But
this isn’t your typical salon. When you walk into her
shop, you are walking into a home. "I’ve made a lot
of friendships," she explains. "We’ve cried
together and laughed together."
When
she started her business in 1964, she was working out of
her kitchen. "I wanted to be home when my kids came
home," she says. After a couple months, she converted
her basement into her beauty salon, and she has been there
ever since. "When I started I had a lot of people
tell me it wouldn’t work because it was in my
house," she explains, "but it was quite the
opposite."
Mrs.
Horchem attributes her success to many factors, including
the loyalty of her customers and the constant support of
her husband Morris. Also, she regularly attends seminars
in order to stay current on the latest trends and
techniques. "I do very little advertising. It’s
mostly been word-of-mouth," she says.
The
long-term success of her business, though, is a result of
hard work. Her 8- to 10-hour work day sometimes starts as
early as 6:30 in the morning because she always tries to
work around her clients’ schedule. Her clientele, both
men and women, range in age from 5 years old to 87 years
old, which makes versatility important.
Throughout the day, she performs a variety of "beauty
tasks," such as coloring, perms, and cut and style.
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But
her clients will tell you that it is more than just
getting their hair styled. "She cares very
much," says one of her loyal customers. "Plus,
you can always get a good cup of coffee, because my
husband makes it," she adds, laughing.
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Despite
long, and sometimes odd hours, Mrs. Horchem enjoys her
work. She explains that she likes to make a difference in
someone’s day. "Sometimes someone will come in
feeling down, but when they leave they are smiling."
To put it simply, "I like people," she says.
Over
the years, Mrs. Horchem has styled a lot of hair for a lot
of clients. Now, one of those clients, Paula Landess,
works with her as a stylist. "She used to work as my
shampoo girl in high school," Mrs. Horchem explains.
"It’s nice to be able to work with her."
When
she is not in her shop cutting, curling or styling hair,
Mrs. Horchem avidly quilts and sews. She adds that having
her business at home made it easier to be involved with
her children’s activities at church and school. Her two
children are now grown and she has three grandchildren,
and she is very glad to have had to opportunity to work at
home and be available for her children and husband.
"I’d do it again," she says.
This
family-focused attitude is certainly reflected in her
work. "We’re family people," she says.
"You are not only their hairdresser, you become
friends."
[Katherine
Heller]
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