Opening her first parlour might have been hair-raising, but Mankwane Chakela still manages to run her business with style, writes Samantha Kalisa

I gussed that the lady standing in the coffee shop doorway was Mankwane Chakela. There was something about the way she drew attention with her presence without speaking a word.

Sleek, well groomed ... everything about her said she knew something about beauty that you needed to know.

"I have always loved the beauty industry, but dabbled in many kinds of business before deciding to go with what I had a passion for," she said.

I was a little intimidated. Especially when she told me that she had just celebrated her 53rd birthday.

"I was a school teacher for 17 years. In 2003, I bought an existing hair salon in Sandton. I just took a chance and learnt some hard lessons along the way. One of the first was the importance of location," she said.

The first Le Looks beauty and hair was situation in Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton City.

"I thought: It is Sandton, right? Situated near banks in a shopping complex, perfect location, right? Wrong. I quickly found out that when people came to the bank, banking was all they had in mind. We needed to be where there was more leisurely foot traffic - where impulse shoppers dropped in. It took me 18 months to break even."

She was able to stay afloat due to an excellent relationship with her bank manager and with some financial assistance from her husband. Once she discovered that the location was the problem, she lobbied Sandton City's management until it moved her to a more favourable spot in a busy part of the mall, in 2005. What the salon once made in a month, it now turned over in a week.

"Another lesson I learnt very quickly was that, even though my knowledge about hairdressing was informal, I knew things about running a business and things about customer service that I needed to teach my team of hairdressers. I had ideas that would make my salon different from other salons, more professional, efficient and a better experience for my customers. But I needed their buy-in, " said Mankwane.

She realised that most of her team of hairdressers were self-taught - that they didn't necessarily have the business skills to run a business effectively.

"I realised that I couldn't just buy the business, appoint a manager from among the hairdressing staff and sit back and wait. I needed to get involved.

"I was there in the morning to open, watched how they went about their business and saw how we could improve it."

Mankwane said she was the first salon owner to introduce uniforms into her salons.

"Clients want to be attended by presentable staff, and by bringing in uniforms everyone can be well groomed and neat," said Mankwane.

"I also make sure that my team knows what is acceptable etiquette - for example: don't be late for your client, be pleasant. You want your client to look and feel better after they have been around you."

She started training in other aspects of etiquette - from correct table manners to ways of speaking to clients.

The Sandton City salon was so successful that she now owns three other salons and employs about 60 staff, and they are responsible for the hair of actors and presenters on various television shows, including e.tv's Rhythm City.

I asked what she would have liked to know about her business before she started out.

"I wish that I had known to do market research. I wish that I had known about the seasonality of our business - people are more inclined to come for a massage or pedicure in summer.

"I wish that I had known about the importance of identifying your target market and how important location is.

"But one thing I do know: put your head and passion into it, you will make a success of your business."

Do you have what it takes?

If you are thinking of opening your own hair salon, ask yourself these questions:

Do you like people? Would you be able to deal with them day in, day out?

Are you able to communicate with people at their level - no matter their age or social background?

Are you able to be friendly and show an interest in your clients while being professional with your service? Can you work long hours, standing on your feet every day, including Saturdays and maybe even Sundays?

Do you project a sense of confidence that will enable customers to trust your skills and your judgment?

Are you able to keep track of the latest trends in hair styling and keep abreast of technical advances in treatments, such as straightening and extensions?

You should be motivated and determined. You should be interested in fashion and the latest styles and techniques.

Your personal grooming and appearance are very important. You should have the highest standards of hygiene and look well kept. Remember, you are going to be working very close to your customer. No one wants to be attended by someone who doesn't look like they can take care of themselves, let alone someone else.

Some facts

More than 10 million South Africans visit a hair salon at least once a month; two-thirds of these are women.

Although market research in the hairdressing industry is scarce, this much is known: in 2004, the hairdressing industry was estimated to be worth between R700-million and R1-billion, and the recent economic downturn found it to still be a confident market registering strong growth rates. South African salons seemed unaffected.

Seventy percent of people going to a salon are black, so there is much more demand for afro-salons.

Chemical relaxing and African hair styling account for almost all afro-salon business.

Products formulated to suit new service combinations - such as colouring relaxed hair - command premium prices in salons.

The South African hair-care market - professional and consumer - is growing in double digits and this strong growth is expected to continue for 2010 and beyond.

Consider your location

As with any business, you need to think carefully before deciding on a location for your hair salon. It determines the type of customer you will attract, the prices you charge and what kind of services you offer.

For example, if your salon is located within a busy central business district, you'll attract a professional clientele, people to whom personal appearance is important, and they are willing to spend a lot of money on grooming themselves.

They are also used to excellent customer service and expect their needs to be accommodated. They don't want to sit for hours in your salon during their busy working day to have their hair done. After-hours appointments would be the thing for them. Add value to their visit by offering manicures, pedicures, facials or a massage. Complete their experience by having the day's papers and well-brewed coffee in a comfortable environment, surrounded by efficient and professional staff.

Foot traffic: you need to be in a location that has a lot of people walking by. In this way, someone will walk by and on impulse decide to have their hair done. To attract this kind of client, your shopfront should be lively and attractive, and your staff should look professional, capable and friendly.

Make sure there is adequate and safe parking close by, especially if you are going to be having after-hours clients.

This market is extremely competitive and there are countless salons. You have to offer something more than just a good hair cut or treatment. You are competing against mobile hairdressers who do business by travelling and offering services in the comfort of their clients' homes, informal salons like those found along roadsides and in busy areas, as well as the expensive international salons for those who are brand conscious.

Hotels, gyms and health clubs often have small beauty or hairdressing salons on their premises and these may take away your business.

Another source of indirect competition is home-styling products such as ceramic-plated straightening irons. This could have an impact on the demand for treatments like perming and relaxing. In recent years, there have been improvements to home colouring and highlight kits, which gives consumers a less expensive alternative to salon treatments.

What you will need

As a hairdresser you need to offer your clients excellent service and a pampering experience. You can do this by creating a relaxing atmosphere and offering a range of other beauty treatments - but mostly by having well-trained, competent, confident and friendly staff.

Pricing your services is important. Decide what type of salon you wish to run and talk to the owners of successful salons. Check the yellow pages for names and addresses.

Find out which products they use that you would like to make use of in your salon. Find out who supplies them and how much they cost.

Find out how they price their services and decide whether you will keep to the standard or add services and charge more.

There is a demand for hairdressers who have qualified in braiding, relaxing and straightening. You may want to open a salon which specialises in this market, or include it in the services you offer.

If you run a unisex salon, you will be able to reach the profitable market of young professional males as well as the traditional female base. These days, men are taking more of an interest in body image and grooming.

Most young girls and teenagers want to keep up to date with the latest styles and trends. If you offer special rates or packages for this younger market, it may encourage parents to bring children to you instead of a salon where they charge the same rate as adults.

Brides, their mothers and their bridesmaids all need to have their hair styled on the wedding day - so you could offer early morning appointments and special rates to bridal parties.