Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in beauty and cosmetics but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jennifer Ngo, Owner of Chic Lash Boutique, located in Houston, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
In its most simplistic state, Chic Lash Boutique is one of the oldest, most well-established eyelash boutiques in Houston. Our customers come to us for quality services they can trust. We have a 100% guarantee - our goal is to give you your desired look while preserving your natural beauty and allowing you to feel completely at home in our space. We aim to know you wholly in order to give you the exact look you desire. Our clients are lifetime clients, clients that need and want more than a superficial templated look - our clients come to us in order for us to tailor a look for their specific lifestyle. A look that can span the trends of the time, a look that feels completely like their quintessential self.
Tell us about yourself
My overall thesis of who I am relies heavily on my family and friends, so I would prefer not to talk about myself. The drive to start a business was purely out for the betterment of my family and community. I saw a gap in the beauty industry in terms of entry-level beauticians, training, and livable wages. The inefficiency with regard to this gap created an opportunity to develop a business that could create a stable foundation for entry-level beauticians or beauticians that came from tougher socio-economic situations. The need to create a profitable yet relatively conscious business is motivating. Morality is relative, and culture evolves and shifts throughout time; however, the innate need to be productive and helpful with minimal harm/damage is the goal. There's an innate motivation to improve my quality of experience and life, not only for myself but for those that I love - this is what motivates me.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Understanding that life is chaos. All things have a natural state of chaos, and they want to reside within that random state of chaos. Attaining a mental state that allows one to operate effectively, knowing "perfect" entails the entirety of a misunderstood, random, chaotic cycle is my biggest accomplishment....although I do not believe I have truly mastered this skill set - it's always an active feature.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Similar to my answer for accomplishment, the hardest thing about being a business owner is placing a significant amount of energy into developing a perfect situation and creating solutions for clients and staff. The act of solution creation is not the hardest part; the hardest part is knowing you can't be perfect for everyone, and there are some that will utilize you in a parasitic manner. Knowing does not ease the anxiety or pain - the need to act in a way that creates a net positive for society is what allows one to continue.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Read, read, read - do as much research as possible pertaining to your business in order to evaluate and plan for successes and pitfalls.
- Surround yourself with a team of proactive, productive, open-minded, logical people with varying backgrounds.
- Know that you don't have to do everything alone in order for your business to succeed. You can delegate, create operations and take a step back in order to grow. Understand what you need to do on a micro and macro level.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.chiclashboutique.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChicLashBoutique/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chiclashboutique/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chic_lash
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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