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Evolving CEOs Cover Story: Rajesh Kumar CEO Studie’o 7

The salon industry has been booming coupled with new technologies, techniques and hygienic services. Rajesh Kumar K, the Managing Director of Studie’o7 witnessed the growth since its inception with unparalleled luxury salon that offers a world-class salon & spa experience for customers. South Indian-based Studie’o7 salon is a multi-award-winning salon chain, a salon where you’re styled throughout various sessions. Customized services that reflect your sense of style, opulent setting and sense of beginning again with the assistance of the expertise staff and enthusiastic stylists who are skilled to develop trends. In Studie’o 7 salon, one may discover the newest trends in beauty products.

Journey of Studie’o 7

Rajesh Kumar K, hails from Tamilnadu who is an MBA graduate and is basically a banking professional and started the salon for his wife initially in 2010 and later started increasing the salons in nearby cities out of his own passion and interest. After creating a bunch of salons in nearby regions of Tamilnadu, Rajesh Kumar thought of creating an own brand in the name of Studie’o 7 which was embarked in 2017 and from 2019 onwards he started giving the franchises taking the business as a challenge.

Inspiration behind

The thought of setting up a salon business was seeded in Rajesh while studying as he is an MBA graduate and he wanted to do something for his wife who is also an MBA graduate and that’s how Studie’o 7 was emerged. Initially he went to other brands, took a franchise and handed to his wife but because of her pregnancy she could not able to manage the business at that time and again handed over to her husband. Rajesh Kumar says that “if a woman take care of this, she will maintain the particular salon very well but we are men we will not sit in one place, either we travel or we will see the other opportunities”. With these thoughts in mind, he went on searching new zones in different cities for the salon.

Story of struggles & success

Rajesh Kumar struggled for the first six months as he is not aware of the salon industry because he works in the banking sector and upon that the salon industry is having more than 200 services. So, for the for the first six months he tried to understand the names of the service from his team and slowly his business got increased. He maintained a standard services as people are more concerned about the hygiene so he added value to their money by giving hygiene environment in the salon.

He said that “when customers come to the salon, I started giving a free services like head massage and foot massage like that we increased the abb that is average build value”. He also chose the urban area which he stresses the main reason for his success in the salon industry as he won’t be having much competition and further adds that it is the first modernized salon to give excellent services and unique experiences. with the most hygiene salon they are not only taking up the profits but also satisfied customers.

Marketing strategy

In Rajesh words “actually big mantra in certain business is the word of mouth”. At first when customer use to come to the salon, the team of Studie’o 7 has asked the to keep a selfie in their Instagram or Facebook tagging the salon if they are satisfied with the service, with that tag definitely thousands of frineds would see which is one of their marketing strategies and also instant offers were given to the people who tagged studieo7 in their social media. Even printed balloons were given to the kids who visited the salon with their parents so that the kids will insist to take to the same salon again for the balloons.

STUDIE’0 7 during COVID

Studie’o 7 commenced alternate opportunities like giving a home service and giving a hygienic service as people are are more concerned about their hygiene and henceforth there was a supply of use and throw aprons, bed covers and also combs through which customers gain trust towards the Studie’o 7 and consequently revenues got increased. Salaries were paid to the staff in the month of march 2020 and encouraged them to do the home services out of which 70 percentage was paid to the them. All the staff were given training through google meet about treating customers during covid with the protocols said and also created videos to educate the employee on how to be hygienic, how to use the mask, sterilizing the tools and sanitizing.

Advice to the young generation

The Managing Director of Studie’o 7suggests that salon industry is booming with an average turnover of 5000 crores per year. People began to spend money on enhancing their beauty as they are more concerned about their personal care and the average bill for salon raised up to 1000 Rs. post covid from 700 to 800 Rs. per service. So, there is a huge opportunity in the field but all one should aware of is a right area to put a new salon. In his words “if you are buying a fan for 500 rupees and selling for 1000rs, the remaining 500 will cover everything like the profit, bills, employee’s salary unlike in salon industry where in the complete 500 will be the profit and that if the business doesn’t happen today, it will be tomorrow for sure”. He further recommends the young entrepreneur to come to the same and that they create miracles in the Indian beauty industry.

Challenges during covid 19

During the pandemic time it was difficult to pay the salaries to the employees as there are 20 outlets. For 2 or 3 months, all the salons were closed and paid much money for the rents of the building which pulled down the business but it was managed well with the help of friends and bank sectors and were resilient to increase salons, In the year 2021, 25 salons were increased making a total of 70 salons on a whole and Rajesh Kumar says with a smile on his face that “we are the one brand to show growth even during the covid period”.

Success mantra

Studie’o 7 is budget oriented with about 25 to 30 lakhs unlike the other competitors who are having the salon model for about 50 to 60 lakhs. The breakeven is also very maximum i.e., 2 to 2.5 lakhs for a salon in a month. All the successful franchises of studie’o 7 are eventually earning about 1 -2 lakh profit in a month.

Rajesh Kumar graciously expressed that this is a motivating hour for a businessman like me to be featured in Global Business Line. He said that he had seen the existing magazines of Global business line and that he was inspired from the entrepreneurs and took valid points from them and also implemented in his business and further adds that he feels proud to be published on the Global Business Line.

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