Small Biz: Dayton, Tenn., salon highlights 'strength' in beauty

Name: Shear Strength

Location: 7935 Rhea County Highway in Dayton, Tenn.

Contact: 423-290-6482

Products/Services: Haircuts, color and chemical services; waxing

Co-owners: Scarlet Matthew and Tara Smith

Inspiration: Matthew said she prayed about the name before she proposed the potential name to co-owner Smith. Both agreed to the Psalms 96:6 biblical verse about "strength and beauty" and have added terms and scripture upon their walls.

Business plan: Stylists rent booths weekly and can sell their own products. Their income, Matthew said, doesn't determine the salon's total sales. Matthew said that she and Smith worked together previously at another salon and anticipate more customers.

Price range: $10 for waxing, and up to $70 for a two-color treatment

Target market: Families and people of all ages, said Matthew. "We're in a great location for those that work in manufacturing," she said, with La-Z-Boy, Fuji Hunt Specialty Products and Goodman Manufacturing.

Lesson learned: Matthew said that she and Smith can have the satisfaction of "taking pride in our salon." In addition, she said they could offer fellow stylists at the salon the valuable benefit of knowing they care and understand all aspects of the business.

Five-year goal: Matthew said that purchasing a 5-foot by 12-foot sign along the highway is within their immediate goals, but their future goal will include recognition as "one of the top salons in Dayton."