The past two weeks have moved a lot faster than I ever expected. While searching online I found two spa chairs on Craigslist. If you are an avid reader of the blog (which I know you are :)), you know that my budget and I are best friends. I contacted the seller about purchasing one of the two chairs. After a few e-mails, I ended up getting both chairs for the price the seller originally wanted for one. I am excited about my online find. I had to drive two hours to pick them up, but for that price, I would have driven even further. So now my pedicure conundrum has been solved.

The salon license and business license have also finally arrived. I can officially open my doors. Since they both arrived after my original scheduled opening date, I moved my opening by one week. This also allows time for the plumber to hook up my awesome chairs. I also learned that you may want to find out from your licensing location what is needed. For instance, when I went to pick up the business license I had to have a building inspection and fire inspection. (They both came out fine.) Even with a commercial location, some governing agencies still require you to have an inspection for your business to receive the license.

As planned, I have decided to start out slow and be open only on evenings and weekends. I think this will allow me to stand out more to parents and working clients. I plan to wait a while to have an official grand opening. For the soft opening I’ve decided to invite a few family and friends to experience the salon. This will allow me to make any changes or add anything as needed. Also I can see how the flow will go with clients actually in the space. I do plan on having small refreshments for the invited guests. I will post photos and information on the soft opening here. I want to use this event to start the word-of-mouth marketing. So far, so good!

—Alica, Upscale Nail Bar & Boutique, Griffin, Ga.