Mai Nguyen

Mai Nguyen in front of her salon. Photo: Jacob Colie/Mercy Corps

When Mai Nguyen left Vietnam four years ago, she left behind the one-hour photo finishing lab that she and her family had worked hard to make a very successful business. After settling in Portland and exploring local job opportunities, Mai knew she would be happiest running her own business. Her husband, Thu Nguyen, started a new photo finishing business, but Mai thought it might be wise to diversify their interests, and she enrolled in cosmetology classes. Last fall, Mai received her license as a nail technician, which Mai says was a good business option for her because she was looking for something that didn't require a lot of start-up costs.

Last November, Mai celebrated the grand opening of Sandy Nails, which she runs with the help of her daughter, Thuyanh. She currently has a steady number of clients, most of whom are repeat customers because they like Mai’s conscientiousness and attention to detail. But Mai welcomes new customers and has intentionally kept her prices reasonable to capture a larger market.