Barlow figures the city's entrepreneurial spirit stems from necessity. There are few alternatives. There's too many of us here. Nonetheless, a shop of one's own is a dream for most stylists. The lure of such economic and artistic freedom splits the labor pool from employers, said Ake.
People just start out one place and want their own place.
This might result from beginning hairdressers participating in a feudal system of sorts. They'll rent a chair from a salon's owner and supply their products and tools. Another option is to work on commission, she said. Barlow did this during a stint at Cost Cutters in Panama City. But the assembly-line pace there was unforgiving on stylists as well as clients, she said.