Change can be a good thing. Just ask Jo Ann Winters, owner of Next Level Hair Designs. 

The business, formerly known as Sensations, underwent an extensive redevelopment in 2020 that transformed the salon with a new focus. Now known as Next Level Hair Designs, it will be recognized with the Washington Business Improvement District’s Redevelopment Award at this year’s WBID Business Recognition Dinner at Hawk Pointe Golf Club on Feb. 5. Joining Next Level Hair Designs as an honoree are Lina’s Chop Shop (People’s Choice Business of the Year), Delmy Morales (Business Person of the Year), and Josephine Noone (Community Partner). 

After careful review, Winters felt it was best to redefine the business. It helped that Winters found a business partner with strong financial and operational expertise in this study. 

“Together, we evaluated the business and realized that while we offered many services, hair services generated the highest return per square foot,” said Winters. “This led us to redevelop and rebrand the salon, focusing our space and resources on a more efficient, sustainable model.”

The redevelopment involved a complete interior and exterior remodel of the building. 

“We knew that updating the salon’s appearance was essential to increasing visibility, attracting new guests, and building a stronger team,” Winters noted. “During the COVID shutdown we took the opportunity to fully gut the interior of the space. With the help of my talented boyfriend, we reconfigured the layout to add more hair stations, create a dedicated education room, install lockers for our stylists, and add a private office. On the exterior, we completed major improvements including new landscaping, porches, roof, and siding to enhance curb appeal and better reflect the quality of the business inside. While the transformation has been significant, we continue to reinvest in the property and have additional projects planned as part of our long-term vision.”

On the shop’s website, it describes this transformation this way: “We made the decision to eliminate our ancillary services and focus solely on what we do best — and what we built our reputation on — hair. By eliminating other services, we were no longer limited to simply styling, coloring, or retexturing. Instead, this consolidation allowed us to prioritize maintaining and restoring the integrity and overall health of the hair. With this new business model, philosophy, standards, and uncompromising core values, we felt it was time for our name to align with who we truly are and accurately represent our brand.”

Located on Broad Street, for those who can remember what it was before, for a start you can clearly see the difference on the front of the building. Head inside and the changes are quite apparent. Indeed much has changed since Sensations opened its doors in 2004. 

“What began as a modest operation has expanded in both employees and guests,” said Winters, who has 12 employees with plans to add more in the future. “Through reinvestment, training, and improvements to the space, the business has become more efficient, more visible, and better able to serve the community while creating local employment.”

The redevelopment effort was also a way to focus on changing trends in the industry. For Winters, it’s all a part of keeping a dream alive.

“Since I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted to be a hairstylist. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, opening my salon was what I always wanted,” Winters said. Her philosophy of success is pretty simple: “We have an unwavering commitment to putting our guests first. From the moment someone walks through our doors, they are welcomed as a member of the Next Level family. We recognize that every guest is unique, with individual needs and desires, and we take the time to truly listen and build lasting relationships. We are committed to delivering exceptional service and doing whatever is necessary to ensure complete satisfaction every time. We take pride in our process, our reputation, our team, and our brand—but above all, we value our guests and the relationships we build with them.”

That commitment and pride shines through in a redevelopment project that has certainly been recognized by their guests and the community at-large.

The WBID Business Recognition Dinner is open to the public. Tickets are $75 in advance, $85 at the door. For more information email washingtonbid@gmail.com. Checks can be mailed to “Washington BID”, 21 Belvidere Avenue, Washington, NJ 07882.

For more about Next Level Hair Designs, visit nextlevelhairdesigns.com.