Small Business Spotlight Series: Salon Felice

Small Business Spotlight Series: Salon Felice

Embrace your style at Salon Felice.

Since its opening 35 years ago, Salon Felice quickly established itself as one of Greater Victoria’s go-to salons for quality hair and cosmetics services. 

“It’s gone well for us,” Felice says. “We were named Beauty Salon of the Year back in 2019. I’ve been in the industry for over 35 years now and am at the stage where running one business well is more than enough; I used to run three others, which were in Broadmead Village, Nanaimo, and Sidney, but am now focusing solely on Salon Felice.”

Salon Felice Uptown. Developed From a Deep Love of High-Quality Fashion, Hair, and Cosmetics

Having grown up in Lake Cowichan, Felice first worked at a nearby mill while in his late teens. However, his love for fashion, hair, and cosmetics soon became a career-focused passion: he chose to attend hair school when he was 20 and, from there, made his way daily from Lake Cowichan to Victoria by bus to complete his classes.

“I thought that the hair industry would be glamorous,” Felice says wryly. “And it was: we used to wear a shirt and tie whenever we did hair back in the day. I started working for a couple of hairdressers early on and after a while, one of them asked me if I wanted to officially go into business with him as a co-owner, which is the story of how I started my first business in Victoria.”

After running Salon Felice in Broadmead Village for 25 years, Felice opened Salon Felice 10 years ago at Uptown Mall, which became the sole location for his various hair and cosmetics services.

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100% Vegan and Customized Treatments at Salon Felice

Salon Felice’s preferred brand is  Aveda: a professional beauty line that features wholly vegan high-performance hair, skin, and body care products. That means that each and every treatment received at Salon Felice is fully cruelty-free and certified organic.

Felice initially made the switch in the late 90s when, after learning about Aveda during a visit to New York, he came back and promptly converted Salon Felice from a multi-line location to an Aveda Concept Salon. He says that he wanted to use only the best products on himself, his clients, and, at the time, his young children. “To be used by our stylists, products have to be high-performance and environmentally friendly,” says Felice. “Facial products, shampoos, conditioners… they all have to perform well and do what they promise to.”

During the spring and summer, colour and balayage treatments are clients’ #1 go-to on average. “Any type of colour or formula that you need, Salon Felice can do,” he says. “All of our colours are mixed especially for you and your specific hair needs.”

“I thought that the hair industry would be glamorous. And it was: we used to wear a shirt and tie whenever we did hair back in the day. I started working for a couple of hairdressers early on and after a while, one of them asked me if I wanted to officially go into business with him as a co-owner, which is the story of how I started my first business in Victoria.”

Felice Iorio

Owner , SalonFelice Uptown

The Summer 2021 Feature at Salon Felice? Expert Microblading Sessions

On top of their complementary add-on services such as hot towels, Aveda tea, makeup touch-ups, and scalp massages (all of which are planned to make a swift return after COVID-19 measures have been lifted), Salon Felice has rolled out a brand-new service just in time for summer: expert microblading sessions.

“We just started doing microblading for eyebrows,” Felice says. “We have a specialist from Vancouver who comes over to conduct our sessions. She is one of the best in the field that I’ve ever seen.”

Book a visit with them to enjoy 10% off of your next microblading service. Don’t need your eyebrows touched up? Don’t worry: between Salon Felice’s periodic events and promotions such as Earth Month, Friends and Family Days, and the occasional 20% off specific services or products, following them on Instagram and Facebook is guaranteed to help you stay in-the-know about a special you’ll be excited about.

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Small Business Spotlight Series: Brodidit – Nanaimo Handyman

Small Business Spotlight Series: Brodidit – Nanaimo Handyman

I’m the guy you call to get your weekends back.

That’s the tagline for Brodidit, a small Nanaimo-based business offering:

  • General handyman services
  • Home maintenance and repairs
  • TV mounting
  • Custom hiring
  • Deck building and repairs
  • Interior and exterior painting
  • Wifi solutions
  • Backsplashes
  • Carpentry
  • Laminate flooring installation
  • …And anything else “on your honey’s to-do list”

As part of Time2GetOnline’s local Small Business Spotlight series, we chatted with Brodie, the brain and brawn behind Brodidit, to learn the “how” and “why” the residents of Nanaimo entrust him to take care of their to-do lists.

“It’s good to get your fence up in Spring so the wood has time to dry out and you will be able to paint it at the end of the summer before the rainy season starts. I use pressure-treated wood for my fences so they last longer than the average panel you might buy from a hardware store.

Brodie Gee

BroDidIt

Brodidit: Reliable Handyman Services in Nanaimo 

For just shy of a year as of 2021, Brodie has worked to establish Brodidit as a reliable handyman service in Nanaimo and its surrounding areas through his strong work ethic and background in customer service.

One of the ways this shines through is in Brodidit’s free estimate. If you’re uncertain how long a project will take, what materials may be required, or what an end budget is likely to come out to, Brodie is more than happy to give you an estimate so that you can know what needs to be done (or skipped) to fit your budget.

