January 25, 2016
Entrepreneur of the Week: How a Side Hobby Became a Multi-Location Business
Falicia Fracassi’s entrepreneurial journey started with a dream. “I always knew I had a greater purpose than my regular 8-5 job,” said Fracassi. At the time, I was working a corporate job as a senior customer service representative. I would take escalations and calm upset customers down. I did it happily. I was excellent at what I did. I had elevated to the highest level within my department, but something kept calling me to the beauty field.
“Ladies would stop me on my break and they would talk to me about beauty ideas. I discovered that small changes in a woman’s beauty routine made them happier. I knew it was time for me to go at this full-time. I didn’t see anything past that but my own business–specifically eyelashes. I had always seen it as a side hobby, but it began to take over my life. People began to know me as the eyelash lady ‘Fracassi.'”
With that in mind, Fracassi breathed life into Fracassi Lashes, an eyelash and beauty business with several locations in New York.
In addition to her success as an entrepreneur, she has created her own makeup line and has provided jobs for people.”With a staff of over 15, it makes me happy to know that my idea has been able to successfully create jobs and provide a source of income in households, ” said Fracassi. I actually had a dream when I was 17 years old, that my entire family was on my payroll. Fast forward several years later, and I see my family on my payroll receiving a paycheck. I also knew I wanted my own product line. My aunt, a plastic surgeon with her own skincare line, really pushed me to create my own makeup and lash line. I spent time in the lab, studying colors that were missing for darker shaded women such as myself. Now we have a makeup line and a successful lash line.â€
BlackEnterprise.com caught up with Fracassi to learn a few tips for successfully launching a business.
BlackEnterprise.com: What makes your business stand out?
Fracassi: I realized a lot of people were applying eyelashes wrong. There are a lot of businesses that do eyelash extensions as an afterthought. They focus more on hair, nails or other services. At Fracassi Lashes, we specialize in providing meticulous eyelash extension application. Our lashes accentuate the eyes, but they always look natural. I spent a lot of time developing lash adhesives that would keep lashes in place without causing damage to the natural eyelashes. Our lashes are applied hygienically in an aesthetically-pleasing environment.
What is your best marketing tool for building your brand and attracting customers?
We use email and social media marketing and in-store promotions of course, but our strongest tool for building our brand is consistent customer service. We make it a point to make people feel welcome when they come into our lash parlors. Before we apply eyelashes we always provide consultation and find out about their lifestyle and lash preference.
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