Finding the right hairstylist for you has never been this easy

Here's an online community that helps match customers' hair profile to highest rated hair stylists in their area.

Everyone has hair, so why is it so difficult to find a hair stylist that’s right for our hair type, budget and location? These are the questions that Co-Founders Gordon Rodger and Julia Rowley asked themselves before they developed ZupaDo, a brand new online hair community that launched exclusively in Singapore on 22 October 2012.

ZupaDo’s clever ZupaMatch search engine is what sets this website apart from other hair related sites. It works by connecting members to the best hair stylists for their hair type, budget and location.

ZupaMatch takes the information from members’ personal hair profiles, and matches it to the highest rated hair stylists in their area. The ratings are taken from the profiles and reviews of other members in the same area, with similar hair.

Julia Rowley, ZupaDo Co-Founder said: “I know first-hand how difficult it can be to find a good hair stylist, whether it’s in your home city or when travelling. I used to spend hours searching the internet trying to find recommendations or reviews on the best hair stylists and salons to visit. It was
impossible, I couldn’t understand why review websites existed for just about every other industry, apart from the hair industry.”

But ZupaDo claims that is more than just a search engine and review website. It also provides hair stylists with a platform to promote themselves and their unique services, free of charge.

Julia added: “ZupaDo’s business pages will help hair stylists and salons to attract new customers, and build stronger relationships with their existing client base. They can create their own online portfolio and connect with other hair stylists and businesses in the industry to raise their profile.”

Founders said that feedback from the industry has been 'extremely' positive so far. On the first day of launch ZupaDo had 17 stylists and 12 hair salons already registered, and their sales team will be working hard over the next few months to recruit more.

Though, it’s not just about registrations. ZupaDo is keen to build a community and will be assigning community managers to salons and stylists. Their role will be to help develop profile pages and offer advice on how to manage reviews effectively.

Julia also notes that there are plenty of other features on the site to keep visitors and members entertained. ZupaMag, the site’s online magazine, will be the authority on the very latest hair fashions, trends, products and hair stylists around. Experts in the industry, along with the most passionate fashionistas, will be 

ZupaDo is an online hair community, a place where people can talk to each other about hair. A place where members can interact directly with other members, hair stylists and hair brands to find the best hair services and products for their hair type and budget.

Who is ZupaDo aimed at?

1. Members – people looking for a hair stylist
2. Hair stylists – looking to promote themselves and/or their salon
3. Hair brands – looking to sell products

How does this work?

Visitors to ZupaDo can search for hair stylists and salons in their chosen city. But ZupaDo is even cleverer than that. We have created ZupaMatch, an advanced search engine that tracks down the best hair stylists for a person’s hair type and budget. For access to ZupaMatch visitors need to
become a member, and fill in a short profile to help us track down the best stylists in seconds.

How does it find them?

It takes all of the ratings and recommendations from other members with the same hair profile and works out who the best hair stylists are for your hair type, and budget. The information is based on the recommendations of real people.

What else does it do?

ZupaDo puts members in direct contact with other members. The platform provides the perfect environment to start conversations about hair. Members will be able to read through the recommendations and reviews of others members, who have recently visited a stylist. They will
be able to read the stylist’s profile, and see pictures of their work before they decide to book an appointment.

Members can upload pictures of their favourite hairdo, allowing others to click the heart button to show they ‘love it’. They can also tag their picture to their stylist, allowing others to see who did their hair for them.

There will be an editorial section called ZupaMag where visitors and members will be able to find out all the latest hair news, fashions and trends.

What’s in it for stylists and salons?

Stylists and salons can register for ZupaDo business pages for free. This means that they become part of the database and are searchable when members use ZupaMatch. More than this, the business pages allow the stylists and salons to promote their unique products and services, and then they can really start marketing themselves directly to their customers.

COMPANY PROFILE:
 

Name of the company: ZupaDo
Founder/Founders: Gordon Rodger and Julia Rowley
Website: www.zupado.com
Major Investors: Private investors
Total funding at hand: S$ 100,000
Target fund: S$750,000
Source of funding: Angel investors and private equity
Start of operation: 22 October 2012