The newest salon owner in Sydney’s inner-west, Ashleigh Sharman met with Melissa Young to learn more about her home away from home.
Opening a salon along busy Glebe Point Road was something of a homecoming for beauty therapist Melissa Young. This young woman, who grew up in Glebe, went to school and previously worked in the area, has returned to live just one of her many dreams.
“I used to work in real estate but was always performing beauty treatments on myself, family and friends at home. I sought a change of industry but had never looked at beauty as a profession. I enrolled full-time in a diploma and soon began working for a dermatologist and plastic surgeon. Although in an admin capacity, it allowed me to learn a great deal. From there, I joined a beauty salon in Waterloo as therapist and progressed to managing the owner’s street-facing Waterloo salon and shopping centre salon at Eastgardens. You put in the hours and effort in building up someone else’s business, which I loved, but I realised I should be doing this for myself,” Melissa says.
At home then with the locale, and local clientele, it wasn’t until a former dress shop came on the market in December last year that Melissa knew the time had come.
“In my head I knew what I wanted from the salon design and I had an interior designer help me finalise my concept. The previous owner had been in the space for 22 years and we’ve achieved a total transformation! It was certainly a big process but I’ve been able to visualise the results from the very start, otherwise I don’t think it could have happened,” says Melissa on the large space which has been cleverly divided into reception area, three treatment rooms, a spray tan area, bathroom for clients, and back area still in development but containing a bathroom and shower.
Melissa has also surrounded herself with personally tried and test brands, including Skinstitut, St Tropez, Techno Tan, HD Brows, Baby Foot, Jennai, Mancine and Candela Laser — all supporting her menu of favourite treatments.
“My menu was worked out about a year ago, before I found the space. Every treatment I offer is what I’ve done since working in beauty and, ultimately, the treatments I love to do. They are the treatments I’m comfortable knowing I do well. You never stop learning new techniques, new ways of performing treatments and can always expand on what you do,” Melissa explains.
Manicures, pedicures and massages are absent from the treatment menu, yet Melissa acknowledges there are businesses along Glebe Point Road who fill the gap. “When you move into an area you must do your research to see what other businesses offer,” she stresses, “there are other beauty salons in the area but we are all different. It’s not bad competition.”
Melissa Young Beauty truly is a one woman show but don’t be fooled, there are clear goals in place to grow and be able to hire additional staff in the not so distant future. That and armed with a keen sense of marketing through social media, letter box dropping, opening specials, introductions to neighbouring businesses and word of mouth recommendations, foretells a successful future.
“I have a dream board I place all my goals on, from business awards to personal achievements. Every morning before I leave the house I look at it and it reassures me where I’m going — that if I push myself, work hard enough, I can achieve my dreams. You can’t give up on yourself. You have to keep going.”
For more information contact Melissa Young Beauty, Shop 2, 197 Glebe Point Road, Glebe NSW (02) 8068 8477 or email info@melissayoungbeauty.com.au