Thursday, August, 20, 2009

Hairstylists join forces at Just 4 Hair

by Kenneth Lassiter

 

Photo by Kenneth Lassiter

Jennifer Thomas (left) and Gail Dillenbeck of Just 4 Hair in Ozawkie.

Only a few weeks after meeting for
the first time face to face, Gail
Dillenbeck and Jennifer Thomas are
in business together at Just 4 Hair in Ozawkie.

The new salon, which will play host to
an open house from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, is located in the small
building just east of the post office in Ozawkie. The building’s most recent tenant had been a Pia Friend Realty satellite office, but it had housed a
hair salon at one time. Both Thomas
and Dillenbeck had been separately approached about leasing the space for a salon but, instead, Dillenbeck ended up buying the building and Thomas agreed to join in the new venture.

“We had just talked on the phone about it while we were both thinking about starting a salon here,” Dillenbeck said. She has been styling hair for 20 years and has mainly operated Just 4 Hair out of her home. She lives in Ozawkie with her two daughters. “I’m ready to get going."

The salon is a kind of side business for both Thomas and Dillenbeck. Dillenbeck works at the Target distribution center in Topeka and Thomas’ main hairstyling

location remains at Cathy’s Style Shop in Oskaloosa, where she has worked for eight years and plans to continue. Thomas lives in Ozawkie with her husband, Michael, so the new salon marks an outlet for hairstyling that’s somewhat closer to home.

“I’m excited and nervous about it,” Thomas said. She’s a native of Oskaloosa. “It’s amazing how many of my clients heard about it and figured I wasn’t making it in Oskaloosa. It’s not like that. We both live here in town, this just made sense.”

Thomas finally met Dillenbeck at the salon when Dillenbeck was painting the outside of the building after getting it in June. The building got a new roof and new air conditioning plus some remodeling of the bathroom inside and new equipment for two hairstyling stations. Dillenbeck planned to have more exterior signs posted soon. The salon is currently limited to hair services, including cuts, colors, perms, highlights and other work. Dillenbeck said she’s had requests for nail work but, for now, that’s not included.

Dillenbeck plans to be at the salon from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday plus 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday and also time on Saturdays. Thomas plans to be there from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The flexible nature of the business is a plus for both women. For convenience’s sake, they can be reached by phone at 785-640-2752 for Jennifer and 913-449-7407 for Gail. Thomas also takes appointments via e-mail at thomasjenn05@yahoo.com.

The duo was only awaiting a final inspection for licensure last week, and Dillenbeck said she expected the license to be in place Tuesday to allow them to start taking appointments there. Walk-ins will also be accepted.

Saturday’s open house will include refreshments and hopefully open the doors of their business to some new customers. They agreed a strength of the salon is that they both have their own established clientele.

“We need to redo people’s thinking that they have to stay after work at night in Topeka to get their hair done,” said Dillenbeck, who is from Kansas City and formerly managed a group of seven salons there. “This is a night and weekend business, which we both understand.”