Carmen Medina Ayuso is the founder and CEO of Beauty911, a digital platform that provides at-home beauty services that can be requested online.
The business, which delivers its beauty services directly to client’s homes, was founded after Ayuso had to close her personal studio due to high costs.
“After Hurricane Maria, we were severely affected, and I started offering home services, and that’s where I realized there was a need and a market to pay for these services”, she said.
Ayuso explained her business as a huge need for women, who make up the majority of the population, to provide them with resources when they don’t have the time to wait in salons.
“That’s not only convenience, but also well-being, because for seniors who have these problems and find it convenient to get home, that’s a real contribution to well-being and social well-being. It creates self-employment, because all these professionals who are employed are actually self-employed, but we’re also generating employment. That contributes to the economy, and that’s important”, she said.
For Beauty911, the largest demographic of its clients’ centers on women between the ages of 30 and 55. A large majority of older adults also request its services.
“There are people with mobility issues who can’t leave their homes, people who are in nursing homes, or in retirement homes, who find themselves in need of these services. That’s where we realize the value we bring to this demographic and the true convenience of bringing the service to them”, she explained.
Beauty911 reservations connect professional stylists with clients seeking home beauty services. Reservations can be made through the official app or by phone.
“We’ve had to invest in staff to make appointments via phone calls, since many of them aren’t technologically advanced. But we also have many clients’ relatives who make their appointments for their parents. However, the system was originally designed for the client to make the appointment through the app”, she commented.
Unlike other businesses and independent stylists, Ayuso emphasizes that they are the first platform that connects clients with beauty services that can be delivered to their homes.
“The difference from someone who is offering their services on their own and promotes you on Instagram or social media is that it’s a reliable platform where the client is guaranteed that they will receive the real service. We already have a community of professionals, and if the professional doesn’t arrive, which happens, we replace them with another professional. So we are a reliable platform”, she mentioned.
With 25 stylists available and services aimed at 12 municipalities, including Guaynabo and San Juan, Ayuso also has a goal of expanding services to other regions of Puerto Rico, as well as the United States.
“We would mostly start in Florida. Next comes New York and Chicago. Those are the three states we’re targeting. The first will be Florida, where Miami currently has the highest concentration of Hispanics in the state”, she explained.
She also mentioned plans to attract additional services to her offering.
“We’re going to add barber services for men soon. And we’re going to add massage services as well”, she said.
Beauty911 offers haircuts, manicures, pedicures, makeup, and more. The app can be found here.
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