Manjit Jutla: Shear Country Salon
Peoria-based salon owner Manjit Jutla is a world away from her birthplace, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. And like many women, she’s enjoying a career different from the one she initially chose.
Jutla, now a cosmetologist and owner of Shear Country Salon, started out her career in pharmacy in England, where her family emigrated in the late 1960s. "For about 10 years, I worked for the national English chain Boots-the-Chemist, preparing and dispensing medication. When my son was born, we decided I would be a stay-at-home mom, but I continued part-time work in a health center in a small, quaint village outside of Cambridge, England."
When Jutla and her husband moved to the U.S., she opted not to continue in pharmacy, in part because she would have had to go back to school to obtain a U.S.
pharmacy license. Instead, she pursued a career she was seemingly born to. "I’ve always enjoyed interacting with people, and the beauty business has always fascinated me," she said. "My family has been successful in owning two high-end salons in London, so it was only natural for me to consider the beauty business as a new career when we moved to Columbus, Ohio."
It was here that Jutla began working with Charles Perzone, a top salon owner, coordinating customer service at his premier Grand Salon. "When I left Columbus, he encouraged me to venture into the beauty business, and this is when I set my goal of building and owning a grand salon in Peoria," she said.
After moving to Peoria in 1994, Jutla had to start from scratch. She began as a receptionist at Shear Country and attended Oehrlein’s Beauty School on the side. "I graduated in 1996 and continued to work at Shear Country as a stylist. Within a year of graduating, I started to develop an entry-level plan to become an owner. Over the course of three years, I had developed several options to acquire a running business. At age 36, I finally knew what I wanted to be when I grew up," she said.
The salon’s previous owner knew of Jutla’s aspirations, and she offered Jutla the opportunity to buy the 20-year-old business nearly three years ago. "They say that in America you can build your dreams. In 2001, I not only gained the business, but more than that, my family and I became American citizens. It was a dream year."
Today, Jutla said Shear Country Salon is a full-service day spa, providing all hair and skin care services, including cuts, dimensional color treatments, texturizing, manicures, pedicures, facials, makeup applications, formal specialty hair styles, and consultations. "The salon has an additional service that’s become a phenomenal success over the last two years: bridal party hair and makeup. A private ’bridal room’ allows a bridal party to enjoy a home-like atmosphere with fully catered services. We’re booked almost a year ahead for this service."
With her international background and multi-cultural heritage, Jutla brings unique qualifications to her business. "Having grown up in London, one of the centers of the fashion industry, and having family in Grasse, France, the capital of the French perfumery industry, I get to see many emerging fashions and trends from Europe before they hit New York or Los Angeles. Also, India is an emerging source of new herbal/organic products and fashion, and these have emerged as major trends in the U.S. on the east and west coasts. From clothing to henna, and nose rings to bindi (make-up), I bring a diverse culture to the region. If you want to know what’s going on in other parts of the world, I’m the one to talk to," she said.
She said it’s important for professionals in her line of work to be creative people. "We’re able to see the potential of what a new style can do for a person. While hair and make-up is a science, it’s also a creative process. A high-caliber stylist is able to envision the end result the client can’t see."
It may surprise people to learn that many stylists only meet the minimum required level of education, due to its high cost, Jutla said. "Styles are constantly changing, and new products and technologies are entering the market all the time. It’s only through continuous education that a stylist is able to keep abreast of these new changes and developments. The minimum level may not be enough to give them the complete knowledge to provide a high-quality service.
Another insider piece of knowledge is that while many women enjoy changing their hair color or texture, it’s a science, and Jutla said it isn’t as simple as picking out a color at the grocery store. "It actually requires some knowledge of chemical interactions with human tissue. A good stylist will spend time formulating the right color mixture for your specific hair after consulting with you. Many people don’t know that a good salon has a color dispensary, which is a palate of chemical colors (Shear Country has more than 200) that allows the color to be customized for you. That’s why I like this industry: It’s very similar to a pharmacy. The secret is to tailor-make a ’prescription’ for each client during the service and another for when they go home. Just as a prescribed medication performs better than over-the-counter medication, products do too. It’s no good putting on quality color and then going home and using over-the-counter shampoo or conditioner that could destroy the treatment."
