Allure Beauty and Nails managing director Mara Foard was at a bit of a crossroads in life when the Fairy Meadow beauty salon presented itself as an option.
After working from home part time for many years, the timing to take over the eight-year-old Fairy Meadow beauty and nail salon couldn’t have come at a better time. When she stepped into the salon, Mara felt like she'd come home.
Here’s her story…
What’s the history of the business? When did it start?
The salon itself has been here (in Fairy Meadow) for many years. The lady before me had owned it for about eight years.
I've been in beauty for 20 years. I was working from home part time, so I could be home with the kids.
And then how did the salon come about? It was a universal interruption, really. I was at a bit of a crossroads as to where I was heading next. I was feeling sad and miserable, sitting on my couch and going through Facebook.
Literally, the advert from a business broker came up for the salon. If I had been in a good place, I probably would have gone, ‘Oh, cute’ and I would have just carried on. But because I was at that crossroads, I kind of went ‘Oh, this is what I could be doing’.
The next morning I rang up and came down, and I met with the broker and the owner, and she was gorgeous. She was everything I was, but a lot younger (laughs) - the way she spoke about her clients was the way I felt about my clients, the services that she liked were the services that I liked… I loved the feel. I felt like I had come home.
What sort of services do you offer now and has that grown over the years?
When I first started the services I offered were very basic. What I was doing was facials, waxing, tinting and pedicures.
But since then, I’ve now got LED with my facials, I've now got a laser machine for hair removal and for face rejuvenation or skin rejuvenation.
We've got lots of different products. We've got eyelash serums, a little natural perfume line.
I'm still not a big salon. I like my clients to feel like they can literally come in and not feel like they're being judged. It’s low key and homely. I want clients to be able to leave here feeling better than when they walked in.
What do you like about operating in Fairy Meadow?
I like the community. When I first walked in here, I must have been here for a couple of hours, and I had a lady open the door and say to me, “welcome to the community”.
Everything is here. Everything that you could possibly need. And if I need to duck out, I can go out and get back here in time for the next client.
What are your plans for the future of the business?
There are lots of plans, but whether they come to pass is another thing. It depends on where this new world takes us. One, I’d love to get more staff in. Two, I'd love to pull this place apart. It's really small, so I’d love to renovate it.
Learn more about Allure Beauty and Nails.
To learn more about buying, selling or leasing a property in Fairy Meadow and surrounds, contact Joanne on (02) 4285 7400.
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Local story: Mass For You At Home TV series
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