Catalina Bassehes-Sanchez
Kid's Cuts

Catalina Bassehes-Sanchez has always had an eye for business. When she realized that the competition was fierce in her chosen field, hair styling, she decided that what she needed to do was specialize, to offer a service that no one else was offering.

The result was Kid’s Cuts, a successful hair salon in San Francisco, catering to “the young and the young at heart.” Since opening her first salon in 1982, Catalina has now opened 4 different salons. In December of 2006, she decided to leave the salon in the hands of her sister and open a new branch in San Bruno. This latest salon is called Kid’s Cuts and Kicks, and includes not just children’s hair styling, but also a play area and dining area for kids that can be rented out for birthday parties or other events.

It hasn’t always been easy. Catalina came to the United States from Mexico 27 years ago. She married an American, but the relationship didn’t last and the divorce left her a single mom. As the oldest of 11 children, she had to work to support her family and was unable to finish high school. She says that this was one of the greatest obstacles that she’s had to face.

Catalina came to ALAS, the Women's Initiative program geared toward Latina entrepreneurs, nearly 10 years ago, but when she was getting ready to open her new location, she came back to get help developing her business plan. She says she uses what she learned everyday to calculate the steps she needs to achieve her goals.

“I’ve always been a very restless person,” shared Catalina, “I’m always looking towards new goals, new horizons.” Her goal for the future is to get her business to the point where she doesn’t have to manage it full time and can devote herself to other projects. Specifically, she hopes to start an organization to help low-income and homeless youth achieve their goals. “I love this country,” she offers, “you don’t get things for free, but you have a lot of freedom to explore what you want to do.”

For now, in her San Bruno salon, children peer eagerly through the glass doors at the barber’s chairs in the shapes of firetrucks, jet planes and cars, at the wooden train set and Nintendo set up in the waiting area, and the inflatable bouncy castle looming in the play area. “I think to run a business, you need to have a gift,” remarked Catalina. “It’s like art or music, it has to be the same passion that burns you inside. You have to be sure that it’s what you want to do, because the price is very high, but it’s also very satisfying, very fulfilling."

Visit her new location at: 446 San Mateo Avenue, San Bruno or call for an appointment at (866) 606-0829.

- Julia Brown