Helaine Winer, mother of two and owner of the “The House” salon, found a niche - the gap between kiddie cuts and mom salon

as told by Bradi Nathan

I have just been made aware by my five-year-old that she is simply too old to get her hair cut while sitting in a fire truck. Oh, she’s over the Barbie car too. Despite all the bells and whistles that a traditional kiddie cut salon offers, my little one is determined to move on.

Fortunately for me, and my premature teenager, there is a solution. Helaine Winer, mother of two and owner of the “The House” salon in downtown Millburn, NJ, caters to teens, tweens, and little “queens.” Helaine found a niche, the gap between kiddie cuts and mom salon, and filled it in a seemingly effortless way. Upon entering The House, mom and “mini me” are drawn in by its’ hip pink and orange modern vibe. In an exclusive interview with Butterfly, Helaine shares her secrets for balancing cuts and kids:
What did you do before you opened The House in 2005?

Just prior to opening The House, I was a stay-at-home mom who was overly involved in volunteering from PTO to town wide school committees. Before that, we lived in NYC and I had started are executive search firm specializing in the restaurant and hospitality sector. Prior to that, I had worked for 10 years at Loews Hotels as Director of Development and Acquisitions.

BN: How did that prepare you to become a business owner?
HW: Not well. We took a few courses in hair salon management, read a few books and hired a consultant who was somewhat helpful mostly in giving us the confidence to do it.

BN: What inspired you to open a salon?
HW: Two daughters with tons of hair. I always had trouble finding someone at the kiddie places who actually knew how to cut hair. My daughters had more hair than most adults and needed real hair cuts. So the kiddie places didn’t know what to do with them and my adult places weren’t really hip on taking little kids. Plus my kids always found the adult places BORING. So, I thought that there should be a place that was geared to the older kid – tween/teens.
What emotions did you wrestle with in taking the leap to launch your business?
Not having enough time for my family and, oh yeah, myself.

BN: How important was it to have the support of your family?
HW: The most important.

BN: Where did you look to find qualified employees?
HW: They found us. Employees are really hard to find but we managed to have some word of mouth about the business and a few of our key employees sought us out.

BN: Do you hire part-time stylists?
HW: Yes, most of our staff is part-time.

BN: What offerings does your full service salon have?
HW: We have it all – cutting, coloring, texturizing, blow outs, manis, pedis, waxing, parties, a fully stocked boutique with clothing, footwear, jewelry, gift items, hair care and skin care products.

BN: How do you juggle work and family?
HW: Having great kids and a wonderful baby sitter surely helps to juggle it all.

BN: What type of role model do you think you are as a working mother?
HW: I want my kids to know that they should be able to rely on themselves and that they should think that they can do anything they want to do.

BN: What are your hours? And, how important is it to delegate?
HW: I am at the store two (2) days a week and every other week, three (3) days. Delegation is huge but you need to find someone who has the same work ethic you do and whom you can trust – almost impossible to find.

BN: What are the trends in beauty/fashion for young girls?
HW: There are so many. Right now – boots, fringe, rings, curly, straight. What is clear is that the teens are the trend setters for all age groups – younger and older – right up to adults. So keep your eye on them.

BN: Is there one particular service that is more frequently requested more than another?
HW: Blow outs and “manis.”

BN: Any tips for teen or tween beauty don’ts?
HW: Don’t do anything that is too permanent, things change quickly.

BN: What accessories are in versus what’s out?
HW: Big rings are very in. Skulls are out except of course anything and everything Ed Hardy.

BN: Do you have any additional thoughts or advice?
HW: Just get started!!!!!!!!!! Once you start, it just becomes a road that will take you somewhere.
Take a tour of The House by visiting www.thehousespa.com or if you’d like, email helaine@thehousespa.com or call 973-379-5233. If you’re in the Millburn area, anytime soon, stop by her location at 281 Essex Street, Millburn, NJ 07041.

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