What are the challenges nail salon businesses face in the community of Harlem? How do you overcome these challenges?
As a nail artist who wants to one day open a salon and nail technology school, I am very interested in how businesses have come to be. With Central Harlem being a very rich location of culture, businesses, and economy one can assume building a business here can’t be an easy feat. I want to learn, straight from salon owners, what their challenges were coming into such a rich location and how they overcame said challenges to be successful today.
Harlem, New York is a hot spot for the economy, business, and culture. Business in this location has been booming for quite some time, catering to the community and art. After Jim Crow, Black and Spanish people migrated to Harlem, New York for community, safety, and a neighborhood to live in. In Black culture, self expression by accessorizing is extremely sacred. After a long history of society, and the very country we live in, condemning anything Black, the Black community has continued to keep the beauty industry alive and even give birth to trends. The nail industry is no stranger to the Black influence and definitely flourishes in the city of Harlem.
The aim of this research is to learn about the process and overcoming of obstacles for the nail industry and its entrepreneurs. For years, entrepreneurs with a passion for nails have been able to contribute to their culture and community by opening nail salons. Nail salons populate the world, but they still have difficulties. What are the challenges nail salon businesses face in the community of Harlem? How do they overcome these challenges? I hypothesize that the main challenges nail salons face in a community like Harlem will be retaining and attracting customers and providing individuality.
