Student manages salon

When clients walk into Salon 221, they are greeted by a mirrored entry, a 3-foot grand chandelier and 19-year-old Caitlin Taylor, an IU sophomore and apparel merchandising major who helps run a hair salon.

Whether it is discussing your anxiety from what college drops on your shoulders to idealizing about your future husband, Taylor is here to help her clients out. Of course she might need her Marcel curling iron, a blow dryer and her texturing shears.

The building, which is located at 221 E. Kirkwood Ave., dates back to the 1800s, giving it a more historical appearance than a typical strip mall hair salon.

“I almost can’t imagine working at any other location,” Taylor said. “This old building is beautiful.”

Taylor partnered with Elizabeth Tieman, a former salon owner,
this year.

“It’s anything you could ever want out of a hair salon,” Tieman said. “I use to call it the crown jewel of commercial space here in Bloomington.”

Tieman has worked at Victoria Towers since 1979 for her own business, Elizabeth Tieman & Hair Designers. She left in 2006 when her mother became ill, but in 2007 she returned and rented one room under the name Salon 221.

“Caitlin didn’t come into the picture until about May,” Tieman said. “I offered Caitlin to split my work area with me when my previous partner left.”

After they formed a bond, Taylor agreed to work as an independent in Tieman’s salon and build her own clientele.

“My first meeting with Caitlin was a positive one,” Tieman said. “Caitlin is going to be very successful up here because she’s driven, motivated and loves what
she does.”

This past summer Taylor registered her soon to be business with the county, state and federal governments. She registered for her  Employee Identification Number and signed an anti-diversion contract in order to sell her own retail.

Having her own business means having endless responsibilities to take care of while exasperating bills are left on the doorstep every month.

“I have to document my daily sales, what services in retail I’ve done, record how many hours I’ve spent in the shop and keep client record files so I can pay my sales tax and my rent,” Taylor said.

Taylor got her cosmetology license in 2009 while attending Whitewater Technical Career Center as a high school student.

“I’m used to it,” Taylor said about being constantly busy. “I was going to high school, cosmetology school, taking online classes at Ivy Tech and working at
Burger King.”