Getty Gizaw – owner of SOHO Nails | Waxing | Beauty, talks to us about the beauty business.
Can you tell us about Getty the professional businesswomen and entrepreneur.
I’m just a very grateful human being who is happy to be able to do what I love every day.
Please tell us more about SOHO.
I opened SOHO in November 2011. My father has been living in Joburg for over 20 years and I had been visiting him on holidays over that time. I was born in Ethiopia and grew up in the US. I always loved the country, but hated that I couldn’t get my manis and pedis the way that I liked. So, while I was in the country and working on the 2010 World Cup, I got so frustrated about not having a place that I liked, I decided to do something about it and created SOHO.
What makes you the country’s best nail salon?
I honestly believe that it’s our service and effort to give the best service at all times that makes us stand out. 
What are some of the challenges you face when it comes to running your own business and how do you overcome them?
There are several challenges. When working in this industry, people are vital. We face operational challenges everyday caused by various factors. Getting everyone on the same page can sometimes be challenging. Protocols and processes take time to take place and catch on. In order to provide consistent service, protocols and processes must be in place. I love working through them and finding solutions to problems. For me, this is how we grow and improve. The highlights of the business are definitely the people, which also include the team I work with.
You have expanded SOHO, why?
We expanded SOHO because of the demand. We needed more space, more manicure and pedicure stations, and more treatment rooms. I also needed to diversify our offering based on requests from our guests.
What kind of work goes into running a salon like SOHO?
A lot of admin, planning, scheduling, creativity and even more planning! 
You also manufacture products, please can you tell us more about that.
We manufacture eighteen products locally, which is totally out of necessity. I wanted to maintain a certain standard of products that we use. The only way it made sense to ensure quality was to make it myself. We locally manufacture our own acetone, IPA, anti-bacterial soap, cuticle remover, callus remover and much more. Mostly everything we use in our hand and foot treatments, we make.
What advice would you give a young woman trying to start her own salon?
Stay focused and just do it; nothing can stop you.
