In Nakuru town along Kenyatta Avenue sits JM Nail Spa, a beauty enterprise that has become a popular destination for women of all ages.
The shop is owned by John Mbugua, a 34-year-old who opened it four years ago after years of hawking beauty products. The parlor offers various services, including manicures, pedicures, and facial makeup.
“I started with Sh100. I used the money to buy three bottles of nail polish, each costing Sh20 and cotton wool. On the first day, I made Sh500 profit; I could not believe it,” he said.
Mbugua revealed that he moved from one salon to another, hawking his products. With time, his clients grew into fold, and he would get regular calls from clients requesting his services.
This prompted him to open a shop with proceeds from his savings. The business took two years to break even and has since been a success for Mbugua, who currently has 12 employees.
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“Two years into the enterprise, the business started picking up and I took a Sh15,000 bank loan to expand and employ two assistants,” he said. Three months later, he went back for Sh20,000 to invest in the venture.
According to him, the use of social media for marketing plays a significant role in the success of any beauty business.
Some of his clients are drawn from social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, with a big chunk being referrals from happy clients.
“JM Nail Spa and Beauty Parlour thrive best on referrals. When we offer exceptional services to clients, they refer new customers to us.” He said.
He emphasized the need for beauty technicians to be on par with the latest developments in the market. Mbugua says he spends a lot of time on the Internet learning about the latest trends in the art of facial, nail, and hair styling.
“You must be trendy, innovative and keep up with the latest in the market; otherwise, you might close shop…of utmost importance in this industry is branding, which is a game changer. ”
“Equally important is value addition since customers come to you expecting more than just service, and you have to ask yourself what value you are adding,” Mr. Mbugua explained.
With a monthly turnover of about Sh200,000, the businessman advises upcoming entrepreneurs that they don’t need a lot of capital to turn a business idea into a viable enterprise.
