Glampy: The Uber For Beautiful
Asia’s first sharing economy app for nails, hair, and other kinds of beautiful.
Glampy makes it easier to be beautiful. The latest addition to the VietnamAdvisors startup series is an e-commerce app that functions as the Uber for beauticians. Users anywhere can order a beauty artist to do their makeup, hair and nails in less than a minute. Glampy is another disruptor leading the charge for Vietnam to become a startup nation. If the 1,000 startups rising in Vietnam thrill you, be sure to also check out bTaskee, the Uber for housekeeping, and Efaisto, the fashion startup giving clothing makers 30 times what they get from traditional retailers.
The Problem
The problem here is two-fold. Working women need to look their best for events and parties. Since their time is better invested elsewhere, they hire beauty artists to make them look great. However, since every woman has a different preferred look, searching for an appropriate artist means you have to find someone who can do exactly what you want and still be available within your vicinity at a specified time. Unless you want to go through the process of making an appointment and a trip to a salon (which many businesswomen do not have time for), the search process is a hurdle.
On the other hand, makeup artists have it just as tough. Most traditional beauticians have to show up and stay put in a salon for the entire day. They have to “book” their clients, set up consultations, negotiate contracts, advertise their services, build their portfolios, and much more. Not only do they have to set up their entire beauty business, but they have to run it as well. Both ends of the spectrum are plagued with hurdles, meaning there are incredible opportunities for value creation on both sides.
The Sharing Economy of Beauty
Glampy is the app that solves both ends of the problem. Customers can simply sign on to the app, and browse beauticians in their vicinity who can cater to their needs. As with all sharing economy applications, Glampy is socially driven. Users can view beautician profiles, portfolios, and experience. They can browse by style, and make sure they are getting a look they want before they even book. The entire process takes as little as one minute to complete. No more browsing through catalogs, contact pages, and the like. The app is a perfect fit for women who have to travel frequently but still need to look their best. Perhaps the bikini-clad flight attendants over at VietJet would appreciate it?
For beauty artists, Glampy takes care of the majority of the setup process that currently presents so many hurdles. You no longer have to go through the hurdles of advertising, consulting, and negotiating your business when Glampy does it for you. Glampy makes it easier for anyone to become a beautician.
Traction Moving Forward
While Glampy presently only has a bucket of beauticians in service, it plans to expand to a much larger net. Based in Da Nang, founder and CEO Quoc Han is preparing for the app’s launch in both Play Store and Apple Store. The present suite of beauty services available include makeup, hair care, and nail polish. Glampy designs its services with the full range of applications in mind, with arrangements designed for parties, weddings and photo shoots. For more information on Glampy, visit their website.
