The Commercial-News, Danville, IL

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    Express Salon

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November 8, 2009

Stylists open own business

Salon has family atmosphere

BY MIKE HELENTHAL

DANVILLE — It didn’t take long for Jamie Treadway and Melissa Crane to discover the complications of owning their own business.

After foregoing regular paychecks for more than a month to remodel new hair salon Express Cuts at 113 W. Williams St., the two business partners had come to an impasse over its licensing.

“The only thing holding us back was that license,” Crane said, “and the state was eight weeks behind in processing them.”

The two never had to deal with such problems over the 13 years they styled hair as someone else’s employees.

But the issue threatened the fledgling business, so the two new owners started making phone calls. One of the calls went to state Rep. Bill Black’s office to see if he could help — a decision they’re glad they made.

“We received our license two days after that phone call,” she said.

Breathing a sigh of relief, the two got back to the business, finishing the remodel with help from friends and family.

“It’s like anything you put your heart and soul in,” she said. “We’re just trying to be positive about it and work hard. It’s been a long haul to this point.”

The two took the entrepreneurial leap after the salon at which they were working moved.

“We both had been thinking about it a little bit,” Treadway said. “Everybody who goes to beauty school, that’s their goal, to be their own boss. We just buckled down and did it.”

She said the business partners realized they had changed career directions after discovering all of the work required in opening the business — and that they could dictate exactly how they wanted things.

“It’s wonderful to be your own boss because you can do different things you’ve always wanted to do,” she said. “You’re responsible for everything that goes with it. You have to make sure you have all the permits and keep everything organized.”

The result, they say, is a full-service hair salon with a family atmosphere, as opposed to a wide-open salon floor plan. The salon features a “kiddy Jeep” for younger-age cuts, ample parking and reasonable prices. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and appointments are not necessary.

“We just kind of jumped at it,” Crane said of the startup business.

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