Tony Turner is as much life coach, therapist and friend.
And he knows his business is more about improving self-esteem and providing a relaxing, fun environment than snipping bangs and braiding wigs.
Turner, a stylist at Haywood’s Hair Images, has been renting a booth at the West Grace Street shop for three months. And even though he is focusing on the bottom line by creating his own line of products (he wants to cut the amount he spends on supplies by $500 per month), the chit-chat is paramount.
“There is a large social aspect to this job,” Turner said. “There is a lot of talking going on, listening and even counseling. It’s about building strong relationships with your customers and helping them love themselves.”
The black hair industry brings in about $9 billion a year nationwide, according to a new Chris Rock documentary that has local hairdressers abuzz. The film (you can see the trailer here) seeks to understand where ideas of beauty came from and the lengths black women go to style their hair — in particular to make it straight. The film, which was a hit at Sundance, is playing at Bowtie Cinemas.
Cutting and styling black women’s hair in Richmond is one of 10 most popular business concepts for local women entrepreneurs, according to Carolyn Nowery, a director at the women’s business center New Vision New Ventures.
“It’s up there with child care, food-based businesses,” she said, adding that new business owners often have a history doing it and think they can do it better by starting out on their own.
Black-owned salons can sometimes also be commercial real estate pioneers, signing leases in urban retail spaces that many other businesses shun.
A handful of salon operators say that the industry is surprisingly resilient to a lousy economy. “Folks still want to take care of themselves and still want to look and feel good,” said Turner, adding that “getting your hair done is a simple pleasure that some women aren’t willing to give up.”
The numbers
Most of Turner’s clients come in every two weeks. He averages seven to 10 women a day, spending one to two hours on each. Tuner said he tries to work on only two clients at a time to maintain high quality. He works 12-hour days, he said.
Renada Harris co-owns Silk Hair Studios on West Broad Street and for 10 years has worked in the salon industry.
Harris also has four beauticians who rent booths inside her shop as independent contractors. They each pay between $100 and $200 a month in rent and help with general upkeep. That’s a symbiotic relationship, because the beauticians help the salons offer more services.
“People who don’t have jobs still find the resources to come in,” Harris said. “They want to look their best when applying for jobs and while on job interviews.”
A high-need business in Richmond, Harris serves about 60 clients a day. Most spend between $50 and $155.
The most popular service is the wash and silk wrap. Customers pay $35 to have their hair shampooed, conditioned, blow dried and then straightened with a ceramic flat iron. Salons also color hair, braid and add extensions. And then there is relaxer – a big player in Rock’s documentary – which uses a chemical process to straighten the natural curl of hair.
Rock’s documentary will probably be one more thing to chat about at the salon.
Said Turner, “This topic is a common thread in the black community. But my clients are pure comedians themselves.”
Loren Pritchett is a journalism student at Virginia Commonwealth University and a freelance writer.
More Reading:
The roots of black hair, Contra Costa Times
The document was playing at Bow Tie(Boulevard Square) at the time of press.