CB Aspire Salon expands services amid steady growth

CB Aspire Salon and Spa of Rivers has expanded its service offerings and operational space within the past six months.

The expansion added new staff, expanded treatment rooms, and introduced a Japanese head spa service, broadening the salon’s beauty and wellness offerings.

Owner Carina Blankenspoor said she has grown the business at 546 Second Ave. from a single-chair startup in 2019 into a thriving full-service wellness destination.

“Being in a small town, there are no other salons that have multiple services in one building,” she told the Sun. “Not only does it draw people from our town, but also from areas far around us to come and have a full day of pampering.”

The Japanese head spa has quickly gained popularity. The treatment combines scalp-health therapies with relaxation techniques designed to improve hair and scalp conditions while providing a wellness experience, she said.

“It’s pretty much like a facial for the scalp,” Blankenspoor said. “There are different products for scalp health, from exfoliation to scalp activation, which can help with issues like hair loss, thinning hair and dry scalp. The ritual also includes massage and pressure-point treatments for the head, face, shoulders and neck.”

Blankenspoor said the expansions were driven by both customer demand and a desire to offer a broader range of services under one roof.

“When I was three years old, I knew I wanted to be a hairstylist,” Blankenspoor said. “As soon as I could talk, I said I wanted to cut hair, and that’s what I did.”

Originally from the Netherlands, Blankenspoor worked as a hairstylist there for 13 years before moving to Canada in 2017. Two years later, she opened CB Aspire Salon and Spa from the ground up in Rivers.

What began as a small salon occupying only the front portion of a rented building has steadily expanded over the past years.

“The expansion kind of happened one room at a time,” she said. “Over the years, I bought the building and extended it, and now all the rooms are in use for services.”

The first major expansion came in late 2022, with additional growth continuing year after year.

She said customer response has been strong since the service was introduced.

“It’s busy,” she said. “People really enjoy it.”

Today, CB Aspire Salon and Spa employs three staff members under the salon brand while also providing space for independent operators who rent rooms within the building, she said.

The salon’s customer base extends well beyond Rivers.

While approximately 60 per cent of clients are local, Blankenspoor said that roughly 40 per cent travel from communities including Minnedosa, Neepawa, Brandon, Carberry, Deloraine, Boissevain, Winnipeg and even Saskatchewan.

“People might find us while camping or visiting the area, and then they keep coming back,” she said.

In addition to salon and wellness services, the business also operates a retail section that offers professional hair-care products. Blankenspoor previously worked as a Canadian educator for professional hair-care brands, an experience she said helps provide clients with expert product knowledge and recommendations.

While inflation and rising operating costs remain challenges, Blankenspoor said she remains focused on growth.

“I’m not someone who’s okay with just being stable,” she said. “I want more, and I want to grow.”

That growth could continue in the near future.

Blankenspoor said she is already exploring opportunities to expand further within the existing building and add new beauty, health and wellness services.

“I would love to expand and have multiple services that are not covered yet,” she said. “The beauty, health and wellness industry is big and wide.”

She said additional expansion could occur within the next one to two years if opportunities materialize.

For now, however, her focus remains firmly on Rivers.

“I’d like to stay within Rivers for now,” Blankenspoor said. “Never say never, but there are still opportunities within my building and within this community.”

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