Even though college students and working professionals are deemed to be mature adults, some of us can still get a bit skittish walking into a hair salon. It is not that the salon itself is intimidating, however. Every individual feels the same wave of nerves pass over them when asked how they would like their hair to be cut. Most individuals find this a rather difficult question to answer, as they are no experts at hair themselves.
To avoid this common problem, senior finance and entrepreneur student Skyler Logsdon has developed an application called MyKlipsPics for people to show their stylist what hairstyle they desire.
The app already has over 800 downloads in just the first two weeks after the launch. Not only has this app been downloaded nationally, but it has also taken off globally in 10 different countries. Essentially, this free app allows people to take four “selfie” photos of the front, back, left and right angles of a haircut of their choice. The users can choose to upload photos from their personal photo albums or use their front and back camera to snap pictures. The app also allows users to save their hairstyles, write comments and keep adding to the list until their next trim.
The purpose of this app is for people to choose a haircut they want and have it ready to show their stylist. Logsdon said, “The premise is simple: You must show what you want to ensure you get exactly that.”
Logsdon shared his motivation for creating this app. “My inspiration stemmed from seeing a demand. As an entrepreneur, I am always observing people, seeing what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, and seeing if I can create a product or service to enhance what they’re doing,” he said.
A California native, Logsdon explained how he needed to find a new stylist in Philadelphia once he began at Drexel. Logsdon found it a struggle describing how his barber back in California cut his hair and therefore would bring in pictures, requesting a particular style.
Logsdon’s own personal problem led him to the development of MyKlipsPics. Logsdon said that the Close School of Entrepreneurship’s course “Launch-It!”,gave him $2,000 in seed funding to launch the app.
“In the start-up world, a successful launch with a budget of [$2,000]is an accomplishment within itself,” Logsdon said.
While the app is free to download, it does have a revenue model. Similar to many other free apps, the app is free for the first three photos one takes. After that, users can choose to purchase additional saved photos to keep adding to their collection. In the future, Logsdon hopes to add major hair advertisements to MyKlipsPics that will appeal to users.
Logsdon said, “My goal for MyKlipsPics is to continue gaining traction in the marketplace. I also want to establish partnerships with hair and body care companies such as Procter and Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal and Paul Mitchell.” Although Logsdon single-handedly came up with the idea for this app, he is not opposed to selling his app to a company if they desire it in the future.
Logsdon referred to the development of this app as “just the beginning.” He is not revealing any new ideas or secrets, but it is evident that much more can be expected from him, as he has already been mentioned in local newspapers and blogs, including Philly Mag.
For now, there is still much more in store for Logsdon’s career, and MyKlipsPics is just a small steppingstone in his bright future. So next time you walk into the salon, keep your head high and sit down with confidence knowing that MyKlipsPics has got you covered.