When Berta Cabrera first started cutting hair, she wasn’t sure how long she would stick with it.
“I wanted to be a police officer, but my parent’s didn’t believe in a girl being a police officer,” she said. “My father said, ‘No.’”
The refusal was hard to bear.
Around that same time, one of Cabrera’s friends began attending beauty college and invited her along. At first, she was reluctant.
“Hair is not my thing,” Cabrera told her friend. But she went anyway and has been cutting hair ever since.
“I never thought I would be doing hair,” she said, “but this coming November I will have been doing it for 19 years.”
Cabrera will get to ring in the occasion with more than just a casual celebration. On Oct. 12 from 4 to 6 p.m., Cabrera will host an open house at her new salon, Studio 8 at 116 W. Cook St., unit C, in Santa Maria.
The occasion will feature a DJ, free haircuts, waxing, hair products, and refreshments.
Although the doors for the brick-and-mortar have been open since June, the October event will mark how far Cabrera and her business have come.
“When we first opened, we had just like a couple of things in the sitting area,” she said. “It’s a big place too. We needed more stuff.”
Now fully decorated and staffed, Studio 8 is ready for regular customers.
“We do hair extensions, we do waxing, makeup, you name it,” Cabrera said, adding that she was hoping to bring in a nail specialist in the near future full-time. “We do everything.”
Women’s haircuts range from $30, which includes shampooing and styling, while men’s start at $15 and increase by $5 for beard trimming.
Cabrera said she was excited to show off the new digs.
“I love it here,” she added. “Every day, I come to work, and I can’t believe that this is my place now.”
Highlights:
• The San Luis Obispo Chapter of SCORE will host two workshops to help citizens start their businesses, as well as developing basic elements for a business plan. The first workshop is on Oct. 27 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Santa Maria Business Development Center, 731 Lincoln St., Santa Maria, and will provide an overview of the basics for starting a business. Topics covered will include operation basics, business plans, and how to use and understand financial reports.
A second workshop will be held on Nov. 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Union Bank Community Room at 995 Higuera St. in San Luis Obispo. That workshop will focus on business plans, marketing, and how to determine profitability. To learn more about the workshops and reserve seats, visit sanluisobispo.score.org.
Staff Writer Spencer Cole wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, mail, or email at spotlight@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Oct 12-19, 2017.