research assignment english 2

1. research assignment.

2. presented by
joyce wee yi qin
lee pui san
mok po yi
ryan kerry jee jin yiing
sonia mancxia
tan wing hoe
too mun fai

3. key summary.
77 Unisex
Home-based business
GC Hair Studio & Academy
Commercialized
hair dressing
Different environments and other external factors lead to different business outcomes

4. the site.

5. history.
located in Sungai Way
business started in 1985
started this business 30 years age when she was only 23 years old
She operated her business in a small hair studio which was built behind her mother in
law’s backyard to save cost.
Her modal for this business was only roughly RM6000 back then, which would be
equivalent to today’s RM15000.
home-based

6. history.
When she first started her saloon, business was booming as many people from
around Sungai Way would come to her saloon to cut, dye or perm their hair.
However due to many factors such as increase in competitors, customers moving out
of Sungai Way and others, business has declined drastically throughout the years.
Her annual revenue for the past few years never exceeded RM14000.
She has been running a rent-free business.
home-based

7. the site.

8. history.
The GC Hair Saloon & Academy has one headquarters located in Cheras, Selangor and
another operating branch situated in Puchong, Selangor.
business started in 1998
This hair saloon has been operating for 15 years by its founder and director Gary Choy,
hence its name being GC Hair Saloon & Academy.
This saloon has been favourites to many as it satisfied and still satisfying customers
throughout the Klang Valley leading to many new customers coming in every once in a
while.
commercialized

9. history.
Provides many different services such as the regular haircut that comes with any style
or fashion of your choice, quality hair curling, hair dying with their signature hair dye
brand, Schwarzkopf which originates from Germany.
Most of the time, they will employ two to three hair stylists to work side by side with
the manager of the saloon.
GC Hair Saloon & Academy also has their own academy that teaches students of all ages
The students will be taught personally by the director or manager and gradually become
a qualified hair stylist trainee after six months of training at GC Hair Saloon Academy.
commercialized

10. brief description.
home-based
located within an old residential area in Sungai Way.
founder : Madam Ho Ah Yoke.
Low in cost as she wise-used the backyard of her in-law’s house to build a
small space for her hairdressing career.
The services provided are commonly practiced by most of the saloons in
the market.
Visitors are mostly regulars.

11. brief description.
home-based
Since it is a small business, only one foreign labour is hired for
miscellaneous tasks.
Due to the rise of popularity of this profession, there are many
competitors around Petaling Jaya and also Subang Jaya.
Madam Ho uses good quality hair products and maintain good
connections with her customers.
There are no branches.
The operating hours of this business starts from 8AM to 5PM every day
and closed every Monday.

12. pricing list.
haircuts rm12
hair dying rm40 - rm50
hair perming rm70
hair straightening rm150

13. Founder: Gary Choy
This saloon is located in Bandar Puteri Puchong (a commercialized area opposite Giant,
Puchong). The headquarters is situated in Cheras while the first branch is in Puchong.
The services provided includes haircuts, hair dying, hair perming, hair straightening, hair
therapy and hair styling.
It also provides hair academy and courses for the public.
it has a good and steady flow of customers in and out of the hair studio every day
the saloon hires 3-4 full-time hairstylists and a few trainees from their own academy.
brief description.
commercialized

14. brief description.
commercialized
GC Hair Studio and Academy provides excellent hairdressing skills with good quality products
imported by Germany to maintain its business.
Hair products such as shampoo, conditioner, hair serum, hairstyling wax and hair mousse
also retailed by the saloon to increase the business income.
The business hours is from 10:30 AM till 8:30 PM and the saloon is off on Tuesday.

15. cut & blowdry rm10 – rm 35 & above
shampooing & blowdry rm16 – rm 19 & above
shampooing, blowdry & cut rm30 – rm 55 & above
pricing list.
*based on qualification of hairdresser
dying rm60 | rm90 | rm120 & above
additional highlighting rm 30 & above
hair perming rm60 | rm90 | rm120 & above
*based on length (short,medium,long)

16. comparative analysis.

