1 pack premium hair – J$1,400.00
1 bottle hair glue – J$105.00
1 pack stocking wave cap – J$80.00
1 lesson on how to make money with hair – priceless!

Based on my observation of the variety of hairstyles displayed by many of our stylish women, I had always believed that Jamaica’s hair industry was almost immune to the effects of the general recession.

However, it wasn’t until I decided to learn more about the world of hair design that I discovered exactly how lucrative this opportunity could be.

There are many fields of work that cater to people’s hair needs: hairstylists who work at making women look beautiful; barbers who keep men well groomed; manufacturers who create haircare products; teachers who train persons to professionally take care of hair; and even trichologists who treat scalp disorders and restore lost hair.

However, the area of this beauty business that seems to be the most booming in Jamaica is the market for hair. Wigs, hairpieces, extensions and braids all offer women the versatility to change their look and image with minimal effort. Depending on the look you desire, a hairstyle created with false hair can be relatively inexpensive or it can cost several thousands of Jamaican dollars.

It’s been many years since I’ve experimented with wearing braids during summer vacation, so I wasn’t personally up-to-date with this hair trend. Although I noted that almost half the female population wore hairdos made with store-bought hair, I didn’t really think about the impact that the hair industry could have on our economy.

Say goodbye to bad hair days

I became intrigued with this line of business when I saw a colleague whose appearance had gone from nondescript in the morning to stunning by afternoon, thanks to a new hairstyle. I asked her what she had done to get such a fabulous look in such a short time. To my surprise she revealed that she was wearing a wig that was made by a lady in a nearby community.

‘Change your hairstyle in an instant;’ this seemed like a great marketing campaign for a wig-maker, and an interesting concept to generate part-time income. I decided to find out what was required to make money in this aspect of the hair business. I made an appointment with Laura Munroe, known to her customers as Larry, to learn her techniques of wig-making.

Larry, who operates out of her home in Trench Town, was happy to become my wig-making tutor and gave me a list of the products that I would need to make a wig from scratch. She explained that these items were readily available on the streets downtown, but I decided to check out a major hair superstore to see what they offered.

Upon entering the store, I was amazed at the variety of hair that was available for sale. Synthetic hair for braids, 100% human hair for weaves — kinky, curly and straight; packaged hair pieces came in almost all the colours of the rainbow. Business was brisk, with many persons dropping by to pick up their desired pieces.

Hair comes alive

As I started my wig-making class, Larry explained that she could create a complete wig within 30 minutes. If the customer supplied their own raw material, the cost of her service could range from J$1,800 to J$2,500. Not a bad profit for half-an-hour’s work, I thought, especially if you could attract two or three customers per day.

The first step was to double the two stocking wave caps found in the pack and put them onto the customer’s head. This would form the base for the wig. Then Larry opened up the pack of hair and deftly used a razor blade to separate the hair strips at the top. This, she explained, would allow us to get twice as much hair from one pack.

Larry took one of the hair strips and measured it along the stocking cap to get the appropriate length. She then tore the strip and, with hair glue in hand, quickly placed the adhesive along the top of the hair piece. Within seconds, she applied the strip to the stocking cap and smoothed it into place.

Now it was my turn. I tried to emulate Larry’s example as best as I could, but at first I made a bit of a mess with the hair glue. However, gluing on row after row of hair strips was not that difficult, and eventually I got the hang of it. Creating a wig using this simple technique was actually quite enjoyable, and I was reasonably satisfied with the end product of my lesson.

Normally, making money in the hair business would require you to get some amount of training in a beauty school or as an apprentice in a salon. However, as I discovered, you really only need a little creativity, a keen eye for hair design, and steady hands to create a simple wig that could bring you great profit.

Copyright © 2012 Cherryl Hanson Simpson. No reproduction without written consent.

Originally published in The Daily Observer, April 26, 2012

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Cherryl is a money coach and business mentor, and founder of Financially S.M.A.R.T. Services. See more of her work at www.entrepreneursinjamaica.com and www.financiallysmart.org. Contact Cherryl