So Close, Yet So Far Away

All I have to say is, as you get closer to your salon opening, just hold on. This is such a tough time; just when I think I’ve got everything covered, I realize I don’t. It’s so close, yet so far away.

 

I can’t get electricity in the salon. We’ve been waiting three weeks now for the city to approve our application. The electrical inspector needed us to resubmit our plans because of some changes we’ve made. She also wants all the equipment in place before she signs off on it, but we can’t do that until the elevator (which obviously needs electricity) works, because we can’t move a Murano pedicure chair upstairs via the stairs. It’s a Catch-22. I’m really hoping that by the end of the week we’ll have power. It’s the main thing that’s holding us up.

 

The first floor is almost ready. The reception desk had to be redone as did the manicure tables, because the drawers were opening in the wrong direction, but at least all of the retail displays are in. My architect, Richard Best, is MIA; he gave us a week’s notice that he was leaving for Dubai to appear in a reality TV show. (I seriously couldn’t even make this stuff up.) Lee Stucker, my contractor, has been forced to pick up the missing architect’s slack. Co-owner Dan will be back shortly, but right now he’s in Northern California as part of a military assignment, so it’s down to Nadine and me.

 

The good news: The sign out front is in place. We’re up to 23 employees. Eight of them attended the Friday main stage presentation at the annual OPI Symposium. (I showed a few of the distributors the salon during the symposium, but unfortunately wasn’t able to do a tour for the whole group of attendees.)

 

The new opening date: July 15.