HAIRDRESSER Afshan Islam, right, provides a service that's a cut above the rest – she caters especially for women who have to keep their heads covered.
Now she is sharing the secrets of her success at a networking event on Thursday evening, as part of Enterprise Week.
Afshan, a mother of three from Fir Vale, was a PE tacher at High Storrs School until deciding on a change of direction.
She signed up for a hairdressing course at Castle College and then decided to set up her own business after spotting a gap in the market.
Beauty Beneath, at Fir Vale, opened six weeks ago as a women-only salon. Discreetly set back from the street, with a screened window, it offers a comfortable place so clients who wear a headscarf for religious reasons can unveil in privacy to have their hair styled.
Afshan, who wears a hijab herself, has been inundated with bookings from across the region and beyond after launching the business.
"I sent one text message to a friend and it all started from that," she said.
"The clients who wear the headscarf tend to have very long hair like my own, which is waist length. But they still want contemporary and daring styles.
"The first two weeks I was working 12-hour days, six days a week. I desperately need to find an assistant."
Next week she will talk about her experiences during the Enterprise Week event at Castle College, designed to encourage budding entrepreneurs. For details call (0114) 260 2132.
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