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Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009

Closure coloring opinions of their salons, owners say

WARNER ROBINS — Sherri Willard took her time parting Sandy Vanvoorhis’ hair early Friday morning, making sure to thoroughly apply a dye as she returned the woman’s hair to its original shade.

Nearby, licenses for her business, Hints of Color, and her own styling abilities hung for customers and employees to see.

It is a must to make sure everything needed to operate has been carefully accomplished, salon owners agree. There’s no margin for error, they say, in running a salon.

That’s what happened to the Matthew Caleb Salon, which closed its doors at 3030 Watson Blvd., Suite 500 recently after operating more than a month without a business license.

“When you have a salon like that one not doing what they’re supposed to do,” she said, “it hurts (our industry) more.”

A salon owner needs both a business license and a styling license to do hair from the facility. Sherry Moxley Myers, the owner of High Maintenance hair salon at 259 Carl Vinson Parkway, said anybody venturing into her industry should do what has been asked of her and others.

“Just pay your dues,” said Myers, who has done hair more than 26 years. “I worked my tail off to get my license. I think a lot of other stylists feel that way, too.”

Sitting in a chair in front of Myers, Karen Boylan relaxed as Myers retouched the red tint added to her bangs. She has trusted her long locks to Myers for more than a dozen years, so she knew the end result would be a color with which she was satisfied.

“I’m not freaking out about it,” she said. “I know she’s gonna fix it. I trust her.”

And, she says, she knows Myers is licensed. In her eyes it is enough to know Myers is well-versed in what she is doing.

But what if Myers wasn’t licensed?

“I’d still come to her,” Boylan said matter-of-factly. “If I were a new client? Maybe not. I’ve seen her train other girls. She knows what she’s doing.”

Vanvoorhis, being colored Friday at Hints of Colors in Centerville at 500 Wilson St, Suite B, agreed.

“Right now, I don’t think I’d care if (Willard) was licensed or not,” said Vanvoorhis, a client of Willard’s for nearly two years.

But the state does.

Licensing is integral to running a business or offering some professional salon services. According to the Georgia Board of Cosmetology’s Web site, 12,667 salons and 46,522 Master Cosmetologists were licensed by the state as of Friday.

So far this year, the board has issued 273 cease-and-desist orders for salons practicing without licenses.

Matt Carrothers of the Georgia Secretary of State’s office, under which the state cosmetology board falls, said in no case is a business supposed to operate without a license, nor should a stylist do hair without one.

Willard acknowledges that she has heard stories of local salon owners allowing people without licenses to work. She said she nearly skipped the licensing process herself when she moved to the area from Florida.

“Georgia wouldn’t reciprocate my license,” she said. “I had said ‘to hell with it.’”

The Georgia test required knowledge on skin care and facials. Willard does neither. She eventually went through the process, passing the state test with a 97.

“It’s just aggravating and frustrating for people who come from other places,” she said.

Myers said while she feels all salons should have their paperwork in order, she could not care less whether they are operating outside the boundaries provided by the state.

“Honestly, all I care about is what goes on in here,” she said. “This is my world.”

To contact writer Marlon A. Walker, call 256-9685.