A veteran hair stylist has struck off on her own to open a new salon in Hamilton.Tyesha Barioni, who trained in Scotland, has been a hair stylist for 12 years working in various salons on the Island building up a loyal clientele.Now her clients can come to her sleek shop, Elite Salon, located at 119 Front Street in the Magnolia House.“My clients have always been pushing me to go out on my own and are really encouraging,” said Mrs Barioni. “To be able to welcome them as they walk through the doors knowing that I’ve taken this step is really exciting.”Along with her business partner Fabio Iannone, a long-time hospitality professional, the Elite Salon, located in the former Hair Studio space, opened its doors on August 21 offering full-service hair styling for both men and women.They are eventually looking to bring in a therapist to do manicures, pedicures and waxing as well.One month in, business has been steady.“It’s been going well so far,” said Ms Barioni. “This location has always been known as a hair salon so people are really surprised when they come in because we done a lot of renovations. It’s a complete transformation.”From top to bottom the space is completely renovated — new ceiling, lighting, flooring, new music system, walls have been patched up and painted and decorated with imported furniture from Italy. It’s a clean, modern, sophisticated space with subtle pops of colour.“Our salon’s name is Elite so we want the interior to stay polished,” said the stylist.Of particular interest is the epoxy flooring in one half of the space. Coloured with swirling oranges that brighten the room, the salon’s logo is also embedded for an extra ‘wow’ factor.Mrs Barioni’s has a range of clients — both older and younger — from corporate professionals to family and friends. The salon offers high-end product lines including Biolage by Matrix, hair colours by Matrix, Mizani for more coarse and dry hair and the luxury product line, Kerastase.“I have all ranges of clients so I’d like to be able to offer different ranges of product as well,” she said. “We like to think that cater to all hair types, all walks of life — everyone is welcome.”Along with her two full-time hair stylists — Julianna Smith and Onika Outerbridge — the group has all trained in the UK and pride themselves on their cutting techniques. Giving customers exactly what they are looking for.“If you see something in the magazine, we believe we can provide that as well as consult and advise you,” she said.Mrs Barioni’s sister, Tahmeaka Thomas, is the salon’s receptionist and her ‘right-hand man’.“She’s been a real asset to the business start up and I couldn’t have done it without her,” she said.Making her dream a reality was a long road but Mrs Barioni said it was worth the effort.‘It’s been a dream of mine for the past eight years and I’ve worked in other salons and I’ve taken bits and pieces from other places. But to be able to implement my ideas in my own space is really exciting,” she said.Mrs Barioni also received counsel from the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC), which provided advice and guidance on her business plan as well as becoming their loan guarantor.“This is a big deal for me and my family,” she said. “I came from humble beginnings so I am probably the first one in my family to establish a business so it’s a really big deal for me.”“It’s hard work but so fulfilling,” she added “Even if my book says I’m finished at 5pm, I’m really leaving at 7pm because I’m making sure everything is ready for the next day.”Her advice for other entrepreneurs?“For me, I could have done this move a few years ago but now finding this space, I think the time was right. Don’t rush into anything, don’t grab the first thing you see. If you dream about it, believe you can achieve it because it is possible,” she said.Elite Salon’s hours are Tuesday: 9am-5pm, Wednesday-Friday: 9am-7pm, Saturday: 9am-5pm, Monday: closed and Sunday by appointment. Call 296-8989 or 296-8990, e-mail elite.salon@ymail.com or visit them on Facebook at EliteSalonBDA.