It was a simple idea that has taken one segment of the economy by storm: sell empty beauty salon stations via mobile app.

Courtney Caldwell and her husband, Tye, owned a salon in Plano. For several months after they expanded, a number of the stations sat idle. During this same time, Tye was getting inquiries from hair stylists looking for stations to rent on a per-day basis.

“These traveling stylists were not looking for a long-term contract or even a weekly commitment,” Courtney said. “They simply desired professional salon space in which to service their local clientele. That was when ShearShare was born.”

The ShearShare app quickly moved into more than 100 U.S. cities and eight nations in less than two months.

The average U.S. salon operates at about 40 percent capacity, Courtney said.

“By listing their open salon space on the ShearShare app, they get to monetize their extra salon chairs or suites.”

– Courtney Caldwell

“Most salon owners have excess inventory that is collecting dust versus dollars,” she said. “By listing their open salon space on the ShearShare app, they get to monetize their extra salon chairs or suites. On the flip side, traveling cosmetologists who want to work out of professional salon environments have the opportunity to lease by the day and not be tied down with a long-term contract.”

Courtney said her husband, who mentors cosmetology students, has found that young stylists —those in the millennial age group — worry about paying for salon space right after graduation, but not having a large enough client base to cover costs.

“The millennials continue to tell us that what’s important to them is access, not ownership,” Courtney said.

Now located in McKinney, Shear Share has gained some national media attention. 

Now with listings across 900+ cities, ShearShare just celebrated expanding their offices and getting a new investor on board. Two big news items this week for Dr. Tye and Courtney that’s worth sharing: 

1. They were just named a FastCompany “18 apps you should know that are changing the world for the better”.
   Read the article: https://www.fastcompany.com/90742366/world-changing-ideas-awards-2022-apps-finalists-and-honorable-mentions 
2. Google just featured them this week as 1 of only 3 Texas startups in their new #WeArePlay campaign in the Google Play App Store. 

See their feature on Google Play: https://play.google.com/console/about/weareplay-us/#storyCards-TX 

So exciting to watch businesses win in McKinney!