A new-to-market concept that allows beauty workers to rent individual salon spaces will begin construction at the Rookwood Exchange this year and is expected to open next spring.
Greg and Sharon Myers are opening a Salons by JC in 7,000 square feet at the Rookwood Exchange in Norwood. Construction is set to begin Dec. 1.
Salons by JC provides individual suites that hairstylists, nail technicians, aestheticians and massage therapists can rent out to run their own businesses rather than working for commission at a large salon. Other local businesses, like Salon Lofts, provide a similar concept, but Salons by JC has a twist.
“What’s differentiated for Salons by JC is the concierge we provide . If you look at our competitors in Cincinnati, there’s no employee on site, so when an issue comes up, there’s no one for them to talk to,” Greg Myers told me. “Our employee allows contractors to handle walk-ins. If someone was to walk in to a competitor, there’s no one to receive them or guide them to one of the 20 independent contractors.”
Commission rates at salons can range from 35 percent to 60 percent, according to Forbes. At Salons by JC, contractors pay rent and keep all of the fees they charge. Myers provides the hair washing sinks, power, water, concierge, storage area and cleaning services to the salon. Anymore, people care more about the person cutting their hair than the name on the salon, so it provides an opportunity for stylists to strike out on their own, he said.
“When they find someone they’re happy with, they’re loyal to that person, not the salon,” Myers said. “My wife, she’ll follow her hair stylist from salon to salon.”
Myers was previously general manager at an aerospace and defense business, but that got tough during the Great Recession, so he was looking for something that was more uplifting, he said, and didn’t want to be in charge of many employees. That’s when he came across the Salons by JC concept.
Myers hopes to be open for business by April 1, 2016. Construction will begin Dec. 1.
Salons by JC is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The Cincinnati location will be the first in Ohio.
