Thanks to Madison Jane for sharing the story of her Haus of Jane salon in Asheville. Read on to learn how she found her niche and turned it into a successful, client-focused business.
Experience as Research
Madison Jane started her hair career in Southern California in 2006. Now, 17 years of growth and experience later, she’s opened the Haus of Jane salon in Asheville, North Carolina. Her salon is curl-focused, a niche she saw a need for in the market and in her chair over the years. “I started to find my corners – where I can provide within my community,” Madison shared. “What I noticed was a lack of education in curly-haired focused spaces. Whether in our schools or our salons. And as a curly haired person who has tons of hair trauma, I decided to really put an emphasis on learning curly hair. And so that’s how we ended up here with the Haus of Jane.”
Bringing Her Approach to WNC
When Madison moved to the region, she worked in a local salon initially. She encountered the same issues she’d seen in other parts of the country. Textured hair clients shared they had trouble finding stylists that they trusted with their hair. She could see the relief they experienced after their visits to her.
She knew that she could make a difference with her curl-focused expertise in her new home. And while her years of training gave her confidence in styling a wide range of hair types, she calls her salon curl-focused for a reason. “I want people to know it’s a safe space for people with textured hair…and from someone who has a lot of skill and care for what they do.”
A Catalyst for Work Life Balance
Her move to Western North Carolina was also a means to achieve a better work life balance, and opening her own salon was a further step in that direction. To help open Haus of Jane, Madison looked to Mountain BizWorks – born in a moment of serendipity with a client. “Thankfully, one of my curly haired clients works for Mountain BizWorks,” Madison laughed. She started her journey in the Foundations Business Planning Course, which helped her solidify her mission, values, and business plan. She said, “If you can envision it, you can have a direct path on how to get there.”
Madison then took that solid plan, and moved onto step two: securing a business loan through the Catalyst Fund. More than a loan, the Catalyst Fund is designed to increase equity within the landscape of startups and early growth funding for entrepreneurs of color. It includes a program of tools to help entrepreneurs of color, customized for each client. “Securing a business loan through the Catalyst Fund was scarily easy. Well, not scary,” she clarified, “but I just didn’t expect the process to be so easy to get the money I needed to open my business. There was so much support from Mountain BizWorks in the process.”
Dreams for the Future
When asked about her dreams for the future of her business, said that she hopes to become bigger eventually – adding chairs and stylists. She wants to share her knowledge with others in the industry, allowing newer stylists to learn and achieve their hair goals.
Until that day comes, she has a more intimate, client-focused goal within each appointment. “Part of my vision for the Haus of Jane is to redefine the narratives around good hair,” Madison shared. “In doing so, I want to allow people to have freedom from the oppressive confines that sometimes happen within the beauty industry. My goal is to create a safe enough space for people to really tap into what they believe is beautiful beyond what the media or society tells us is beautiful.”
Ready to bring your business vision to life just like Madison? Don’t miss your chance to secure the funds and support you need to make it happen! Explore the Catalyst program and unlock your entrepreneurial potential today. For more information about the Haus of Jane, visit thehausofjane.com.
Photos captured by Reggie Tidwell of Curve Theory.
