HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA)- Ryann Halo owner of Salon Halo still has clients coming in for their usual cut and color but fears the coronavirus pandemic will soon impact the beauty industry in unimaginable ways.
“We are really just taking it day-by-day and planning for what is going to happen if we don’t have income. There are a lot of single mothers and with school closures and insecurity in income, that’s something that should be brought to light,” said Halo.
Halo tells 8 On Your Side that stylists rely heavily on tips in order to pay their bills, therefore, packing up their scissors and self quarantining isn’t always an option.
“It is a challenging choice because for service industry providers,” said Halo. “It is a day-to-day thing. Our incomes are based on what we do on a daily, weekly and monthly bases.”
Currently, a petition on change.org is demanding federal aid from the U.S. government for those in the beauty industry. So far, the petition has over 900,000 signatures and counting.
The Profession Beauty Association is also making a plea, asking federal lawmakers for tax relief.
“It is asking your representative to consider including a credit that helps relieve the FICA tax,” said Halo. “We would get a potential immediate benefit from that which would help with companies that are trying to help support a payroll and pay their normal everyday bills.”
In the meantime, Halo says there are ways you can help immediately.
“We have had clients already pre-pay for services. Some of the things I would encourage if you want to show support to your favorite industry-based companies is to purchase gift certificates.”
Salon Halo has locations in Carrollwood and Spring Hill and was recently named one of the Top 200 Salons in the USA.
