Beauty Basics’ Amy Joanu has always embraced sudden change and chaos – so when an opportunity unexpectedly presented itself to become a storefront owner, rather than a renter, she didn’t have to think twice.
The downtown Minden spa is moving up the street, from 101 Bobcaygeon Rd. to 51 Bobcaygeon Rd. The transition happened Sept. 1 and is the latest in a long line of improvements Joanu has ushered in since launching her business in 2016.
Back then, she was a new mom struggling to come to terms with leaving her baby to return to work. She had two jobs – a server at Pepper Mill Steak and Pasta House and a beautician at a Minden spa. She wasn’t getting much fulfillment from either, so took a leap of faith, branching out on her own.
Joanu converted a room in her basement into a mini spa, bringing in a chair and offering a variety of beauty services. The start-up exploded, with Joanu adding two new team members within a year. By late 2019, and only after adding three additional working spaces, a bathroom, waiting room and playroom for children, she realized she’d outgrown the space.
Beauty Basics first moved to 136 Bobcaygeon Rd. in January 2020, setting up in the space vacated by Ommmh Beauty Boutique. A month later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and Joanu said the next two years was “a constant back-and-forth of being open and closed.”
Once the world got back to normal, demand for Joanu’s services spiked again. She hired three more staff and ran into a familiar theme – not enough space. So, after noticing former tenant Northern High had left its spot beside the Village Green, Joanu made some inquiries. Within a few weeks, she was moving.
She signed a two-year lease in May 2023. Over the past two-and-a-bit years, she’s expanded Beauty Basics even more, now boasting nine staff and renting out space to two others.
Asked about the services provided, Joanu said they do pretty much everything in the beauty and wellness sector – manicures and pedicures, waxing, teeth whitening, ear piercing, tanning, hair, massages, eyebrows, eyelashes, botox and more.
Speaking proudly, the entrepreneur said her business has always doubled as a bit of a playpen for kids, somewhere County moms can go to feel like they belong. Finding somewhere like that was a problem for Joanu after having her first child, she said.
“I could never go anywhere in town to get anything done because I felt like I was disturbing people. Nobody wanted you to bring your kid… so my place kind of has become that for people,” she said.
While space was, again, getting tight at 101 Bobcaygeon Rd., Joanu said the setup at no. 51 will allow her to cultivate a dedicated spot for kids – just like she had back at home. While not much bigger, the building has seven large rooms, meaning staff won’t feel like they’re on top of one another.
She’s invested in some new mani-pedi chairs to give the location a fresh feel. Importantly, Joanu said she now feels like she has a proper home base where her business can continue to grow.
“There was never really a set plan to buy my own building – I don’t really work that way. I’m a fly by the seat of my pants type of girl; I love change and love to evolve, this spot gave me the perfect place to do both,” she said.
