104 | NAILS mAgAzINe | September 2010

Maisie Dunbar is a computer

systems analyst-turned-brand

name. That is, she used to be

a systems analyst, more than 17 years

ago. Since then, she has become a nail

tech and salon owner, makeup artist

for celebrities and runway models,

beauty consultant, Bluffa Jo makeup

and skin care line owner, and in

essence, a brand name.

Dunbar explains: “I hired a beauty

business consultant and he made me

realize my name was my brand,” she

says. He asked her a simple question:

“Maisie, have you ever Googled your-

self?” When she did so, Dunbar found

that all her work, including the Bluffa

Jo line, showed up under her name.

Taking the consultant’s advice, she

moved to a bigger location nearby

and changed her salon name from

M&M Nails and Wellness Center,

opened in 1999, to Maisie Dunbar

Spa Lounge.

Making the Switch Opened in

October 2009, Maisie Dunbar Spa

Lounge in Silver Spring, Md., is a

two-level salon that includes six

pedicure stations, two manicure

tables, and four private rooms that can

be used for massage, waxing, and skin

care treatments. Makeup, eyelash, and

eyebrow services are offered in front

near the nail area.

The new location interior was

entirely rebuilt — and Dunbar faced a

setback when the hired contractor took

off with her supplies, forcing her to buy

all new ones. Dunbar adds that another

challenge was financing the new place,

as new materials and furniture had to

be bought. Worried about being in debt,

salon profile

The Salon Owner as Brand

prompted by the advice of a beauty business consultant, nail tech and wellness expert maisie Dunbar moved from her old salon to the new branded maisie Dunbar Spa Lounge. by thI DAo

}buSINeSSDunbar retails a variety of skin care and beauty products, including her own line, dubbed Bluffa Jo.

QuIck LookSalon Name: maisie Dunbar Spa Lounge Location: Silver Spring, md.Owner: maisie DunbarSquare Footage: 2,500Opened: 2009 (1999 in original location)Number of Nail Techs/Total Staff: 5/7Specialties: cutting-edge nailsCompensation: Salary at start, commission once establishedWebsite: www.maisiedunbarspalounge.com

106 | NAILS mAgAzINe | September 2010

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www.nailsmag.com/fifi/20265

called the Girl-Le-Girl Manicure and

Pedicure. At $83 for the combo ($93

if the service is with Dunbar herself),

Dunbar says prices are a little higher

than area salons.

Other nail services include CND’s

Shellac hybrid nail color, Minx nail

coatings, and Bluffa Jo Sugar Butter

services, which use products from

Dunbar’s own line. Clients can choose

polish from OPI, Essie, CND, China

Glaze, and Zoya.

She enacted a second-day callback

system for new clients. The caller

makes sure clients are happy with

their treatment and experience, and

if they are not, Dunbar calls them to

see how she can fix it. She says this

has been an effective policy in getting

repeat bookings.

Most clients are female baby-

boomers who moved with her from

her previous location.

tipS for other techS From

computer expert to beauty expert,

Dunbar has gone a long way from

by buying a certain amount of products

and for pre-booking.

Internet marketing includes a

comprehensive website, e-newsletters

sent every month, and a YouTube

channel with videos that include a

walk-through tour of the salon. She

also offered a Groupon (online group

coupon available at Groupon.com)

to spread the word about the new

location. “The client retention aspect

of Groupon wasn’t that high. We got

a great response, but many people

thought our prices were a little steep,”

Dunbar says. “However, people have

referred other organizations to us for

events.”

To combat the effects of the recession

on salon business, she’s offered specials

and serviced events. “You just have

to rethink the way you do business,”

Dunbar says. “Doing it the same way is

just not going to work.”

enSuring excellent Service The

salon’s most popular treatments are

its basic manicures and pedicures,

she wiped out her savings to fund the

salon herself.

“I was looking for more of a spa

lounge kind of feel,” Dunbar says.

Whereas her previous salon had been

dominated by different wood tones,

the new salon has a sleeker, more

modern look, with white walls and

floors and mostly dark furniture.

Marketing anD incentiveS

Among other achievements, Dunbar has

been an educator for CND and Seche,

done nails for television and awards

shows, and been featured in newspapers

and magazines. Dunbar uses her

expertise to market the salon, offering

specials and discounts and using online

resources to push the brand.

Dunbar says her business grew strictly

from referrals throughout the years.

To reward those clients who brought

in new business, she established a

points and rewards system. Clients

get points for referrals, and they can

then use them to redeem services and

treatments. Points can also be earned

September 2010 | NAILS mAgAzINe | 107 www.nailsmag.com/fifi/20262

ahead. Some expect salon owners

to take care of this, and while they

should, not every salon owner will,

she warns. In this case, it’s up to

the tech to keep herself informed

the day she was laid off 17 years ago.

One can credit Dunbar’s success

to her innovation and readiness to

research other salon techniques, take

classes, and attend trade shows. She

eventually hired a business consultant

because she wanted to take her salon

to the next level.

“If you are committed to the

industry, you will be successful,”

she advises new nail techs. Techs

must invest in their education to get

1. following the success of her career in the beauty industry, Maisie Dunbar is working to spread her brand name. 2. the waiting room outside the spa area leads into four private rooms reserved for waxing, massage, and skin care treatments. 3. Manicure and makeup stations are located on the upper level of the salon. 4. pedicure stations that Dunbar designed herself lie along the back of the salon, allowing guests more privacy.

by reading, going to trade shows,

doing market research, and getting

services in other salons. “You have to

be responsible for your own success,”

Dunbar says.

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