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In January 2020, Nia Pettitt officially opened the doors of The Curl Bar, an establishment that caters to curly hair, in London. Nia's vision for the salon was not just about making customers feel gorgeous, but also providing the opportunity for all clients to feel loved and appreciated.

The brick-and-mortar company's journey to life

Establishing a hair salon with curly locks was a longtime dream of Nia's. "I used to travel across America to have my hair done because it was difficult to find a salon in London or even within the UK," she says. "I set out to design something that felt safe as well as relaxing, which also reflected visually what I would've like as a girl." Customers responded to this vision: when The Curl Bar opened its doors The Curl Bar, appointments were quickly booked.

"Your life changes once you make the decision to start your own business. Check if you're willing to make the necessary changes," Nia advises aspiring business entrepreneurs. It was impossible to predict what kind of change was about to come to Nia and the Curl Bar. Just a few months after its debut, the bar had to shut down temporarily because of COVID-19 closures in the UK. However, even a temporary halt in operations didn't slow Nia down.

"I didn't have a formula to expand the business and certainly not in the event of a epidemic," she says. "I am just taking each day as a lesson to be learned from." As The Curl Bar was closed, Nia shifted her focus on social media, interacting with her stylists and her customers digitally until The salon was allowed to be able to open again.