17. home-based commercialized

18. competitors in the area
Izzo Hair Saloon
D Hair Park
APT Hair Saloon
Hong House Saloon
New Colour Saloon
Fione’s Hair cut

19. strategies to deal with competitors
The prices are affordable
despite offering professional
hairdressing services and
good quality hair products
The pricing are slightly higher
than other home-based saloons
in that area due to it offering
better quality products to
provide services to their customers
pricing

20. strategies to deal with competitors
They will raise the price at
a range from around RM3
to RM4 during peak seasons.
The saloon will not raise the
prices for any services.
pricing ( peak season )

21. strategies to deal with competitors
The saloon has a large signage
placed at the façade of the shop
lot. A largely printed pricing list
is placed in front of the saloon as
well. There are banners positioned
in front of the saloon to attract
customers. A website and Facebook
page as well are used to publicize
their business as well.
A small signage is positioned
in front of the main gate of the
house. They do not practice doing
any advertisements due to the
presence of regular customers.
advertisement

22. strategies to deal with competitors
The services offered are
satisfactory and professional.
Friendly and interactive.
quality of services

23. strategies to deal with competitors
The hair studio’s interior is
modern and fully furnished.
Furniture and equipment used
are up to date and are in good
condition to ease labour and
ensure the comfort of the
customers.
atmosphere
The interior of the hair studio
is old so as the furniture and
the equipment used. The shop
radiates a vintage feel, offering
a vintage feel to the customers.

24. strategies to deal with competitors
They are known for
implementing a German
branded hair product -
Schwarzkopf. The product is a
qualified hair care product to
ensure customers the best hair
care solutions.
variety of products
The saloon uses good
quality of local hair products
to provide services to the
customers.

25. obstacles faced by a new business
lack of publicity. They are not well-known from the start so they intend to have a
problem to advertise their business. If this problem persists, they might have a low
number of customers visiting.
intense competition. among the same industry at a specific location might affect
the new businesses.
customer’s confidence. Customers often prefer to visit existing businesses
rather than the newly formed businesses.

26. nature of market
GC Hair Studio and Academy
serves customers with
professional hairdressing skills
with a comfortable
environment. They implement
qualified hair products which
are imported from Germany to
ensure the quality of their
services offered.
77 Unisex saloon provides good
hairdressing skills as the shop owner
has much experience in this field.
The business also provides better
hair products to ensure customers
getting the best services hair and scalp.
Both the saloon is in a perfectly competitive market. There are a lot of
hair saloons at the same area and they are providing similar hairdressing
services as well.

27. contrast.

28. home-based commercialized

29. services
haircuts
hair dying
hair perming
hair straightening
hair therapy
hair styling
hair academy
haircuts
hair dying
hair perming
hair straightening

30. workers
3-4 full time hairstylists
*2-3 trainees from the academy
(occasionally)
one foreign worker for
miscellaneous tasks

31. future plans
retirement plans to open new branch in
Petaling Jaya within 2 years.

32. strategy
Products used such as
shampoos and other hair
products are of high quality
Excellent hairdressing skills along
with using renowned and
branded hair products.

33. founder and history
Madam Ho Ah Yok started
her hairdressing career at the
age of 23 after being inspired
by her sister.
She started her own business
in 1985 at the backyard of her
in-law’s house and it still exists
up until now.
Gary Choy is the CEO and Artistic
Director of GC Academy of Hair Design.
After graduating from London, Gary
worked as a professional hairdresser,
as well as owning his first hair studio
which began operation in 1998.

34. location
77 Unisex is located in an
old residential area in Sungai
Way. The saloon is built in
the backyard of a residential
unit back then hence making
it old looking.
GC Hair Studio and Academy is
located in Bandar Puteri Puchong
(opposite Giant, Puchong).
There are a lot of other hair
studios operating around that area
(2 hair studios located just across the road).

35. number of saloons nearby
zero five
number of branches
zero
One branch (Puchong)
*Headquarters at Cheras

36. business hours
business operation
8 am – 5 pm
Solely by Madam Ho
10.30 am – 8.30 pm
Managed and monitored
by Lee Yi Ling (Branch Manager)

37. price range
number of customers per day
rm 12 rm 6 – rm 55
25 - 305 – 8

38. targeted market
children and senior citizens
regular customers
Youngsters and adults
ages from 15 - 50

39. conclusion
hobby rather than a job or a business well established
both saloons sells the same types of hair products which includes
shampoos, conditioners, hair mousse, hair styling wax and hair serum.

40. conclusion
still in the same condition as it
was 30 years ago and has no plan of
renovating the place. The less attractive
interior, out of date equipment and old
hairdressing stylesis also one of the
down factor that tends to
slow down the business growth.
more potential to develop further as
Mr Gary Choy has the intention of
branching out the business to different
locations in the Klang Valley.

41. conclusion
hardly visible to the public
as it is hidden at the backyard
with no advertisement.
publicize themselves in the
World Wide Web and social media.

42. recommendations.

43. GC Hair Studio and Academy
prices should be cheaper than the rest
prices that are being offered
could also be lowered
during festive seasons.
pricing location
consider searching for a new
and more strategic location

44. 77 Unisex
prices should be cheaper than the rest
prices that are being offered
could also be lowered
during festive seasons.
advertisement environment + equipment
consider searching for a new
and more strategic location

45. end.