Hair salon is all about 'krasa'

From Russia with krasa.

Krasa ("beauty" in Russian) is a fitting name for Oksana Hawk's beauty parlor in Yuba City.

Krasa Salon, located in Hillcrest Plaza on Clark Avenue, is Oksana's first American commercial venture. The native of Russia came to the Yuba-Sutter area eight years ago after meeting and marrying local farmer Danny Hawk while he was vacationing in her home country.

The salon is weathering the financial downturn, according to Oksana. She said that while the shop's sales are down compared to other years and there haven't been as many walk-ins as before, they're doing fairly well.

"We're just hoping for the best," she said.

A bright spot for them has been women's tendency of paying more attention to their looks during the holidays. "We were really busy right before Thanksgiving — we even ran out of hot water — and we've stayed busy since then," she said. "It's been great."

The owner said this has been their busiest time in the year-plus that she's owned the salon. "It's great seeing everyone busy."

The salon concentrates on haircuts, coloring and "up-dos," which are the more formal styles often seen at weddings or other momentous occasions.

Oksana said there are seven other stylists and just one manicurist — all independent contractors with their own business licenses — in the salon. She's planning on adding two more stations in the near future.

She explained that in areas where salons have a lot business, stylists are often employees of the salon — rather than independent contractors — but in smaller areas it's more common for the beauticians to be their own bosses.

Krasa Salon's location was just what Oksana was looking for when she was searching for a beauty salon to open after graduating from Sutter Beauty College in Yuba City. She said she found what she wanted inside Hillcrest Plaza — with its restaurant, wedding shop and comfortable waiting area.

Krasa is not the first beauty salon at the site, Oksana said. "A shop has been here (at Hillcrest Plaza) for about 20 years, since it was remodeled from a supermarket."

When asked about the difficulty of owning a business, many owners say it's government regulations that are the most onerous, but not for Oksana.

"Government regulations aren't that hard to live with because I'm a very clean person. I like to keep things clean — and that's mostly what the regulations are all about."

For Oksana, it's the day-to-day responsibilities that weigh heaviest on her. "You're the business owner. You have to be there all the time. You're responsible for whatever happens and for paying the bills," she explained.

But that's far outweighed by the freedom and the creativity that ownership gives her.

"If I want to take off and go somewhere, I just have to reschedule my appointments and leave for a few days," she said. "I like to create something. In Russia, I had to do bookkeeping. That was so boring. I hate to sit in one place doing paperwork or working on a computer. It's just not me."

Other positives:

"We're like a family here. They're a great bunch of girls, which makes this a great atmosphere to work in."

But most of all it's the people who leave smiling. "The best part for me is making my clients happy so they feel good about themselves," she said. "I like to see the smiles on their faces when they leave the salon."

Running a beauty parlor includes more than just what happens inside the shop; the stylists also have to keep up with the ever-changing styles.

"Hairstyles usually change every year," Oksana said. "There's always something to learn about the hair business."

She said she's attended training sessions in Santa Monica, San Jose and the Vidal Sassoon Academy in San Francisco.

"Every year, there's something going on — just watch E-Hollywood and look at the red-carpet hairdos," said Oksana.

She said the latest trend is from the 1940s, with the era's bright makeup and finger waves.

Prices at Krasa Salon range from $15 for children to $75 and up for the more elaborate styles. Men are welcome.

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter John Hollis at 741-2400 or jhollis@ appealdemocrat.com