TRIM.co/TRIM NuLu
Year founded: 2019
Number of employees: 8
Founders: Sean Stafford, CEO, Chris Edwards, lead stylist, Dan Kimball, Stacy Griggs and David Stadler
Amount of capital raised: Both enterprises, TRIM.co and TRIM NuLu, were personally funded from the founders. No outside capital was raised. Startup costs are estimated at less than $1 million.
Notable investors: Several members of the ElToro.com management team
Explain what your company does: TRIM.co provides onsite, high-end haircuts at work to employees of large corporations in Louisville.
To facilitate onsite services the TRIM.co team installs a full, yet mobile, salon setup at every partner location. The setup includes a modern and sleek hair cutting station with mirror, barber chair, stylist tools, and hair products both for client use and for sale. The area of the building that is apportioned off for haircuts is then licensed by the State Board of Cosmetology. Finally, a dedicated stylist is assigned to the location, which allows the same person cut the employee’s hair each time.
Each partner company is provided an unique link, which is then distributed to employees to allow them to make appointments for a haircuts, styles, beard trims, or facial waxing. The true benefit is that all services are performed onsite without the employee ever having to leave work.
What are some major milestones in the company’s history?
Before the pandemic, the biggest milestone was operating 12 different locations around the city of Louisville. Once the pandemic began, TRIM.co, like all businesses, was required to shutter all partner sites and reassess plans for additional expansion. Not to be dismayed, and to keep the TRIM.co stylists employed and their clients looking beautiful, the TRIM.co team decided to build a high-end salon in downtown Louisville called TRIM NuLu. The physical salon was initially built to service existing TRIM.co clients who couldn’t get their haircut because their offices were closed. Because of demand, the salon was then opened to members of the public and began flourishing.
In only a year and a half, TRIM NuLu has grown to become known as the best high-end salon in Louisville, winning more awards than any other salon in the Kentuckiana region in 2021.
What’s more, even as the pandemic continues to ebb and flow, the TRIM.co partner sites are slowly coming back online and demand has rebounded. Because TRIM.co now has a physical salon, clients have the option of receiving services by the TRIM.co team at the brick-and-mortar salon in downtown Louisville as well as onsite at their work.
What is your company working on right now?
The most exciting aspect of TRIM.co/TRIM NuLu is the hiring of additional stylists! Hiring is already underway to help resume services at TRIM.co locations which have not yet reopened, but will be doing so this year. Both the salon and TRIM.co currently need four employees each, which would essentially double each team’s size. The TRIM NuLu salon will be expanding its footprint yet again by adding four more stylists. TRIM NuLu has also begun the process of getting some stylists certified as barbers.
What’s on the horizon for your company in 2022?
2022 looks to be the most impressive year yet for not only TRIM.co, but TRIM NuLu as well.
Business is booming and the demand for onsite and in-salon services continue to increase. The TRIM NuLu hair salon grew at an exponential rate in 2021 which gave way to a doubling in size after only seven months. Now an expansion is happening again and plans are being drawn for the additional space. With additional talent, it’s projected that TRIM NuLu will double the size of its team and the size of its salon.
At the same time, several TRIM.co partner locations will be reopening in the first half of 2022. TRIM.co will fully re-staff most sites this year as well as double the number of TRIM.co locations.
Why grow your company from Kentucky?
The city of Louisville is a great place to conduct business, especially for TRIM.co! Large headquarters like Texas Roadhouse (Nasdaq: TXRH) and Yum Brands (Nyse: YUM) are situated here and are the ideal type of partner for the onsite haircut service. Louisville also houses many large offices parks which is another key opportunity.
Unknown to many, Louisville is home to a Paul Mitchell School of Cosmetology. The school turns out exceptional talent, which creates a competitive applicant pool for hiring. TRIM.co and TRIM NuLu are fortunate to be able to hire from our own backyard without having to pull from out-of-town.
