Beauty salon sitting pretty
A 21-year-old has expanded her beauty salon from home into commercial premises less than a year after losing two jobs because of the coronavirus crisis.
Chelsea Parlato was working at a salon and a bar and restaurant when Covid19 sent New Zealand into lockdown, and her employers were forced to get rid of staff.
She renovated her old bedroom at her parents’ house in Foxton Beach, a sleepout at the front of the property, and Beauty and the Beach became a reality.
Eleven months later she has taken the next step and is renting a two-room commercial building on Seabury Avenue.
Parlato has been in the new premise for four weeks, and it still doesn’t feel real.
‘‘I just love it. To move in here was just the best decision.’’
Parlato said she was nervous about being able to afford the rent, which was almost double what she paid her parents, but she had more than enough business to run smoothly.
She was almost always fully booked, was working for herself full-time, and had a group of locals that came in regularly.
Bookings increased in the summer, when people on holiday flocked to the beach and wanted to treat themselves.
She offered makeup and beauty services including waxing, facials, massages, manicures, pedicures, and eyebrow and eyelash treatments.
She has recently completed more training, and now offers eyebrow henna, lash lifts, derma planning, micro needling, waxes for males, and 30-minute facials. Spray tans are coming soon.
There are no other salons in the beach town, and people were used to travelling to Palmerston North and Levin.
Parlato grew up in Foxton Beach, and many of her clients were family, friends and people she had known her whole life.
She said she was still learning how to own and run a business but had help from her parents, who were both business owners.
Her next goal was to hire a staff member.
The building was previously a hair salon.
It was one of the few commercial properties in Foxton Beach, and was perfect.
‘‘I’m so happy to say I lost my job.
‘‘Even though it was my goal, I would never have done this so soon.’’
She is now operating every weekday, with two late nights and a half-day on Saturday.