Meet Yasmin
Yasmin is the owner of a nail salon in Charlotte, NC that offers custom nail art and services. With the help of Grameen America, Yasmin has been able to increase her personal savings to go towards building a house. Yasmin is also part of the Grameen Promotoras program, which offers health education and access to quality care.
Since middle school, Yasmin always enjoyed doing nails. Inspired by her younger sister who attended cosmetology school, Yasmin began doing her own nails, buying more polish, and practicing with acrylics. In 2018, Yasmin started her nail business by renting a small part of a hair salon. Eventually, she wanted to grow her business and moved to her current location for the extra space.
“My favorite part of starting my own business is getting to manage my own time. Even though I have busy seasons, I get to decide how to balance my time.”
Yasmin heard about Grameen America in 2022 from one of her clients who is a staff member. She was interested in the extra capital to support a renovation for her store. Since joining, Yasmin has used the loan capital to buy new products and supplies.
“What I like about Grameen America is that you are able to increase your loan amount and have opportunities to do more with that money.”
Yasmin has hired and trained three additional employees to keep up with the growing number of customers.
“Most of my clients come to me through recommendations and word of mouth. I see eight to ten clients each day and keep track of all of the appointments.”
Yasmin stays up-to-date with nail trends that go viral on the Internet and social media. Right now, French manicures are the most popular, but many of Yasmin’s clients come into the salon with pictures and drawings of what designs they want. To stay educated on the latest techniques, Yasmin organizes trainings by technicians from different parts of the world, including the U.S., Mexico, and the U.K., at her store. At the most recent class, nearly 20 people attended and food was catered by another member in Yasmin’s Grameen America group.
“I love building a relationship with my clients. When they come in and sit down at my table, we have long conversations and I have fun doing their nails.”
Yasmin is also part of the Grameen Promotoras program, which offers health education and access to quality care to Grameen America members. While Yasmin hasn’t needed direct health support from the Promotoras, she’s learned helpful information from the educational trainings.
“It’s really comforting knowing I have access to health and medical support if I need it. The Promotoras help me implement better nutrition habits in my daily life. Even when I get busy, I try to follow what my Promotoras teach me.”
Yasmin hopes to start a family and have children soon. With the additional capital from Grameen America, Yasmin has been able to increase her personal savings to go towards building a house with her boyfriend.
