Rose Wagoner opens business

As if being a mother of two, and wife wasn’t enough to juggle, Rose Wagoner has decided to start her own business.

In her own words, Wagoner’s business will consist of, “Nails basically: manicures, pedicures, acrylics.”

Rose’s Nails is located in the Rockstars salon, inside Wash Tub Laundry located on 202 S. Willis in Plains. Although the shop opened last week, everything did not go according to schedule.  

“It was a little touch and go,” said Wagoner about the hectic opening of her new business. “I was hoping to get started over a month ago, but we had remodeled everything in there and it was kind of iffy on when it would be a good time to move stuff in.”

Rose’s Nails offers services not only for female customers, but males as well. In addition to offering pedicures, which are great for those always on their feet, Wagoner plans to feature gift card options, and a line of retail products within the next few weeks. These options are not available yet, because of the store’s recent opening.Wagoner’s hours have not yet been set in stone, but will primarily be in the evening, and by appointment. Not only is Wagoner sharing space with Rockstars owner Josie Schuster, she is caring for her children as well. “We don’t want to be in there too much together,” said Wagoner. “So what I’ve been telling people is call me, and I will kind of work around what she has and what they have.”

Last fall Wagoner, along with friend, and fellow local business owner Schuster, began brainstorming about the prospect of opening a salon. “Josie and I had talked about doing something, and then I registered for [beauty] school in March,” said Wagoner. “It hadn’t been something long planned out it just was all pretty much spur of the moment, and just kind of taking a leap and then going.”

Wagoner, who recently graduated from the Bitterroot School of Cosmetology, is no stranger to balancing between work and family ,and is confident that her experiences have prepared her for what she is about to face. “We’ll see I don’t think it will be too hard,” she said. “I was in school in Hamilton, and it was tough fluctuating. I kept them [her children] with me in Missoula one week, and then my husband kept them in Plains one week.”

The concept for Rose’s Nails was hatched out of Wagoner’s frustration from trying to supplement her income while still having time to spend with her family. “I have a couple kids and I’ve had a couple full time jobs and it was really hard. So now I get to be my own boss and mom too, and it kind of works out that way,” she said.

Wagoner, who was born in California, is no stranger to Plains as she has been a resident for the past 15 years. Besides previously working for the Clark Fork Valley Press in both the sales and add department, she has been a volleyball coach and an active member of the community.

Wagoner shared her apprehension of being a first time business owner in a struggling economy. “It was a little nerve racking, because I’ve been spending a lot of money trying to get set up, and not making a lot of money at the moment. So it was a little scary, but it was really exciting to think that I kind of get to run my own business.”