Local Talent Turns Her Passion into Hair Salon Business

BY CHRIS ALEX

THE ‘Qalia Hair Salon’ is among the newly registered small businesses in the Solomon Islands’ growing hair and beauty industry.

Since January 2023, Kaylin Kealoe, 26, has been at the helm of the Qalia Hair Salon’ as its owner and a young entrepreneur.

When you look at her background, it’s been guided by a lifetime passion for hair and beauty — a passion she said comes from her youthful upbringing and primary school days, since she loves braiding different hairstyles for girls within her neighboring community in Honiara.

“I developed my love and passion for hair braiding at a very young age, while I was still in primary school, I often did different braiding hairstyles around my neighborhood,” Kaylin Kealoe from Ontong Java, Malaita Outer Islands said during an interview with SOLOMON WOMEN. “I feel like I’m a very concerned person, and I always want to help my friends and neighbors look good and attractive.”

She managed to nurture her talents as a home-based hairstylist over the years and later grew more confident in her knowledge and skill by attracting more young people every day either to her or to their respective homes.

“With no formal beauty hair training, my immediate family noticed my gifted talents and later opted to support my dream of going into a hair and beauty salon business in 2023,” the 26-year-old recalled.

Likewise, starting up and managing a small business is not as simple as anyone might expect, however, Kaylin said she managed to accept every daily challenge she encountered as a young hairstylist and entrepreneur.

“The journey was not easy for me starting up my small business. Since I had no formal training on how to manage and operate a formal business; and also lack of experience on how to manage and handle a huge number of customer service demands.

“However, my love and passion for hair makeup, beauty brands, and beauty salons have grown stronger with more confidence, and despite being faced with those hardships, I learned to move forward and let those challenges become my motivation.

“Now I am more than determined to succeed and move to another level in business, and that is to grow my brand in the country’s growing hair and beauty sector,” Kaylin said.

The ‘Qalia Hair Salon’ is located at Mokolo building next to the Mataniko River in China Town and they provide the following services to their male and female customers like hair waxing, hair coloring, hair extension, body massage, braiding hair, wedding makeup, and bridal services, haircut and other services.