work hard to reach further goals.

Her fellow finalists were people she looked up to and she had not expected to see her name alongside them, she said.

The winners will be announced at the industry awards ceremony at the War Memorial Museum in Auckland on November 20. Zaibatsu is the only Otago finalist.

Originally from Timaru, Ms Smith (35) admitted she "fell upon" hairdressing as a career.

Having been "probably not the best" in the school environment, she did a hairdressing course at polytechnic.

That was followed by a move to Dunedin where she worked in various salons as she worked through her apprenticeship.

After deciding to venture out on her own, she opened Zaibatsu Hair Art, at St Clair, 13 years ago and opened a second salon in George St in April this year.

Although she had received good support over the years, it had also been "bloody hard work".

"It has not always been rosy that's for sure," she said.

It was an ever-changing and competitive industry and clients were not as loyal as they used to be.

"People shop around, everyone's looking for a bargain. That's pretty tough," she said.

However, she was lucky she had a great team of staff and a lot of supporters who believed in her.

She was also grateful for the support of her family, including her husband Ryan Whiston, and her uncle and aunt, Frank and Bronwyn Murphy, which allowed her to combine work and motherhood.

Zaibatsu has six staff at St Clair and four in the city and Ms Smith was based mostly at St Clair with its "pretty amazing views".

Being involved in the Kitomba NZARH awards had proved to be a great experience and made her more aware of what steps she should take next in her career. She was considering looking for a business mentor to help with that, she said.

Although the business required the usual time-consuming amount of paperwork, she still made sure there was time to work as a stylist.

"For any successful salon, you've got to be on the floor. At any point in time when I'm working, I know what's happening on the floor," she said.

Ms Smith's long-term plans included to keep growing the salons, while continuing to work hard to reduce debt.

She planned to continue to run the business herself while still indulging in her first love - catering to and styling her clients.

 

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