Ramani Fernando Salons opens in Kiribathgoda

Wednesday, 8 February 2012 00:17 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

With most Sri Lankans getting more and more conscious of grooming and looking very confident and good, the need to take high quality hair and beauty services closer to them is very important, says Hair and Beauty expert Ramani Fernando. They are getting discerning by the minute, and the ready availability of skilful services is an opportunity, she adds.

With this in view, Ramani Fernando Salons has embarked on an expansion program of setting up salons in the edge of Colombo, as the first step. The leaders in the business of hair and beauty already have a salon at the Singer Mega in Nugegoda, and have just opened an excellent facility at the Singer Mega in Kiribathgoda.

“We have enjoyed an outstanding relationship with Singer for the last many years, and the synergy that exists makes them a perfect fit, and the association is mutually beneficial to both parties,” reveals Ramani.

The Salon in Kiribathgoda at the Singer Mega, which opened its doors about a month ago, has become a hive of activity in a very short space of time. “It is very important to have skilful and reliable hair and beauty services readily available closer to home, because of the inconvenience of travelling long distances in heavy traffic, particularly when you have to attend a function,” says Ramani.

“This makes a great deal of sense when you see the traffic that one has to put up with today, and your existing customers consider it a tremendous advantage, when a salon is available at arm’s distance from where you live,” was the comment of Milroy Manuel who overlooks some of the expansion drive.

A successful salon is only as good as its staff, and Ramani considers her staff to be her greatest asset.

“Having spacious, beautifully decorated salons are good, but not at the expense of outstanding people to work for you. A mistake a lot of entrepreneurs who go into the salon business make is that they don’t have staff put in place before setting up the salon,” says Ramani.

Most of them set up the facility and then look for staff, which is a very hard thing to do, and finally start poaching everyone else’s employees.

Ramani is very proud of her staff and she is also immensely proud of the fact that most of the well-known salons in and around Colombo are owned and run by her former employees. Almost all of them acknowledge Ramani as their ‘guru,’ and still maintain close ties with her.

The Sunsilk-Ramani Fernando Hair and Beauty Academy which provides world class hair and beauty training to over 150 hairdressers and beauticians annually has been a boon to the industry and to Ramani. She endeavours to fill most of her vacancies from the academy, which ensures adequate staff for the existing salons and expansions.

The new addition in Kiribathgoda caters skilful services to both males and females and provides a very conducive and relaxed surrounding. Hair cutting, styling, straightening, colouring, perming, saree draping, facials and institute treatments, manicure, pedicure and head oil massages are some of the services available.

A salon in Battaramulla is Ramani’s next venture and she expects that to be a reality in a couple of months’ time.