Hortaleza: Salon pang-masa
By Melissa A. Casia
Thursday, 20 January 2005
Mention “Hortaleza” and two things come into mind: beauty and affordability. Hortaleza is indeed an institution in the beauty business.
It was patriarch Cresencio Hortaleza who started it all with Hortaleza Vaciador. He was renowned for his skill in sharpening various kinds of tools including knives, scissors, nippers, labaha, lagare, etc. Special mention, though, goes to his son, Roberto Hortaleza, for shaping Hortaleza?s niche. He started the retail business and introduced the sale of beauty products including cuticle removers and nail polishes.
Another son, Ernesto Hortaleza, wanted to fulfill his father’s dream of having a doctor in the family. But business is in his blood and he soon found himself leaving medical school to concentrate on his passion. He operated his own Vaciador stores which eventually he had to give up for practical reasons. In 1999, he and his wife, Mariet, however decided to take another swing at it. This time, the couple took the business a step further into innovation and put up a first class salon in Katipunan, then called PHENOMENA SALON & SPA. Then in year 2001, they changed the name to COLOR MY HAIR and opened another one in SM Megamall. This time, it is more of a technical salon concentrating on the hair coloring service.
But something was still lacking in these stores. The couple found that they needed to to give the masa base a taste of the services usually offered only in first class salons: rebonding, foot spas and hair coloring.
Thus, Hortaleza Salon was born. Ernesto says, “Hindi kami nahihirapan panindigan iyong first class service. We practice the system at Color My Hair sa The Hortaleza Salon. Since maka-masa kami, naisip namin, we will adapt the same concept. It?s about time na matikman ng masa iyong mga service na hindi naibibigay ng maliliit na sinaunang salon. Ang tag line namin is first class service sa presyong abot kaya.”
So they studied, researched and polished the concept for more than a year before finally launching their first company-owned branch in September 2003 in
Their dream was to follow the hair salon trend in other countries. “Ang gusto namin, dalawa na lang ang klase ng salon dito sa
Hortaleza Salons mimicked the more classy salons, complete with hydraulic chairs and computerized personal information but with one glaring difference ? their prices are affordable to the masa. The Hortalezas first saw that interesting trend in the food business. ?If you notice, magandang restaurant, makikita mo sa labas pa lang, may menu na. Sabi namin, ok yan. Ganon din ang gawin natin sa salon natin. Iyon ang nagtrigger sa amin. Nakita ko sa existing salon, mura nga sila, pero mura rin ang hitsura ng salon, ang service, katapat rin ng murang presyo. Kaya iyon ang binago namin. Noong una, walang pumapasok. Natatakot kasi. ang ganda ng salon. Pumapasok iyong iba, nasa pinto, sumisilip. ?Magkano gupit?? ?Ma?am, 48 lang ho.? Saka papasok. Naglagay kami ng menu tarpauline sa harap. The following day, pila-pila na iyong mga tao.?
But walk-in customers from other areas complained about accessibility. “Ang layo naman dito. Mura nga. Pero iyong pamasahe namin?”, Ernesto quotes their less satisfied customers at that time.
In the first few months alone, inquiries for franchising numbered around 5-10 per week. But they decided to hold off and really master the business first. They finally offered to share Hortaleza Salon to franchisees in July 2004. Ernesto says, “Ang salon kasi, iyan iyong opening to closing business eh. Hindi ka nawawalan ng tao.” As his father used to say, “Hangga’t ang tao, ang babae, nagpapaganda, di mamamatay ang Hortaleza business. Eh talaga namang vanidoso ang Pilipino.”
Today, the Hortaleza business name lives in their numerous outlets all over the country: from Pangasinan to Tacloban, Antipolo, Taytay, Mandaluyong,
Business experience is not a requirement but since running a beauty salon requires personalized service, they say, “marunong makisama” is a must. “Kailangan gusto mo itong ganitong klaseng business.”
”Kailangan may pang-invest ka dahil medyo magastos din to set up a salon. Iyon naman, once na nabuksan mo naman, tuloy-tuloy na siya.” Hortaleza claims the franchise fee is used solely for putting up the salon, equipment, inventory and training. “Iyong P1.2 (million) na iyon, actual cost. We don’t make money out of that. Iyong franchise fee, ginagamit sa training at the use of the name Hortaleza Salon. Iyong royalty. That’s it.”
The Hortalezas highly recommends the business to Overseas Filipino Workers. “Pwede ring iyong may inclination ka sa mga services. Like iyong mga OFWs na nag-aabroad, sanay sila ng serbisyo. Hindi sila mahihirapan.” Mariet says, “sabihin mong hindi matapatan iyong kita mo doon. Pero pag masipag ka, baka higit pa doon ang kikitain mo. At pag nagnenegosyo ka, at least, ikaw iyong boss . Money, nauubos yan.” Ernesto adds, “May ganon, pagagawa ng bahay, maganda, magastos, pag ipinagpagawa mo ng bahay iyong pera mo, hanggang doon na lang yon, wala pa ring business pero pag ang pera mo i-put up mo ng business, ilang taon lang, pwede ka ng magpagawa ng bahay. Kasi doon mo kukunin sa kikitain ng business mo yan.”
”Sa pinag-aralan ko, maraming mga OFWs na nag put-up na ng salon. Hindi rin tumatagal eh. Unang-una, wala silang technical support. Kaya ang mga Franchisees, may way sila kung paano magpatakbo ng negosyo ng wala silang dalang risk masyado. Kasi kami, minaster namin ang business na ito. So, pinapass-on lang namin sa kanila. Habang dala nila iyong pangalan namin ng Hortaleza Salon, guided sila. Iyong mga suppliers namin, mahal kami. Inaalagaan kami. Dahil siyempre, alam nila, marami na rin, Inaalagaan ang aming paglaki.”
Part of this guidance is the commitment for continuous education and technical support. They set up a training center in the head office. Quarterly, there’s a free seminar wherein a foreign artist is invited to teach the latest techniques in coloring, haircutting, treatments. “Wala kaming mga secret-secret. Normally kasi, ang mga salon owners, its either hindi nila alam ituturo nila sa tauhan or ayaw nilang magturo. Kasi iniisip nila, pag tinuruan ang mga tao, magtatayo ng sarili iyan, iiwan ka rin. Kami, hindi. Basta’t tuturuan ka namin. Pag alis mo sa Hortaleza Salon, eventually, doon kami sisikat.”
Most common questions from interested parties are, “Sigurado ba tayong kikita tayo rito? Malulugi ba ako? Paano ko ima-manage ito? Magkano ang kikitain ko daily?” So for their peace of mind, Ernesto encourages them to visit his existing franchise outlets. “Pumunta kayo sa franchisee ko. Marami na kaming binuksan na hindi namin kamag-anakan, so if you’ll ask them, sila na yung magkwekwento. Open kami. Iyon ang marketing tool namin.”
His fearless forecast during the rainy season is that warm colors will be continuously introduced in hair coloring. This means red, burgundy, and blonde. Long hair, straight or layered, is still the in thing. “Iyong out ngayon is yung kulot. Sa abroad, naibalik nila for awhile. Dito, hindi naibalik dahil iyong rebonding, masyadong malakas.”
Mariet has this to say as parting words, “Hindi lang kami basta-basta nagnenegosyo ng walang saysay. Tutal may pangalan na kami, pagandahin natin.
Last Updated ( Friday, 21 January 2005 )
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