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In January 2020, Nia Pettitt opened the doors of the Curl Bar, a curly hair salon, in London. Nia's vision for the salon did not only revolve around making clients feel attractive, but providing an environment for each client to be embraced and admired.

The brick-and-mortar company's journey to the next level

Establishing a hair salon with curly locks was a longtime dream of Nia's. "I frequently traveled to America for my hair to be done because it was always a challenge to find a salon in London, let alone within the UK," she says. "I set out to design something that was safe at ease, calm, and reflected visually what I would've dreamed of as a child." Customers responded to her vision. When they opened the doors at The Curl Bar, appointments quickly filled up.

"Your life is changed when you decide to open a business. Ask yourself if you are prepared for the change." Nia advises aspiring business entrepreneurs. It was impossible to predict what kind of change was about to be coming for Nia and The Curl Bar: Only a few months after its launch, the restaurant had to shut down temporarily due to COVID-19 shutdowns in the UK. But even an indefinite pause in operations didn't slow Nia down.

"I didn't have a formula for growing the business, or even in the case of the epidemic," she says. "I simply view every moment as a lesson to be learned from." While The Curl Bar was closed, Nia shifted her focus onlineand connected to her stylists and her fans online until The salon was allowed to fully reopen.