BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 As the cost of doing business continues to rise across California, one Bakersfield entrepreneur is rethinking what a beauty salon can look like and for her, it looks like a truck.<\/p>\n
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During the pandemic, De\u2019Shanay Wilkerson decided it was time to turn her childhood passion for beauty into a business. <\/p>\n
She began teaching herself makeup techniques through YouTube videos, with the encouragement and support of her mother, who invested in her first set of supplies.<\/p>\n
What started as a hobby soon became a career. <\/p>\n
Wilkerson trained as an esthetician and began working in salons across Bakersfield. But as booth rent and supply costs continued to grow, she knew she needed another plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to invest in space, which is a monthly fee. You have to invest in your supplies and amenities,\u201d Wilkerson said. \u201cWith all that piling up\u2026 you have to work hard for what you have and make it work for you \u2014 and that\u2019s exactly what I did with this salon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Booth rentals in Bakersfield can cost up to $2,500 a month, with another $500 typically spent on supplies. <\/p>\n
For many stylists, those rising expenses make it difficult to stay profitable.<\/p>\n
So Wilkerson invested $20,000 into converting a truck into a mobile beauty salon allowing her to bring services directly to clients, cut overhead costs, and build a business on her own terms.<\/p>\n
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Her pivot reflects a trend playing out across Kern County. <\/p>\n
NaTesha Johnson, who manages more than 1,000 small businesses through the Bakersfield Launch Pad, says nearly half of the entrepreneurs she works with are shifting from storefronts to mobile or home-based operations.<\/p>\n
\u201cBusinesses are realizing they don\u2019t need 800 to 1,000 square feet. They can operate at home or in a small office space,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n
But the move doesn\u2019t come without challenges. Mobile business owners must secure permits, navigate parking limitations, manage rising gas prices, and work harder to recreate the traditional \u201cin-salon\u201d customer experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the beauty industry, we celebrate with each other\u2026 when you take that salon space away, that can be hard to replace,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Still, clients say the convenience makes Wilkerson\u2019s services even more appealing.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me it\u2019s the convenience of her coming to me. She\u2019s done my lashes, my brows \u2014 wax and tint \u2014 she\u2019s done my lips, my makeup, and my hair,\u201d client Linsie White said.<\/p>\n
For Wilkerson, the mobile salon isn\u2019t just a business \u2014 it\u2019s a way to stay connected to the community she loves.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy passion is with the community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Wilkerson plans to officially unveil her mobile salon, California Beauty, at a grand opening event on December 6th at Anthem Blue Cross on 1491 White Lane.<\/p>\n
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