Mélanie like to say that she got the idea for her business from her mother's kitchen. It was there on her days off from a prominent salon in Dieppe that she found herself coloring hair. She decided that if she was refusing clients at her work and giving haircuts in her free time that maybe she was ready to open her own salon.

Mélanie started off solo, opening a salon where she was the only stylist but she soon felt the need to expand. It was then that the CBDC Kent came in to support her. Mélanie changed locations and through the Seed Capital Program, Mélanie got a loan that enabled her to buy a variety of salon equipment including a tanning bed. Last October she officially launched the Melabou Beauty and Tanning Salon. Mélanie currently has two stylists (including her) and a nail technician. She offers a range of beauty and tanning services to her clients and is already thinking about adding another stylist this summer. She says her edge is the variety of services she offers combined with the training that she and her other stylist receive. They regularly go to place like New York to learn about the latest styles, techniques and trends.

Mélanie says the things she likes best about owning her own business are setting her own schedule, having control of the services she offers and most of all, continually learning new things. And she definitely coudn't have done any of this without the support and dedication of the CBDC Kent. "They believed in me and that I had the potential to succeed," say Mélanie. "Their confidence gave me the drive to pursue my dreams."