Alli Webb's Drybar opens new salon marking the growth of female founders in beauty sector

Drybar, a salon chain based in California, is set to open its 57th salon in the ritzy Tysons Corner mall of Virginia. Alli Webb, the founder of Drybar, aims to open 70 Drybar salons across the country and one in the region of Vancouver BC within the end of 2016. She is also looking forward to widening her business across the Canadian provinces in the following year.

Drybar offers only blowouts services, no color, and no cuts as stated in its tagline board. Currently, the salon chain serves over 50,000 women each month across the nation. Webb started Drybar six years before when she opened the first salon in Brentwood, Calif. Before becoming a successful woman entrepreneur, Webb started her business journey as a mobile hair stylist peddling around Los Angeles traffic to meet her clients at their home.

However, in late 2009, the hairstylist with the help of her brother Michael Landau opened her first salon in Brentwood. Michael invested $250,000 into the business while Webb along with her husband poured in their savings amount of $50,000. Initially, the founders started with a price tag of $40 for blowouts service, which was increased to $45 lately.

Alli Webb told Forbes, "I say that with a lot of humility. It's such an easy luxury that can change your day." Drybar has 13 salons in New York, with a new one scheduled to open in 2016 at Brooklyn's pricey Boerum Hill. The salon also sells products like blow dryer under the brand name of canary yellow.

Meanwhile, SEPHORA, a beauty retailer, has invited nearly eight female entrepreneurs to partake in inaugural of SEPHORA Accelerate Cohort. The participants include Candace Mitchell of Myavana, Carolina Grove of Stylerz, Danielle Cohen-Shohet of Glossgenius, Thrive Causemetics' Karissa Bodnar, Laxmi's Leila Janah, Sahajan's Lisa Mattam, Eu Genia Shea's Naa-Sakle Akuete and One Love Organics' Suzanne LeRoux.

According to SEPHORA, women entrepreneurs lack exposure to financing, business contacts and instructions, compared to male entrepreneurs. Even in beauty market women, entrepreneurs lack business exposure. SEPHORA Accelerate Cohort is designed with an aim to create a network of female entrepreneurs of beauty sector. This program will enable female organisers to improve their business brands.

BLACK ENTERPRISE narrates the business journey of Miko Branch, a hairstylist, who along with her sister Titi managed to start a multimillion dollar salon. She started her career in her salon at SoHo neighbourhood in New York. According to Branch, anyone can turn their skills into a business, there is no need for degrees or money in the play, but, what is more, essential is a vision to build a business empire.

Women-based trades comprise 36% of total businesses in the US. The number of US female founders has been increasing during the period from 2002 and 2012. The increasing number of Drybar salons mirrors the trend in female-owned businesses.