This past October, Norma Brown joined the family of small business owners in Verona and opened Kids Haircuts on Bloomfield Avenue, across from the 7-Eleven. While her opening was relatively quiet, her business has been growing steadily for the past five months.
Brown has been a stylist for 15 years, and the past 12 have had her concentrating on kids. To that end, she does everything she can to make her salon very kid friendly. From the brightly colored walls, to car-themed chairs, plenty of toys and games, DVD players hooked up to small flat-screen televisions at each station, and a chemical-free environment, this is truly a kid-focused salon. She even gives certificates for a child’s first haircut.
Brown has had a very positive experience in Verona since her opening. She says, “people have stopped in to welcome her and her store” regularly. She is is often accompanied by two other stylists, both of whom she has worked with for several years.
Aside from the phone number and hours of operation showing in the window, Brown also lets her patrons know that she works with special-needs children. As Brown explained, children can be very nervous coming in for a first haircut and, for those with special needs, a stylist is often the first person to touch their head after a doctor or parent. Brown exercises patience, and will even sit on the floor to give a haircut to make the child comfortable. Brown’s favorite part of owning her salon, she says, is that “every day is a fun day because I never know what I’m going to get.”
Kids Haircuts is open every day except Monday and is located at 292 Bloomfield Avenue, across the street from the 7-Eleven. The store phone number is (973) 239-3828 and Brown takes appointments as well as walk-ins. Prices range from $16 to $20 depending on the age of the child and the length of hair. Kids Haircuts offers a full range of hair-care products that are all natural and designed especially for children.
