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Writer’s Blurb: You understand that entire ‘glow-up’ factor folks discuss on social media? I feel I hit my peak after I lastly realized make-up expertise, however one factor I’ve by no means bothered a lot with is my hair. When it comes to hair, I’m nonetheless a complete beginner, and I simply don’t perceive why I ought to put a lot effort into it (a primary ponytail is my go-to).
Kim is the precise reverse
of me. To her, an amazing hair day makes her really feel prepared to beat the world, and she or he
desires to share this sense with different ladies in Malaysia.
It began when
she came upon about Drybar, a California based mostly chain of salons that solely
offers a hair styling service generally known as blowouts, whereas listening to the
Girlboss podcast.
Intrigued by the idea,
she flew to London and met three blowdry bar house owners to validate the concept and perceive
why it labored within the UK, and whether or not it might work in Asia.
She realised then that
there have been many points confronted by shoppers whereas visiting common hair salons,
a few of them being:
inconsistent service,short-lived blowouts,getting pressured into paying for further companies,a restricted collection of blowout types,a top-up required for higher shampoo,and a scarcity of inclusivity (the Chinese language go to Chinese language salons, and likewise for Malays and Indians).
With the hole she’d recognized out there, Kim determined to handle it by launching her personal blowdry bar known as COCOdry together with her co-founder, Shan.
Know Your Worth
Proposition
Angel traders helped
carry their dream to life, and COCOdry started operations in 2019.
The reception space at COCOdry / Picture Credit score: COCOdry
However I used to be curious
in regards to the Malaysian demand for blowdry companies. With it being such a selected
and comparatively new idea to many people, is there sufficient curiosity to maintain
COCOdry’s enterprise?
Apparently, traders
requested this actual query when she pitched to them.
“My reply has all the time
been the identical: how typically does a lady with lengthy hair get her hair reduce or a blowout?
Twice or thrice a 12 months? And the way typically does a lady wash her hair in that very same
interval?” she reasoned.
“Why not create a
area the place they will drop by for a hair wash as typically as they please? We’re taking part in
on the frequency recreation.”
The hair washing stations / Picture Credit score: COCOdry
Then I assumed, couldn’t we wash our hair ourselves and obtain a primary blowdry with our hairdryer?
“Sure, one can argue that we are able to all the time do it ourselves. However, one can even say the identical for cooking and consuming in (but Malaysians spend 31.2% of their disposable revenue eating out) and driving round in our personal vehicles (however Seize processes greater than 6 million rides a day),” Kim countered.
“So, we expect there may be
a price proposition right here with the service we offer. As Malaysia progresses
right into a high-income nation, we consider shoppers will begin to prioritise expertise,
comfort, and luxury.”
Thus, Kim and Shan set
up the primary COCOdry outlet in Bangsar, focusing on three forms of clientele:
company working ladies climbing the profession ladder,life-style seekers with occasions or dinners to attend,and individuals who consider in COCOdry’s values of ladies empowerment, group constructing, and sustainability.
“We consider a extra
mature and prosperous neighbourhood that’s extra more likely to be uncovered to the
idea of blowdry bars will likely be simpler to penetrate, and can give us stronger
footing,” Kim shared.
There’s Extra To It
Than Good Hair
Regardless of the placement,
nevertheless, COCOdry does its greatest to maintain its pricing cheap.
In keeping with Kim,
neighbourhood salons often cost RM20-RM50 with add-ons for curls or higher
shampoo, whereas higher-end salons will cost RM50-RM100 with out add-ons.
“In COCOdry, we
determined to take the candy spot method and priced our companies at RM60 for our
high 5 types which embody the forms of shampoos appropriate in your scalp and
hair situation. It’s worth based mostly pricing that doesn’t burn a gap in your
pocket.”
Some hairstyles that one can get at COCOdry, with hijabi styling additionally supplied / Picture Credit score: COCOdry
Apart from merely
pampering Malaysian ladies and giving them good hair, Kim additionally sees what COCOdry
does as being a part of one thing larger.
“I wished COCOdry to
encourage and empower ladies by instilling positivity and self-confidence to step
out of their consolation zone and be courageous sufficient to chase their desires,” she informed
Vulcan Put up.
These two values had been
what pushed Kim to begin a enterprise at 26 with out a lot expertise and capital, after
all.
As for the long run, Kim
positively has plans to open extra COCOdry retailers within the Klang Valley and different
Peninsular states, however said that it was necessary that they received the
foundations of the enterprise proper earlier than contemplating different income streams and
growth.
“That being mentioned, we do have large plans and have pencilled down a few of the initiatives that we are going to be trying into for the following 24 months,” she shared.
These initiatives embody
organising extra occasions to carry ladies collectively in sharing their journeys, extending
their product vary to incorporate a collection of recent hair and scalp therapies and
further hair extensions, seasonal and occasion-driven types, outlet
growth, and even COCOdry’s very personal hair merchandise.
-//-
I used to be truly given
the chance to get my first blowdry expertise at COCOdry, so off I went to
Bangsar on a weekend.
I wasn’t anticipating a lot since I’ve all the time solely had mediocre salon visits. Upon getting into, nevertheless, I used to be greeted with a reasonably full home, the air stuffed with the sound of hairdryers blowing at full pressure.
Getting launched to all of the hair choices I might choose
Briefly, right here’s what I
actually appreciated in regards to the place:
the fashionable and welcoming (and Insta-friendly) design,how open the employees are to having a real,
fascinating dialog with you,the cheap and inexpensive costs for the
high quality of service you get.
As I’m no hair aficionado,
I went for a soothing wash and a primary curly blowdry, and I received what I requested
for. That, coupled with the above factors, made the expertise a memorable sufficient
one to me.
All through my hour or so there I noticed various walk-ins as properly, although COCOdry tries to function on an appointment foundation.
This stunned me, as I used to be harbouring my doubts in regards to the demand for blowdry companies in Malaysia. What’s extra, these ladies who visited COCOdry had been truly various in age and ethnicity.
Would I am going again once more?
I truly would, however provided that I had a very fancy occasion to go to.
Backside Line: Whereas my expertise at COCOdry hasn’t modified my perspective in the direction of my hair, it’s positively given me perception into why ladies would possibly discover a easy 45-minute expertise empowering and rewarding. It’s positively the type of factor you’d have to expertise to consider it.
You may learn extra about different Malaysian startups right here.
Featured Picture Credit score: COCOdry
