Salon on 56 | Business

Baldwin business owner talks struggles and triumphs of opening new salon

Story by Debbie Leckron Miller | Photos by Nick Krug

There’s no masking the difficulties of starting a business

that thrives on face-to-face interaction during Covid-19. But Julie Murray-Lumley has drawn a faithful following in a short time at her Salon on 56: A Creative Color

Studio, fittingly located on US-56 on the east side of Baldwin City. Raised in Gardner, Murray-Lumley and her husband, Mike, moved to Baldwin City five years ago. She earned her cosmetology degree from Johnson County Community College and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Emporia State University, where she met Mike.

She has been in the business for over nine years, gained experience at several salon locations and has dreamed of having her own salon since graduating from cosmetology school.

“After our daughter Makenna was born last year, I was ready to go back to work close to home and knew Baldwin City would be a good place to kind of start over.”

Murray-Lumley also runs a face-painting business, but when the pandemic hit, fairs and festivals were canceled, along with her facepainting bookings. Then during quarantine, Murray-Lumley saw the need for hairstylists once salons were able to safely reopen. She weighed her options and decided to take a leap of faith.

“I love being an entrepreneur,” she adds. “I have always wanted to be my own boss and enjoy all the aspects of owning a business. Having a one-year-old daughter, it was important for me to be close to home and have flexibility in my schedule. You don’t get that working for someone else.”

Getting People through the Door

Her shop is a dream turned reality, and Murray-Lumley has seen nothing but community support despite the hardships brought on by opening during a pandemic.

Two months before her official opening, she began advertising via flyers, mailings and Facebook with hopes she could spread the word quickly and efficiently.

“I had to get those first people through the door,” she explains. However, gearing up to open during a pandemic wasn’t easy.

“It was hard to find supplies like disinfectant, color and styling products that were all in low stock when I opened. I had to buy what I could where I could to get by,” Murray-Lumley says.

She was also unable to double book clients and accept walk-ins due to Covid-19 precautions.

“My salon set-up makes it hard to have more than one client and keep a six- foot distance. Not being able to do a cut during a color process, for instance, plus the extra clean-up time, takes a lot away from my earnings. But the hardest part was building up clientele without being able to take walk-ins.”

Salon on 56 celebrated a low-key grand opening in August 2020, which included an online ribbon cutting by the Baldwin City Chamber of Commerce. Since then, word of mouth has proven most effective, bringing new clients to the gray building with the giant scissors hanging out front.

Inside, repurposed old dressers and antique cabinets, painted with vintage floral designs, serve as the salon stations and supply spaces.

“Julie did a beautiful job with her salon, making it very comfortable and homey,” says Chamber of Commerce director Mandy Latzen. “It feels like you’re just hanging out and relaxing at your girlfriend’s house, getting your hair cut.”

Murray-Lumley praises the Chamber for helping launch her salon. In return, Latzen credits the young businesswoman for her enthusiasm and involvement.

“Julie jumped right in and wanted to be part of the business community,” Latzen says. “She shares ideas on how to promote business during Covid and collaborates with others. Julie is very sincere and wants everyone to succeed.” The new salon owner says she didn’t know many local people before opening her shop.

“I’ve met some really amazing people so far, and they’ve been so good about referring friends and family, trying their best to support me. Many have become not just loyal customers, but friends,” she says. “I feel like there’s a new vibe in town, with people trying to support smaller, local businesses.”

Online Booking and Services Salon on 56 has varied hours Tuesdays–Saturdays (including late nights

Wednesdays and Thursdays) and requires all clients to wear a mask. “I disinfect my station and chair between each client and only allow

one client inside at a time. The next one is asked to wait in their car until I wave them in,” Murray-Lumley explains.

She also offers free masks and hand sanitizers for clients who don’t have them, contactless payment options and an online booking system.

“It works wonderfully. People can jump online and schedule a time that works for them,” Murray-Lumley says.

She specializes in a full range of color services, plus haircuts, perms, conditioning treatments, facial waxing and more.

“I especially love doing color,” says the creative colorist, whose own hair is medium brown with highlights today but was bright red last Christmas and bombshell-blonde last August.

Customers say they appreciate that Murray-Lumley listens to what they want. Darin Goodwin and his five children are all clients.

“It’s quite a circus,” he laughs about their hair needs that range from his own simple hair cut to his teenager’s full color treatment.

“Julie is very professional and great at communicating her ideas and listening to how we want our hair to look,” Goodwin says.

As the pandemic persists, so does Murray-Lumley. She plans to continue working with those in the community and growing her business.

“Ideally I would love to expand the business and have several stylists in the salon, but for now I’m happy with being able to stay in business during a time that so many are closing,” she says.

Baldwin City Living Magazine | 2021 Spring/Summer