Sisters Rochelle Clark and Michelle Claxton started Rock’N Mick’s Hair Hut in October of 1998. They worked together throughout their lives and knew they wanted to open their own salon one day. “We get along great and knew this was something we would enjoy doing together. My husband and I saw this location for lease one day, we went to a restaurant and drew up the business plan on a napkin, then we went to my sister’s house immediately afterwards,” says Claxton. They felt the location was ideal, but because it was previously a restaurant, it required extensive renovations. “We sat in the parking lot for an entire day to monitor traffic in the plaza,” adds Clark. They signed a lease, gutted the location and started from scratch. They have re-designed the salon décor every five years to give it a fresh new look.
The salon is located at 49 Finch Drive. Clients love their atmosphere. “They walk in the door and feel welcomed and when they leave it’s like they just visited with family,” says Clark. They have built great relationships with their customers. “We love when customers come in and tell us they want a change. That doesn’t always happen in this industry, so we have built that trust.” The salon pricing is very reasonable. “We offer a great value for the quality we provide.” When it came to naming the business, it was rather easy. “Our grandparents named us Rocky and Micky when we were young. Our grandma was so excited to see the name that we chose.”
Growing up, they saw what it took to run a successful business. “Our parents each owned a business and our uncle owned a salon in Grand Bend. Our aunt and cousins own businesses as well,” says Claxton. Her husband is also in the industry. “Jay owned the Hair Dressing School for twenty-five years and now teaches through the school board. My daughter now works at the salon. Hair is in our family.” The salon has five full-time staff. “Our staff have been with us since we opened. They were hired shortly after we opened and are still here. We work as a team, have a lot of fun, and we appreciate what they bring to the business. We expand our knowledge of the industry by attending trade shows and enjoy hanging out with them, even outside of work hours.”
Rock’N Mick’s Hair Hut offers the latest trends, styles and products for the entire family. Their services include waxing, colour, styling, cutting, perms, and up-do’s. They can take bookings on their website, through Facebook, by phone or email. They now see the third generation of clients coming in as adults. “We used to cut their hair as a kid and now they are bringing in their own kids. We did their grade eight graduation, prom and their wedding. We have a lot of families like that.” says Claxton. “We do a lot of wedding parties. I love doing colour and up-do’s, there’s an art to it.”
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