Why I Carved Out a Niche in the Beauty Industry

The opportunity to establish a new segment in the beauty industry – a wax-only studio – was crystal clear to me when I was working as a stylist in the 1990s, but that didn’t mean it was to others. Maybe others in my profession thought of it, fleetingly, but dismissed the notion as unglamorous. After all, waxing is loathed by most stylists; it requires set up separate from working with hair, it takes time away from styling hair and it can be a more intimate process than cutting, perming or coloring hair. But with so many people wanting waxes and so few stylists wanting to provide the service, the big break was there for the taking.

But the reasons for carving out a niche increased beyond being a money-maker as time went on.

As I began taking on waxing appointments from my colleagues, I developed waxing into an art and learned what clients wanted. Women, and an increasing number of men, wanted to have their brows, legs and everything in between waxed in a comfortable setting by professionals focused solely on waxing because they viewed waxing as an important part of their lifestyle— and that’s what I set out to create.

Opening a wax-only studio was a sound idea, which my experience confirmed. However, when I shopped the idea around, it raised eyebrows. Many people, including friends, told me it was a hair-brained idea. This, obviously, made finding capital difficult at best. Banks weren’t interested in loaning me money to get such a “ludicrous” notion up and running. Proving the naysayers wrong became another reason to pursue carving out a niche.

But I still needed to find someone who was on board with the idea. Ironically, that person turned out to be working in the stylist station right next to me! Stylist Alex Jimenez (now Arlotta) saw the potential in a wax-only studio and provided seed money, making her my partner. My family, whom I hadn’t yet asked, also recognized the possibilities and chipped in the rest of the money.

In 2003, the first Waxing the City location opened in Denver and quickly developed a devoted local following. We were using custom formulated waxes (and still do) – Cerazul and Cerasuave – designed with the sensitivity of various body parts in mind, which was applied by Cerologists™, the name we gave to our licensed waxing specialists. This further set us apart from others providing waxing services. As our following grew, we opened more studios in Denver and Dallas in just a few years. Clearly a wax-only studio appealed not only to regular waxers, but also to people who had only considered waxing. First-timers who sought out a private, comfortable experience provided by experts became regulars.

Waxing the City also grabbed the attention of the world’s largest co-ed fitness company, Anytime Fitness, which wanted to expand into the beauty industry. Anytime Fitness is a successful franchisor, so after signing on with the company, Waxing the City began franchising at a rapid pace. This opportunity was beyond my original idea. Waxing the City is now outpacing Anytime Fitness as far as franchise growth goes.

I carved out a niche in the beauty industry because the industry needed someone to do it; the demand for a unique waxing experience was there and growing. My desire to succeed was propelled by the naysayers. I wanted to prove I was right.

If you’re inspired to carve out a niche in an industry, keep this in mind:

• Make sure you’re passionate about it, because that passion will carry you over hurdles
• Pay attention to demand. What are your customers saying?
• Don’t stop pursuing your goal just because some people say no. Keep looking for a believer.
• Turn over every stone searching for capital. You never know where you’ll find it.
• Trademark what differentiates your products from others being used in similar businesses
• Look at who’s noticing you. There may be a chance to take your dream to another level.

By Summer Vasilas, co-founder of Waxing the City
Photo by ienetstan | Shutterstock