A relatively short time ago — to be exact, one year ago — a new beauty salon opened in Herceg Novi. For our town, this was quite an event, as skilled hairdressers here are almost worth their weight in gold. Moreover, we began hearing more and more exclusively positive reviews — first about the cosmetics promoted by this salon, then about the services themselves.
We got interested and decided to visit the salon as clients. At first, it was just a haircut, then we purchased some hair care products, and later we became regular clients — something we’re truly happy about. What we especially like is that the owner of the salon, Natalia, is always welcoming, cheerful, works quickly, easily, and with quality — clients always leave satisfied. As for the flexible schedule and personalized approach to clients, I think that goes without saying.
The salon also attracts clients with quite reasonable prices, which is one of the main appealing factors and a reason why it competes with other well-known salons in our town. That said, we took the liberty of speaking with the owner of the Salerm salon.
Meet the Director of Salerm Beauty Salon
— Natasha, hello! To begin with, tell us about your life in Montenegro: how long have you been here, what made you move, how did you settle in, do you like it, and so on.
— Good day to everyone! The main reason for the move was the environment, and related to that — my child’s frequent illnesses.
Here the climate is wonderful, the nature is beautiful. We really wanted to live by the sea, in a nice place — we were tired of Moscow’s hustle and bustle. In short, the usual story.
We first got to know Montenegro six years ago, and only five years later we finally settled here — I hope for good.
— And how do you like it here? Any disappointments?
— If we didn’t like it, we’d have left without hesitation.
— What plans did you and your family have regarding Montenegro? To what extent have you managed to bring them to life, and overall, did your expectations come true? Because, according to some immigrants, running a business in Montenegro is useless, unprofitable, and they face all sorts of difficulties and obstacles… even in everyday matters. Is that really the case? Did you face any problems here, and how did you deal with them?
— Running a business is not only possible, but necessary — definitely. But I won’t surprise anyone by saying that it all depends on your motivation, financial means, and strategic planning. I’m doing what I love, what I’ve done all my life — I just moved it here. But like any business, it takes time. And just like in any field, there are minor difficulties — nothing critical. Actually, there were more of them in Moscow. Initially, we didn’t plan to make big money. For that, we would have stayed in Moscow. (laughs)
— And how is your family? Is everyone happy with the move?
— Yes, absolutely. My son has made a lot of friends here and doesn’t even think about Moscow anymore.
— What does your husband do, if it’s not a secret?
— My husband is my full-fledged business partner. He handles cosmetic deliveries, warehouse management, and distribution to salons by request. He’s learned so much that he could become a pretty good consultant himself.
— That’s great! It’s rare these days.
Natasha, you’re a high-level hairdresser with your own studio in Moscow, with a loyal and long-term client base. Tell us, how did you decide to move your salon here, and how long has it been running?
— I already mentioned the reasons above, and the salon has been open for exactly a year now.
— After this period, can you draw any conclusions? What can you say about the number of clients, popularity, and how full your work schedule is? Was the salon originally meant for a Russian-speaking audience, and is it meeting that goal today?
— It was intended for everyone, and it has absolutely met expectations. Even on weekends, the schedule is full.
— Was it difficult to open the salon in terms of paperwork, finding a space, and purchasing equipment? If it’s not a secret, how much did it cost you financially and how long did it take?
— As for the paperwork, it took about a month. No problems with the rest at all — standard set of documents, and I ordered the equipment along with the cosmetics from Spain.
Beauty Salon Services and Prices
— What services do you offer at your salon? How many people are on your team, and is it hard to get an appointment? I’m asking from experience — my whole family goes to you, and always by appointment, which I must say makes me very happy. I can see that the business is doing well.
— Right now, it’s not too hard to get in, but I think it will be soon!
Really, I didn’t used to take appointments, but now I have to — it’s easy to get mixed up about who’s coming and when. (smiles)
Seriously though, because the salon is growing, I had to hire a second stylist. Besides the two of us, we also have a manicure and pedicure specialist, and a cosmetologist named Alexandra. She also does waxing.
— Can you briefly share the average price list for the most popular procedures (haircut, hair coloring, styling, manicure, pedicure, etc.)?
— Haircut — from 10 to 15 euros with styling, depending on the hair length (men’s/women’s).
— Manicure – 9 euros.
— Pedicure – 20 euros.
— Nail polish – from 2 to 15 euros depending on the type of polish (the most expensive is shellac).
We also offer facial massage and keratin hair straightening.
Salerm Cosmetics Distribution in Montenegro
— You’re often away. As far as I know and understand, you’re not just a hairdresser, but also a distributor of hair cosmetics. So your absence is completely justified: various seminars, masterclasses, training, exhibitions, and so on. Please tell our readers more about this side of your work, because it’s really interesting.
— Yes, that’s right. I’m indeed the distributor of Spanish cosmetics brand Salerm in Montenegro, which is well known in many countries. The product quality is amazing and pleasantly surprising due to its competitive price, while containing minimal chemicals, a lot of nourishing ingredients, and being hypoallergenic!
What I love most is that this brand offers many product lines that are used regularly.
Also, the hair dye doesn’t contain harmful PPDs, which can cause severe allergic reactions and are in fact very dangerous additives banned in many countries, even though they enhance coloring effects.
I should also mention the keratin straightening treatment, which is truly unique — after the treatment, you can wash your hair immediately, which is unthinkable with other brands. And it comes with excellent home-care products!
— Salerm cosmetics are truly amazing — I personally use them with pleasure and recommend them to everyone. And the prices are quite low. Normally, such products cost much more, since they’re both professional and natural, which is really great. How do you promote them on the local market? How much demand is there among the local population? Do you offer your products to Montenegrin clients, or are you hesitant about their reaction?
— Thank you! Yes, I do promote Salerm here. At first, I was a bit cautious with Montenegrin clients — it’s a new brand for them, and many are used to local or widely advertised products. But gradually, through recommendations, small samples, and visible results, the interest grew.
Now I have regular local clients who not only use these products in the salon but also buy them for home use. The quality speaks for itself, so I no longer have to “convince” anyone.
— Yes, this is premium-class cosmetics, but the company’s policy is to keep prices pleasantly low and affordable. The manufacturers support healthy hair and scalp.
As for the reaction of the local population — I’m not afraid of it at all. I offer the products and explain their purpose, and people gradually start buying our cosmetics and finally begin to care for their hair. They really need it! There are so many people here who simply don’t understand how much damage they do to their hair with non-professional bleaching, for example. And there are many such cases.
We are also happy to cooperate with salons that want to attract clients and work with high-quality products. It’s more difficult with Montenegrin salons — they’re very conservative and don’t want to learn even if the training is free.
For example, last year a representative from the company came from Spain to bring the “material to the masses,” so to speak. I personally invited 100 salons! We even miraculously found a translator from Spanish to Serbian — and in the end, only 6 (!!!) salons showed up… That’s the simple arithmetic, unfortunately.
Still, I try to hold seminars for salons in other parts of the country when I can. I’ve built some contacts with hairdressers in Budva, and I already have clients there too.
Future Plans and Expansion
— Natasha, excellent! You’re doing a great job!
Tell us about your plans — what prospects do you see for your business in Montenegro? Will you expand, or will you stick to what you’ve already achieved and focus on strengthening your position, so to speak?
— I do have plans, and negotiations are even underway, but I’d prefer not to share the details until they’re actually realized.
— Intriguing! In any case, whatever you decide, we sincerely wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors!
— Thank you very much!
