Being a business owner can lead to a lot of sleepless nights, especially at the beginning. But if there’s one thing Shayla Booth has learned, it’s that a good team behind you can make all the difference.
Hailing from Saskatchewan, the 27-year-old will soon be celebrating her first anniversary as the owner of Belle Rose Salon and Wax Bar in Langford. “I’m passionate about what I do, I love it,” she said. “We’ve created a really good reputation and we just want to keep growing.”
After working at the salon for a little more than a year Booth was presented with an opportunity. The previous owner had decided to sell, offering the business up to her staff before putting it on the market. “I decided to try and make it happen and it happened,” Booth recalled. “I had an opportunity and I took it.”
The decision to buy the business didn’t come lightly and was one made with some of the best intentions. “We all loved our jobs so much … it allowed us all to stay working together.” Booth explained of her staff.
While it has led to some sleepless nights, Booth hasn’t regretted her decision. “My staff is so supportive. I don’t do anything on my own.” Her husband also lends a hand with the technical side of the operation and has helped her deal with some of the challenges of being boss.
“The parts I find hardest are dealing with confrontation,” she noted, but that’s something she’s learning to handle with her team behind her.
Booth didn’t just stop at preserving that team dynamic. The business is also a certified Green Circle salon, meaning at least 95 per cent of waste is diverted from landfills to be recycled. “Everything from foils to wax strips,” she noted, adding even the cut hair is repurposed to soak up oil spills in the ocean.
In an industry that’s notorious for its amount of waste, being green was something that was really important to Booth and her staff. “Anything that I can do … I would like to.”
Besides limiting waste, the salon utilizes organic products. One of the products they carry, Eminence Organic Skin Care, plants a tree for every retail product sold. That’s translated to more than 7 million trees planted in developing nations. The products are all paraben free as well. “It’s all that good stuff,” Booth added. “We are (also) cruelty free, nothing is tested on animals.”
As a dog owner herself, the salon is a pet-friendly space for clients to bring their furry friends. “We all love where we work and we want people to feel that … We’re a family here.” And that’s no small family with a staff of 10.