She said the best part of her job is her clients. "It’s the people-from all walks of life, all cultural heritages, all age groups, and many professional backgrounds and ranks. I like making these people look good and boosting their self-esteem and confidence."
The most challenging, she said, is trying to be both business owner and stylist. "Both are fun and exciting, but simultaneously, they’re demanding of my time. It can also be challenging to convince a customer to make a change in her appearance."
Despite the hectic schedule and time crunches, Jutla said being a business owner is a dream come true. For other women who hope to own a business, she said the first step is to develop goals. "Forget about vision and mission statements. In my mind, these are wasted efforts for small businesses and can distract you. But goals are important. Without goals, you can’t develop a plan, you can’t determine if you’re succeeding or failing, and you can’t measure your progress."
She does suggest developing a sound business plan, however. "Peoria has many small business support services, and I highly recommend using them."
Jutla advised against going into business because it looks and feels like the right thing to do. "Don’t use emotions to make decisions; use facts and data. Talk to people who are already in the business. Talk to your banker, accountant, and lawyer-and don’t be afraid to ask naïve questions. They’re all there to help you succeed."
Lastly, she advocated promoting strong values for the workforce. "I use three very simple values: trust, respect, and honesty. I’ve also built a family environment where everyone supports each other through teaming and empowerment."
And, of course, don’t be afraid of change. "Shear Country is experiencing ongoing changes; it’s a work in progress," she said. "At some point, I would like to offer massages. There’s no doubt in my mind what the end goal is: a grand salon in Peoria. I’m currently looking into this very seriously. My current goal is to elevate this salon from the ’cut shop’ mentality to a sophisticated, elegant, high-quality service provider. To me, good service is when every person entering the door is a VIP, there’s never a long wait, and attitudes are positive." TPW
Jutla, now a cosmetologist and owner of Shear Country Salon, started out her career in pharmacy in England, where her family emigrated in the late 1960s. "For about 10 years, I worked for the national English chain Boots-the-Chemist, preparing and dispensing medication. When my son was born, we decided I would be a stay-at-home mom, but I continued part-time work in a health center in a small, quaint village outside of Cambridge, England."
When Jutla and her husband moved to the U.S., she opted not to continue in pharmacy, in part because she would have had to go back to school to obtain a U.S.
pharmacy license. Instead, she pursued a career she was seemingly born to. "I’ve always enjoyed interacting with people, and the beauty business has always fascinated me," she said. "My family has been successful in owning two high-end salons in London, so it was only natural for me to consider the beauty business as a new career when we moved to Columbus, Ohio."
It was here that Jutla began working with Charles Perzone, a top salon owner, coordinating customer service at his premier Grand Salon. "When I left Columbus, he encouraged me to venture into the beauty business, and this is when I set my goal of building and owning a grand salon in Peoria," she said.
After moving to Peoria in 1994, Jutla had to start from scratch. She began as a receptionist at Shear Country and attended Oehrlein’s Beauty School on the side. "I graduated in 1996 and continued to work at Shear Country as a stylist. Within a year of graduating, I started to develop an entry-level plan to become an owner. Over the course of three years, I had developed several options to acquire a running business. At age 36, I finally knew what I wanted to be when I grew up," she said.
The salon’s previous owner knew of Jutla’s aspirations, and she offered Jutla the opportunity to buy the 20-year-old business nearly three years ago. "They say that in America you can build your dreams. In 2001, I not only gained the business, but more than that, my family and I became American citizens. It was a dream year."
