Paradise Salon and Spa Quesnel

Helen grew up in Quesnel but moved away briefly to attend the Academy of Massage on Salt Spring Island. After completing her training, Helen moved back to her hometown and opened up her first massage location on Reid Street.

In Sept 2013, she renovated and opened a new location where she hired more staff in order to offer more services than just massage. Now with a team of ten, four salon chairs and four treatment rooms, things are looking great for Helen and Paradise Salon and Spa Quesnel.

Helen's favorite part of owning her own business is that she is able to watch the change and growth through the years. She is proud to have taken her business from a small massage clinic to a full service salon and spa in such a short amount of time.

There is a personal connection with people when you live and work in a small town and Helen and her team take great pride in the feedback they receive from their patrons. “They choose to come to us because of us," explains Helen. “They like our attitudes and atmosphere. Our clients are really wonderful and have even brought baby gifts or birthday gifts for our staff. We really try to maintain a certain level of friendship with the customers that come through our door.”

The entrepreneur strives to have each person that enters her store feel like more than just a client and is often mistaken for staff rather than the owner because she is so involved and connected. “I always use such a personal touch with the clients, says Helen. “There are people who are going through some of the worst times in their life and they’ll sit down in the comfort of our chairs and vent. We are the people they want to share with. We really value building a personal connection with our clients.”

Helen's favorite part of town is Reid Street which is home to all the local business and shops. She appreciates the abundance of lakes in Quesnel and loves to see the flowers around town in the warmer months. When she’s not at the salon, she’s either taking care of her 1.5 year old daughter or singing karaoke at The Occidental.

According to Helen, the downtown shops seem to be doing reasonably well, but she notes that it is always important to shop locally over big corporations like Walmart in order for small businesses to continue to thrive.