On a busy street in the south of Brooklyn, New York, lined with old storefronts, Hair Link #2 stands out with its bright red signage. The bus stop in front of the store has a constant stream of people coming and going. We met the owners, Bongjae Jung and Mi-ok Jung, whose smiling faces match well with the well-organized shop’s exterior. The affection and trust they’ve built is evident in the way they like each other’s strengths and share a laugh, even though they explain they are not at all alike in personality. We talked to the couple, who have been running their beauty supply business together for 24 years, to hear about their business journey.

New opportunities and challenges

Jung’s American life began the year South Korea hosted the ’88 Olympics. He started out working at a Korean American bag wholesaler on Broadway in Manhattan. “I had the confidence that I could do anything, and I only had to try.” He was in his early 30s when, after two years of hard work and about $30,000 in savings, he opened a bag and accessories store in downtown Manhattan. When it started, downtown Manhattan was so crowded and the streets were packed with pedestrians, but as the market declined in the following years, his business was unable to sustain its operation and closed after only seven years. “It literally went bankrupt. It’s a dire situation. I needed to make a living, but I realized that I was deep in trouble.”

An acquaintance then suggested a job in wig retail. At first, he didn’t know the term “beauty supply” and only remembered the familiar word “wig,” but he found a store and started working. He worked in wig shops in Harlem and Brooklyn for about four years, learning and familiarizing himself with the art of hair. Then in 2000, when he realized he was ready for a next venture, he consulted with his wife and opened his first beauty supply store, and a few years later, he acquired a store that became the current Hair Link #1. Now, he runs two stores. Jung recalls those early days as “you could reap what you sow.” He worked nonstop, day and night, and he was able to buy a house, buy a car, and live comfortably.

Hair Link #1 and #2

“I sold my first shop that opened in 2016 to a friend. By the time I wanted to take it slow, focusing on the one and only Hair Link location.” His life in America became stable, and after 28 years of hard work after coming to the U.S., he needed some time off. Around that time, a chain beauty supply opened a location five minutes away from the first Hair Link. “Sales slowed down. And it bothered me a lot.”

A few years later, he saw an ad in a local Korean American newspaper for the store for sale. Mr. Jung has been the president of the New York Beauty Supply Association since his 40s and has been in the association for a long time, so he was hesitant to get involved in any way with the beauty supply chain. That’s when Mrs. Jung made a decision. “It was always going to be on our mind anyway, given the proximity to the store #1. I convinced my husband that it was better for us to run it than for someone else to do it.”

In November 2022, they took over the space and opened the second Hair Link. “I was not young anymore, so I had a lot of reservations about starting something new. We really put a lot of thought into it.” Now that Hair Link #1 and #2 are up and running, he says he’s very happy with the outcome. When he was running a single store, ordering was a struggle and sometimes he had to carry merchandise home because the storage was limited, but now it’s better organized and much easier to operate.

Wife manages store; husband manages wife

Mr. Jung says he doesn’t try to make impossible things happen. “We would never try that. It just kind of happened.” Worried about his meticulous wife, who wants to be perfect in everything, including childcare and household chores, he wanted to downsize. When he had two shops, the first store and the Hair Link #1, he spent five years trying to convince her to sell the first one. At the time, their house and the store were about 40 minutes apart, and their kids were young, so she was dropping them off at school, going to work, picking up kids from school, and going back to work. But, she says, “I had fun and enjoyed my work. But when I’m working too hard, my body takes the toll and gets sick, so my husband is worried, and I would be forced to cut back.” As we walked through the store, Mrs. Jung’s diligence was evident, as she put items back where they belonged and checked salespeople’s texts for product alerts.

The secrets to a business loved by customers

#1 A wide range of trend-conscious products

Jalynn, a customer we met in the store, highlighted the advantage of Hairlink #2 being its wide range of available items.

Jalynn, a customer we met in the store, says she comes to Hair Link #2 often because she can find everything she needs. The Hair Link #2 is a place that boasts diverse products. It attracts customers with a wide range of products from hair to miscellaneous goods and daily necessities.