Today, Jutla said Shear Country Salon is a full-service day spa, providing all hair and skin care services, including cuts, dimensional color treatments, texturizing, manicures, pedicures, facials, makeup applications, formal specialty hair styles, and consultations. "The salon has an additional service that’s become a phenomenal success over the last two years: bridal party hair and makeup. A private ’bridal room’ allows a bridal party to enjoy a home-like atmosphere with fully catered services. We’re booked almost a year ahead for this service."
With her international background and multi-cultural heritage, Jutla brings unique qualifications to her business. "Having grown up in London, one of the centers of the fashion industry, and having family in Grasse, France, the capital of the French perfumery industry, I get to see many emerging fashions and trends from Europe before they hit New York or Los Angeles. Also, India is an emerging source of new herbal/organic products and fashion, and these have emerged as major trends in the U.S. on the east and west coasts. From clothing to henna, and nose rings to bindi (make-up), I bring a diverse culture to the region. If you want to know what’s going on in other parts of the world, I’m the one to talk to," she said.
She said it’s important for professionals in her line of work to be creative people. "We’re able to see the potential of what a new style can do for a person. While hair and make-up is a science, it’s also a creative process. A high-caliber stylist is able to envision the end result the client can’t see."
It may surprise people to learn that many stylists only meet the minimum required level of education, due to its high cost, Jutla said. "Styles are constantly changing, and new products and technologies are entering the market all the time. It’s only through continuous education that a stylist is able to keep abreast of these new changes and developments. The minimum level may not be enough to give them the complete knowledge to provide a high-quality service.
Another insider piece of knowledge is that while many women enjoy changing their hair color or texture, it’s a science, and Jutla said it isn’t as simple as picking out a color at the grocery store. "It actually requires some knowledge of chemical interactions with human tissue. A good stylist will spend time formulating the right color mixture for your specific hair after consulting with you. Many people don’t know that a good salon has a color dispensary, which is a palate of chemical colors (Shear Country has more than 200) that allows the color to be customized for you. That’s why I like this industry: It’s very similar to a pharmacy. The secret is to tailor-make a ’prescription’ for each client during the service and another for when they go home. Just as a prescribed medication performs better than over-the-counter medication, products do too. It’s no good putting on quality color and then going home and using over-the-counter shampoo or conditioner that could destroy the treatment."
She said the best part of her job is her clients. "It’s the people-from all walks of life, all cultural heritages, all age groups, and many professional backgrounds and ranks. I like making these people look good and boosting their self-esteem and confidence."
The most challenging, she said, is trying to be both business owner and stylist. "Both are fun and exciting, but simultaneously, they’re demanding of my time. It can also be challenging to convince a customer to make a change in her appearance."
Despite the hectic schedule and time crunches, Jutla said being a business owner is a dream come true. For other women who hope to own a business, she said the first step is to develop goals. "Forget about vision and mission statements. In my mind, these are wasted efforts for small businesses and can distract you. But goals are important. Without goals, you can’t develop a plan, you can’t determine if you’re succeeding or failing, and you can’t measure your progress."
She does suggest developing a sound business plan, however. "Peoria has many small business support services, and I highly recommend using them."
Jutla advised against going into business because it looks and feels like the right thing to do. "Don’t use emotions to make decisions; use facts and data. Talk to people who are already in the business. Talk to your banker, accountant, and lawyer-and don’t be afraid to ask naïve questions. They’re all there to help you succeed."
Lastly, she advocated promoting strong values for the workforce. "I use three very simple values: trust, respect, and honesty. I’ve also built a family environment where everyone supports each other through teaming and empowerment."
And, of course, don’t be afraid of change. "Shear Country is experiencing ongoing changes; it’s a work in progress," she said. "At some point, I would like to offer massages. There’s no doubt in my mind what the end goal is: a grand salon in Peoria. I’m currently looking into this very seriously. My current goal is to elevate this salon from the ’cut shop’ mentality to a sophisticated, elegant, high-quality service provider. To me, good service is when every person entering the door is a VIP, there’s never a long wait, and attitudes are positive." TPW