Tune in to hear Nikita Montgomery share the truth about opening a salon that no one talks about.⁠Follow/subscribe to be the first to know when new episodes are released. Like what you hear? Leave us a review!KEY TAKEAWAYS:Nikita, inspired by fashion, entrepreneurship, and her Grandma, opened Hazel O Salon. Nikita is not a stylist but creates a space for stylists and clients alike, serving all hair textures and bringing greater diversity in services to Old Town Alexandria.Opening a salon, construction, and permitting are very important aspects that can derail your ambition or cost you time, money, and stress if you do not handle them correctly. It is also confusing if you do it yourself.A general contractor will help you navigate the permits, but they will cost you a TON of money!Building a team from ZERO and not having her own clientele, Nikita used Indeed to hire people with little to no clients to start building off of walk-ins and new client requests.ASPIRING SALON OWNERS: Build a clientele and hone your craft before opening a salon. Practice teaching and working with assistants to hone your skills at growing others. This is the magic ingredient to success in salon ownership.Know that your team/employees have lives and free will. They will likely have ambitions and leave you at some point. Being okay and prepared for this is very important to your long-term success as a business owner and leader.Be involved in your local community if you want to have a successful career as a service provider or business. People help and support each other in the community.?Follow Nikita on InstagramThe Hairdresser Strong Show is all about Salon Owners, Rising Stylists, and Seasoned Stylists sharing their experiences, successes, failures, and advice to inform, educate, and empower their Fellow Hairdresser. We won’t stop until we are all: Hairdresser Strong.CONNECT WITH US? Subscribe to our free newsletter? Connect on Instagram? Connect on TikTok? Watch on YouTube? Check out our BlogThe views and opinions of our guests are theirs and important to hear. Each guest's views and opinions are their own and we aim to bring you diverse perspectives, career paths and thoughts about the craft and industry so you can become Hairdresser Strong! They do not necessarily reflect the positions of HairdresserStrong.com.