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In January 2020, Nia Pettitt officially opened the doors to The Curl Bar, a curly hair salon, in London. Nia's idea for the salon was not just about making customers feel beautiful, but offering the opportunity for all clients to be embraced and admired.

The brick-and-mortar company's journey to existence

The idea of opening a salon for curly hair was a longtime dream of Nia's. "I frequently traveled to America to have my hair done because it was always a challenge to find a salon in London and even in the UK," she says. "I wanted to create something that felt safe as well as relaxing, which also reflected visually what I would've dreamed of as a child." The customers responded positively to this vision: when the books opened at The Curl Bar, appointments soon filled up.

"Your life will change once you make the decision to start your own business. Check if you're ready for that change," Nia advises aspiring business owners. No one could have predicted the magnitude of changes that would come to Nia and The Curl Bar. Only two months after opening, the salon had to shut down temporarily because of COVID-19 closures across the UK. But even an indefinite pause of operations did not slow Nia down.

"I had no formula to grow the business let alone in the epidemic," she says. "I just take each moment as an opportunity to grow from." As The Curl Bar was closed, Nia shifted her focus onlineand connected with her stylists as well as her customers online until The salon could safely be able to reopen.