Discounted wigs are offered in a separate section including final sale items, and a variety of colors are also on sale, making it easy for customers to try them out. They set the store’s margins low and are constantly trying new products with new orders replacing old ones. Later in the year, they plan to revamp the displays to make the store more visible and strengthen the wig section. They analyze the sales data thoroughly and leverage their POS system to place automated orders, but always double-check before making an order. This is to ensure that inventory doesn’t run low or excessive. Braiding products are always available in a wide range of colors, and crochet products are also consistently ordered to replenish inventory when something new is released. Manager Kim, a 25-year veteran who runs Hair Link #2, says they consistently keep the stock relatively low. To achieve it, they pay attention to each product, and in the case of chemicals, they analyze the 2-week data for rearranging the shelves for quicker turnover.

The store’s fashion accessories section is also a big part of the store. They expanded the selection of hats, bags, seasonal items, and more to give customers more choices. Unlike in the past, it has become difficult to buy many items from wholesalers, so when it comes to jewelry and accessories, the couple visits the Broadway Market in Manhattan themselves. They visit once every two to three weeks to check out the trends and make purchases, and those handpicked items get a good response from the customers. It’s so popular that any of the items rarely ends up in the dumps, with products ranging from basic to cutting-edge.

In line with the popularity of K-beauty, Korean products were placed in the front, and customers responded positively, resulting in additional orders. From the popular Korean sheet masks, essences, and sunscreen, they strive to make it easy to find items for their customers and look for more ways to make shopping enjoyable.

K-Beauty products placed in the endcap. Plans are in place to expand the selection due to the positive response.

Hair Link is located in a neighborhood with a strong Haitian community that has a long history of immigration, and it has a friendly selection of products for customers who are bilingual in English and French. In an effort to make their life easier, they stock products that you normally find in a grocery store for beauty supply shoppers. A nearby drug store recently closed, so they now have products to fill the gap.

The red awnings on the storefront are of a striking color that accentuates the pretty exterior of the store, which serves to increase its everyday visual appeal. But it really shines when it rains. For locals waiting for a bus, it provides a place to shelter from the rain. As they escape the rain, they often come inside, browse, and often end up making a purchase. These small gestures go a long way toward creating a sense of community, which strengthens their bonds with the local customers.

#3 Managing employees from the heart

“My husband is good with people.” Many couples initially love their spouse’s strengths, but over time, they often feel that they are actually weaknesses. Mi-ok Jung says she still learns a lot from her husband’s kindness and attentiveness. Her husband, Bongjae Jung’s personality allows good relationships with the employees, which in turn affects the overall business operations. Even when an employee quits for personal reasons, they don’t make them feel bad, and they always maintain a good relationship with them. Their former employees often come to the store to buy things. The secret to maintaining a good relationship comes from small things.

For example, when an employee who loves K-dramas mentioned that she wanted to try Korean food, Mr. Jung remembered and bought her kimbap and kimchi fried rice. An anecdote that illustrates his attentiveness to detail while he manages his employees. A custom convertible slope was also installed on the stairs leading down to the storage, making it easier for employees to carry heavy boxes up and down dozens of times a day. It’s a thoughtful gesture from Mr. Jung who wants to help reduce employee fatigue.

A structure installed on the stairs to the storage area. It’s usually hooked upright against the wall but is unfolded over the stairs when items need to be moved. It was designed to make it easier for employees to move heavy boxes

An assorted tea product and a framed photo that read “A truly Great Boss” were given to the business owner as a birthday gift by the employees. The tea is popular in Korea according to their online searches.

Mr. and Mrs. Jung, who have similar smiling faces

With all the retirement news around him, Jung feels like he’s getting to that age. He’s happy to be able to come to work, the managers at both stores are doing a great job of managing things, and he’s content with just about everything because it’s a highly controlled environment. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a passion for the business, he says. “I don’t know what changes and opportunities the future holds, but I plan to work with people I trust rather than feel like I have to do everything myself. I want to work while staying healthy and having fun. Looking back, beauty was the best of my life,” says Jung, who met many good friends through the beauty business and continues to make connections to this day. His youthful enthusiasm must be an untold secret.