One of Jenn Emmerson’s favourite things to do is walking with family along Highland Street, stopping by stores that make up the fabric of the downtown business community.
Now, she’s a key thread of that tapestry after relocating her business, B.A.O. Beauty Clinic, to the corner of Highland Street and Maple Avenue – in the space that last housed Tipples of Haliburton. The clinic will close its current home base, above the SIRCH Bistro, Feb. 29.
The move comes just three years after Emmerson left her job as an ER nurse in Bancroft to focus on her clinic, formerly JE Medical Cosmetics. Since then, she and her team, which includes nurse practitioner Christine Wickson and four other staff, have built the business that now serves around 700 clients annually.
“It’s been a goal of mine, a bit of a dream actually, to move downtown and be a part of the downtown energy. There’s so much life and vibrancy here, especially during the summer. It’s going to be so nice seeing all the people walk by the store – hopefully we’re able to attract new clients. I’m really excited,” Emmerson said.
The clinic will open March 3, with an open house planned for later in the month.
Speaking to the services provided, Emmerson said she is certified for cosmetic injectables, such as Botox, and advanced procedures such as the application of plateletrich plasma for skin and hair rejuvenation, fat-dissolving injections, skin tightening, and non-surgical facelifts.
There will be some new services debuting in the spring too, Emmerson said, noting everything she and her team offer is Health Canada approved.
Emmerson has spent the past month extensively renovating the space, with the help of family and staff. The new clinic will boast four treatment rooms and several manipedi stations. Her goal is to breathe new life into the building.
“I’m hoping this spruces up the location, that it stands out for people coming into town. We’ve basically rebuilt a building within a building. I want to do some painting [outside] and maybe put a little patio in off the back [entrance],” Emmerson said.
While she may have been the one to launch the clinic, which bears the name of her three children Brooks, Ashton, and Olivia, Emmerson said it’s been a real team effort building the business into what it is today.
“When I was first starting out, I hired a business coach and told her I wasn’t planning to hire anyone, I just wanted a room to myself so I could do my thing. I hired someone the very next day and haven’t looked back,” she said. “All my employees have come organically. We all know each other from other parts of our lives and careers. We’re all very like-minded, which makes it easier to pull in the same direction as a collective.”
Noting she left nursing to strike a better work-life balance, Emmerson said that hasn’t exactly panned out – she works seven days a week and is constantly thinking up new ways to improve the clinic. She wouldn’t have it any other way, though.
“Owning your own business is a different kind of stress. You don’t get to turn it off, really. It’s constant. But I’ve had the best time digging in, getting to know my clients, and building this with my incredible team. Seeing how far we’ve come and the growth we’ve had in just three years makes [all the sacrifices] worth it,” she said.
For more information, visit baobeauty.ca.
