Self-employment

Create an image to win customers

If your new small business is all about pampering people, you must take care to cultivate the right image. In particular, retail stores, spas, hotels and hair salons must carefully craft their brand to attract certain customers. "Our clientele expects a certain type of experience,"entrepreneur Spiro Makrigiannis says.

Roger Pierce
[ 2005-09-21 ]

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MAKRIGIANNIS
Entrepreneur

He owns Wax Hairdressing (www.waxhairdressing.com) located at 388 Richmond St. W. just shy of Spadina in the heart of downtown Toronto's trendy Fashion District.

Makrigiannis serves a discerning clientele. "Most of our customers care a great deal about their image, so their hair is really important to them," he says. "We typically attract fashionable, upscale men and women between the ages of 25 and 40, ranging from business professionals to musicians to artists."

Since opening his doors three years ago, Makrigiannis has steadily built a very successful small business.

As he attracted more and more customers, he made sure to add more stylists and staff to protect his salon's trademark: Lavishing attention on customers.


"People want a pleasurable experience, so we take that extra step to ensure they're happy," he says. "For instance, we'll robe each customer ourselves, treat them to a scalp massage while shampooing their hair and serve them refreshments."

Wax Hairdressing is extremely well designed, using a sharp yet contemporary look. To create a solid brand image, Makrigiannis carried the colour orange from his logo throughout the store, marrying it with polished concrete floors, stainless steel and fine leather salon chairs.

"To build a brand, you've got to tie everything together from your front window signage to your staff attire to the music you play," he says. "Customers notice these little details to form an overall impression of your business, so all elements must work together to present the image you want to convey."



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