Small Business Q&A: The Salon Elegance

Sara Lee Amar, owner of The Salon Elegance and former stylist at Radius Salon in Smyrna, brings her cut and color skills to Northeast Cobb.

Q. What's the hardest thing about being a small business owner in Northeast Cobb?
A. Getting new clients is one of the hardest things I’ve found since moving to the area. I have several loyal customers that have followed me from the previous salon I worked at but, with my shop being located inside the Salon Avenue beauty suites, it’s hard for new customers to even know I’m here.

Q. What's the best thing about your job?
A. Being able to set my own schedule and only having to answer to myself is the greatest thing about owning my own business. Also, I can carry product lines that I believe in. I only use quality hair products that have all natural ingredients and are not tested on animals.

Q. What is the best thing about Northeast Cobb?
A. The families that live here. Where I live in Smyrna, out of several hundred residents, only four families that have kids live there. Many people in that area are very career-oriented and keep to themselves. Here in Northeast Cobb, it feels more like home to me.

Q. Why did you choose to open your business in Northeast Cobb?
A. I looked around the areas close to where I live and I found that the people are really friendly and open here. Plus, as I mentioned before, I like the down home family atmosphere and the way Northeast Cobb keeps growing.

Q. Why did you pick this particular kind of business?
A. I’ve always had an interest in hair styling and, when I attended the Paul Mitchell Beauty School in Louisiana, I knew this was what I wanted to do professionally.

Q. What are some of the services you offer that people don't know about?
A. I specialize in blond hair coloring and perform an extra step that many salons don’t do to make sure the color the customer wants is as precise as possible. After bleaching I add a toner to make the color really stand out. Blond hair also has a tendency to become dry and brittle feeling over time so I add an all natural deep conditioning treatment that keeps the hair smooth and shiny. If a customer needing blond color services comes to me with dry brittle hair, I will keep conditioning it at no extra charge to the customer until it is healthy again. I also offer a 50 percent discount to new customers, as well as matching the price of a new client’s current hair styling services at a different salon.

Q. What advice can you offer to someone thinking about starting a small business?
A. Have a business plan. I decided to run my own shop the first part of July and I opened for business on July 22. Since then, I’ve been learning about things I wish I had thought about before starting the business. You should also have some sort of networking or promotional plans for your business as well as having back-up money for the leaner times.

Q. Is there anything else you would like our readers to know?
A. My salon is a very family friendly operation. I love cutting kids’ hair as well as providing hair care services for their moms and dads. My salon is a low key kind of place, where customers will feel comfortable and pampered.

The Salon Elegance is located inside the Salon Avenue beauty suites in the Sprayberry Square Shopping Center, in suite 102, at 2550 Sandy Plains Rd, Northeast Cobb. For further information, or to set an appointment, call 770-405-8339 or email TheSalonElegance@gmail.com.