For young professionals, running your own business can be a daunting task. Many choose the route of applying and working at existing businesses. While that is the most common case, there are two young women in Wichita who have broken through the mold and taken their first steps to running a successful small business.

Bailey May and Dao Nguyen have both worked in the beauty industry for over a decade in Wichita. Bailey has been with Hair Craft for 10 years, and Dao has been a nail technician at Sassy Nails for over 11 years. Both have recently made the decision to purchase their respective businesses and run them on their own.

Growing up, Bailey always knew that running her own business and creating her own environment was in her future and she knew that opportunity was right around the corner.

“It’s always been a goal for me to manage my own business,” said Bailey. “The previous owner saw something in me and mentored me to the point that I was ready to make the move.”

Bailey grew up in a family of hard-working entrepreneurs and credits her support network for her success.

“My family has always been my rock,” said Bailey.

“My dad and grandpa were both proud small business owners, and I knew that they would be a wealth of knowledge. I have learned more from them in the past six months than I ever could have imagined. I really can’t say enough about the support my family has put behind me.”

Bailey plans to continually grow the business and eventually expand the salon, while staying true to her current customers and in keeping with the salon’s local charm. With new faces walking in the door every day, and familiar ones that have been supporting Hair Craft for the past 37 years, Bailey is excited by the opportunity to shape her business’s future.

Like Bailey, Dao takes great pride in serving her clients. She has always enjoyed helping people be more comfortable in their own skin.

“We put extra effort into assessing our customers’ needs, Our technicians develop relationships with our clients to give them the best possible service.”
-Dao Nguyen, Owner, Sassy Nails

Recently, Dao decided to take the next step, and purchase Sassy Nails for herself. Her main goal in running her own business is to provide top-notch nail care and pamper customers with her team’s signature touch.

“We have a revitalized culture at Sassy Nails,” said Nguyen. “We are trying out new techniques, technology and products every day to provide a unique experience for our customers.”

Both Hair Craft and Sassy Nails are tenants of Occidental Management properties in Wichita. You can support Bailey at Hair Craft in Northwest Centre at 8526 W 13th Street, N, Suite 120, and Dao at Sassy Nails in Auburn Pointe Shopping Center at 13303 Maple Street, Suite 125.