Most of us often spend quite a bit of time waiting restlessly at a salon for various services. What if they were rendered at your doorstep?
With summer at its peak, many residents would rather stay at home than venture outside for any grooming service.
It is possible to provide services at a lesser price since there is no major investment required, says 33-year-old John Sathya who runs a mobile salon ‘Styles N’ Smiles’. “The prices I offer are at least 20 per cent less than the branded salons in the city. I didn’t have to pay a hefty sum as a franchisee or rent. I just work out of my house,” he says.
He has employed four stylists who go to the customers’ residences and offer services. “I have created a Facebook page and spread the word through it. Business is picking up,” he adds.
28-year-old E. Thulasi, a gym and boxing trainer, says: “I am far happier getting a haircut done at home than a parlour primarily because I do not have to have to step out in the sun and then, wait for at least half-an-hour at the parlour. Whereas with mobile salons, stylists come home at a time that is convenient for you. I find that the services, most often, are cheaper than the branded salons.”
If stepping out in the searing heat and the traffic congestion is not your cup of tea, a mobile salon might just be the thing for you.
Starting young with volunteering
If you can put your time where the money is, then that will do as well. In fact money too is easy to source, if you know how to do it, but it’s volunteers that are tough to mobilise, say organisation working for various causes.
“NGOs nowadays ask for nothing but our time and dedication, which I think most of us can contribute,” says Aarthi Suresh, volunteer at Make A Difference (MAD). This generation is willing to take initiative to make their vision, a reality.
“Chennai is very active in terms of volunteering. Students have transformed volunteering from a hobby to habit,” says Chanesh Babu G., Project Co-ordinator, Bhumi.
Such volunteering is a great chance to explore their potential, they feel. “Volunteering has changed my approach towards life,” adds Aarthi. “I’m able to bring the best in the children I teach and eventually myself,” says Chanesh.
Youngsters usually take up volunteering at the college level because that’s when they are able to dedicate a fair amount of time. These days, we can also find organisations run by student bodies in various colleges that engage in socially relevant activity. One such entity is Enactus REC (Rajalakshmi Engineering College) that has identified people who need external support and implemented several projects for their welfare. Such work is highly taxing and time-consuming, but there’s no stopping them. “Students inculcate and develop the art of planning, multi-tasking and smart work,” says R. Varuneshwaran, president, Enactus REC.
(Reporting by
Sunitha Sekar and
Namritha Murali)
