The cornerstones of communities often seem to be defined in media and culture by large businesses or establishments from an area. However, this connotation often overlooks the friendly and approachable businesses where people get to interact with other clients and business owners. These places help build personal connection and give each community their unique character and personality.
At Colgate University, senior Sarah Tibibian has created a business that just does this. Her business, Fat Cat Nails, does GelX nails and designs. Tibibian offers students and people in the Hamilton community a convenient, affordable and personable experience. Tabibian launched her business when she noticed her friends wanted their nails done but couldn’t find enough local options in the Hamilton area.
“There was a demand for nails but not very many existing services close by,” Tibibian said.
Tabibian began her business during her first-year at Colgate when she lived in Gate House. The lack of space offered by her triple impeded her ability to run her business as it wasn’t the ideal place to handle various clients. Tabibian now lives off-campus and says this has helped her to create a better environment.
Furthermore, Colgate’s small, rural campus means that on-campus entrepreneurs have an opportunity to create new spaces and environments, consequently making business owners and clients feel well-connected within Colgate’s community. Tabibian strongly believes this to be true.
“My business has made me feel more connected to the Colgate community as a whole,” Tabibian said.
Spaces such as Fat Cat Nails allow Colgate students to meet new people, share experiences and branch out. Colgate has a reputation of being small and interconnected, and these small businesses keep this reputation alive. Tabibian believes that this connection has influenced her work with Fat Cat Nails.
“I love chatting with clients. I often get to meet new people, learn their life story and have engaging conversations,” Tabibian said. “People often open up a lot, even if we just met.”
Beyond her entrepreneurial work, Tabibian is also the captain of Colgate Track and Field, a WRCU radio host, a TA for the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) class and a research assistant for the Geography Department. Yet, despite this flexible schedule, Tabibian has felt the pressure of time constraints. Given Colgate’s academics and her commitments she says the most challenging part of running a business is to simply find time to complete them.
“The most challenging part is scheduling and finding the time to do appointments,” Tabibian explained. “I find that it’s difficult to do more than 2-3 appointments a week given my busy schedule.”
However, despite the business of her schedule, Tabibian has been able to develop a strategy to successfully manage all aspects of her time at Colgate.
“I have to be super organized and plan everything down to the T,” Tabibian said. “There are times that I have to choose between scheduling a client and studying for an exam […] I wouldn’t trade it for anything, I love having agency over my work schedule.”
Starting a new business or project is a difficult or even frightening task. However, Tabibian believes that everyone should go for it, as her business goes to show the power of individuals to create new spaces and create more opportunities in their life. Despite the demands college students face, there is room for individuals to try new things and create new opportunities. Through word of mouth and social media marketing, Tabibian has created a unique space on-campus for community connection and an affordable service. For students looking to further explore Tabibian’s service, her business can be found as @fatcatnails on Instagram.
