Salon service at doorstep back in vogue

Visakhapatnam: Hair-cut, grooming and spa services for men are now being offered at the doorstep of denizens in the city. An engineering graduate from IIT Kharagpur, who turned into an entrepreneur, started the grooming services. It may be recalled that saloon services at the doorstep were very common till 90s and slowly vanished, but now it is back in vogue in the city.

Highlights:

• IIT Kharagpur student launched the venture The Beards
• Receives good response from customers
• Nanda Goutham is planning to open new outlets in Vijaywada, Guntur and Tirupati
• Planning on Salon on Wheels

Nanda Goutham Dalai, a 27-year-old engineering graduate from IIT Kharagpur, started the new initiative in the Port City. With big response from the customers, Nanda Goutham is now planning to open his outlets in Vijayawada, Guntur and Tirupati. Nanda Goutham who is now an adviser for several Start-Up companies in New Delhi also.

After completion of his education, he wished to do something special instead of routine Start-Up. When he shared his idea to kick-start a salon service at the doorstep, his friends and relatives discouraged him. However, his father Varaprasad, a PSU employee, lent his support and encouraged his son. With this, Nanda Goutham started The Beards.

For any service industry, attitude of the staff is vital for success of the unit. Goutham after recruiting the staff provided special training classes to them. Goutham procured advanced tools for the salon services and maintains hygiene. Not only individual customers, The Breads bagged periodical bulk orders at hospitals and hostels. The staff will move to the houses on call and also periodical visits to the bulk customers.

“After initial hiccups, within one year, we received excellent response. Customers are expressing their happiness as they are saving their time and getting good service. Now, we are offering complete salon and spa services at the doorstep. Hair cutting, shaving, shaping, massage, permanent tattoo, hair colouring, facials and tan removals also being offered by The Breads,” Nanda Goutham told The Hans India.

There was tremendous change in the youth and middle-aged persons. The middle aged and GenNext are also giving top priority to haircuts, shaping and facials. The men are also asking insta-fairness facials, face clean up, wine and chocolate facials. Our services are ranging minimum from Rs 49 to Rs 2,000 and above as per the need of the customer, Nanda Goutham pointed out.

As the apartments and gated communities are increasing, The Breads is now planning to start an advanced saloon on wheels. The Breads is now digitising the data of the customers to call the customers on periodically.

“Yes, there is a big demand from the residents of apartment and gated communities. We are planning to set up salon on wheels with three to four chaired van. On monthly and bi-monthly our salon on wheels will visit the apartments to bag the bulk customers. Our expansion plans and saloon on wheels will be completed by 2018,” Goutham added.

By VKL Gayatri