BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — As gas prices continue to climb, some local businesses are finding creative ways to adapt while still serving their customers.
California Beauty Salon XO is one of them.
The mobile beauty service allows clients to book appointments from the comfort of their own homes a convenience that owner Deshanay Wilkerson says is becoming increasingly expensive to maintain.
“A lot of that revenue is going right back to my gas tank,” Wilkerson said. “Prices are going up so high that I’ve been seeing them go up to 6 dollars.”
With rising fuel costs, Wilkerson has had to adjust her pricing.
Services that once came at a standard rate now include small additional fees to cover travel.
“An eyebrow wax would run you about 15 dollars, but there is that additional that I do to charge clients to have me come to them,” she explained.
Despite the added cost of gas, Wilkerson says operating a mobile salon is still more affordable than maintaining a physical location.
Renting a salon suite can cost up to $3,000 a month, not including expenses like utilities and supplies.
“I used to pay upwards to 1500 dollars a month,” Wilkerson said. “That actually got broken down into four payments a month, which means I would’ve had to pay over 300 every week.”
Even with higher gas expenses, she believes going mobile is still the better financial option though she admits it comes with challenges.
“It does make the services a little bit more than a traditional salon,” she said. “However, you’re still saving on that convenience.”
For some customers, that convenience outweighs the extra cost.
“It’s expensive for me, so seeing the mobile one they come to me,” said resident Therese Gambe. “I don’t have to buy gas and go to a salon.”
As prices at the pump remain unpredictable, small business owners like Wilkerson continue to adapt finding ways to stay on the road while keeping their clients looking and feeling their best.
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