“[The benefits of a free estimate] are that we get to meet; customers get to know what they’re getting into.” In terms of what customers report liking the best about BroDidIt’s work, aside from its quality, Brodie says that reliability has been a huge factor in earning the community’s trust.  “I communicate well. I show up when I’m supposed to show up,” he says with a chuckle. 

 

Call Brodidit Today for Spring Handyman Services in Nanaimo Done Right

“Fences are a big service of ours in the Spring,” Brodie says. “It’s good to get your fence up in Spring so the wood has time to dry out and you will be able to paint it at the end of the summer before the rainy season starts. I use pressure-treated wood for my fences so that they last longer than the average panel you buy from a hardware store.

His recommendation? Let Brodidit take care of the projects you don’t have the time (or motivation!) to finish. Book a call with Brodidit today for handyman services done right the first time. 

Time2GetOnline – helping small businesses leverage local search

To help Brodie attract local attention to his fledgling business, we built him a simple website that can grow with him as he builds his brand. Using the WordPress platform, we’ve baked in SEO, notified the various search engines, and written the content to attract people looking for handyman services in Nanaimo. If your business needs more attention from the people in your community, contact us to see what we can do for you.

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Small Business Spotlight Series: Grand Falls Handyman

Small Business Spotlight Series: Grand Falls Handyman

Jeremy Cote of J.Cote’s Home & Property Maintenance, aka the Grand Falls Handyman, makes good on his promise that, for those living in northwestern New Brunswick, he is the only handyman you’ll ever need.

Insured and registered, Grand Falls Handyman specializes in the following:

    • Leaks and clogs
    • Carpentry
    • Landscaping
    • Plumbing
    • Installations
    • Renovations
    • Electrical installations and repairs
    • Switches and dimmers
    • Property management
    • Decks and patios
    • And flooring

We here at Time2GetOnline recently had the pleasure of talking with Jeremy one-on-one about what he brings to the table… and how he has built a reputation of trust, reliability, and quality services.

What sets Grand Falls Handyman apart is that I try to be as fair as possible to everybody. I do have a standard service charge, which I rarely ever use; if someone calls me over because they have a leaky deck, for example, and I’m there for five minutes, I don’t charge them for an hour’s worth of work. Oftentimes, I won’t charge them at all.

Jeremy Cote

Owner/Operator, J. Cote's Home & Property Maintenance - aka The Grand Falls Handyman

Affordable Handyman Services in Grand Falls Where and When You Need Them

“What sets Grand Falls Handyman apart is that I try to be as fair as possible to everybody,” Jeremy says. “I do have a standard service charge, which I rarely ever use; if someone calls me over because they have a leaky deck, for example, and I’m there for five minutes, I don’t charge them for an hour’s worth of work. Oftentimes, I won’t charge them at all.”

He cites affordability as the main reason for offering stop-in services, as he prides himself on being primarily referral-based. “In the long run, it gives me the opportunity to meet somebody, who then refers me to somebody else,” he explains.

Although Grand Falls Handyman is currently booked through until the end of July, Jeremy encourages those who need “quick fixes” to continue to give him a call. “Just yesterday, for example,” Jeremy says, “someone phoned me up: they had just bought a toilet and needed to install it. Now, that takes me about fifteen minutes (or less.) 

Customers don’t have to book me for that; I just come by as soon as I have a minute that I can do it. Or today, someone called me about a bathroom sink that they wanted replaced. Because it takes me fifteen minutes or less, while I was waiting for my flooring I went over, swapped the sinks, and came right back. I’m not saying no to many jobs! For jobs that take more than a few days, customers should call me in advance so we can make the time.”

The Benefits of Being Bilingual

On top of Jeremy’s handyman experience is his fluency in both French and English. “I’m from a bilingual family: my mother is French and my father is English. When I was younger, we moved to Florida for about four years where, at home, I was forced to only speak French. At school, it was English and Spanish. Afterwards, when my family moved back here to Canada, it continued to be fully French at home and fully bilingual at school.”

This is particularly handy when helping customers with Cyclo Vac central vacuums, of which Jeremy is a licensed reseller. Cyclo Vac central vacuums help to simplify housework with its wide variety of attachments, including retractable hoses, and advantageous warranties. These vacuums can be installed in either a new construction or an existing residence. 

“The big thing with the Central Vacuums is that I did take a course on them,” says Jeremy. “[One of the vacuums’ key benefits] is their centralized motors; I personally have a background in how to repair these motors at a very low cost. I’m also equipped to have warranties on all the vacuums (including vacuums that aren’t from my company), so there’s a big bonus in that. A lot of other retailers usually have to send vacuums away to get them serviced, whereas I service the vacuums right there in the customer’s home.”

What Grand Falls Handyman is Offering Carleton and Victoria Counties This Spring

“Grand Falls Handyman has gotten a lot of requests for window washing this Spring, if you can believe it or not,” Jeremy says light-heartedly. “Also straight-up property cleaning. I have brushes that clip on to my tractors in order to clean driveways and lawns in no time at all; I then haul the debris away for the customer. On top of those, I get bookings for decks, windows, and roofing.”

As the Grand Falls Handyman tagline goes, “Big or small, I do it all.” Call Jeremy at Grand Falls Handyman today to put your to-do list in good hands.