Dream Of Beauty Business A Reality In Wall For Owner, 22

WALL, NJ — Kaylee Heck found a passion for a career in beauty services after the COVID lockdown, and now, at 22, she has opened her own personal waxing studio - and is setting her sights on growth in the future.

The owner of Glow and Tell Wax Studio in Wall started in the profession working at a waxing chain, and discovered her joy in the profession, she said.

She opened Glow and Tell in February.

"I love helping people feel more confident in themselves, and being able to provide a safe and comfortable space for people to get such an uncomfortable service done," said Heck, of Toms River.

After gaining enough experience, "I took the leap at the young age of 22 and opened my own business."

"I am now able to provide an affordable and personalized experience for each and every one of my clients with no high pressure sales pitches or upselling," she said. Heck will be 23 - but not until November.

And what made it easier to open the business was being able to rent a space at Salons By JC in Wall. Her GPS address is 1825 NJ-35, and she is on the first floor, Suite 2.

Heck said she hopes to take her personal care services beyond waxing as she develops her business, hence the "Glow" in the name.

"Being surrounded by other young entrepreneurs is amazing. You can get any service you need done all in one place. It's an amazing way to support local small businesses," she said.

And Jim McGuiness of Marlboro couldn't agree more. He, with his brothers, is the owner of this and Salons By JC in Monmouth County and elsewhere (two in Maryland and one in Connecticut).

"It's a great concept, and I get to work with entrepreneurs," he said.

In Monmouth, he and his two brothers are owner/operators of Salons By JC locations in Shrewsbury on Broad Street at the Shrewsbury Plaza, the one in Wall at Plaza 35 and the family-run business is opening another location in September in Middletown at Middletown Plaza on Route 35, McGuiness said.

As the owner of these franchise sites in the larger commercial complexes, he can customize a salon to suit the business owner, he said.

There is a minimum of 100 square feet for a salon, but businesses can have larger spaces. He provides plumbing, sinks, equipment and chairs, and other permanent items and certain services. Tenants of the suites pay a flat rent, based on the size they use, he said. For example, the fee is $350 a week for the minimum space.

The businesses using the salons are all individualized, with their own products and design preferences based on their particular service.

There are certain licensing requirements to follow, McGuiness said, as set forth by the New Jersey Cosmetology Board.

But the rentals allow the business owners to focus on the art of their services, not on paperwork or facility maintenance.

And it's an affordable pathway for an entrepreneur to develop a clientele.

"It's a great opportunity to own your own business," he said.