{"id":6785,"date":"2015-12-09T23:29:25","date_gmt":"2015-12-10T04:29:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube\/"},"modified":"2015-12-09T23:44:18","modified_gmt":"2015-12-10T04:44:18","slug":"manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\/","title":{"rendered":"Manicube \u2013 The $15, 15 minute, in-office manicure\/lifesaver"},"content":{"rendered":"

Women’s grooming is an endless cycle of makeup, tweezing,\u00a0manicures, moisturizing, haircuts, hair styling, and shopping. \u00a0Whether or not women love it or merely tolerate it, these beauty and grooming practices are most often\u00a0expected in a professional setting and are always time consuming. \u00a0With a demanding job that doesn’t allow for an hour long break in the day, a free hour on a Saturday can seem like a relaxing excuse to get a manicure, however on some weekends, it might just be\u00a0a necessary waste of a few hours. \u00a0Because of course, after getting home with mostly dry nails, there’s always the requisite hour and a half of not being able to do anything that might mess up the manicure.<\/p>\n

Enter\u00a0Manicube, the in-office 15-minute manicure that occupies what used to be the tiny meeting at the end of the hall.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What makes Manicube so effective?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Manicube is the uber of manicures, and the\u00a0logical next step from in-office shoe shine and dry cleaning services. \u00a0The service is all about\u00a0providing high quality and convenient services, and they do so with an operating model that drives convenience through its simplicity for the end-user.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Business Model<\/strong><\/p>\n

Founded by HBS Alumnae Katerina Mountanos and Elizabeth R Whitman in 2012, and recently acquired by Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, Manicube’s value proposition is to provide 15-minute, $15 manicures to working women by partnering with Human Resource departments. \u00a0Some companies pay for these services for their employees, while others simply provide the space for Manicube to operate, but either way, Manicube has partnered with HR departments by positioning themselves as\u00a0a benefit for\u00a0employee morale and retention. \u00a0While traditional manicures can involve a full hour spent in a nail\u00a0salon, these appointments are limited to 15 minutes, allowing them to be scheduled conveniently between meetings. \u00a0Manicube also provides pedicures, and\u00a0for men, they provide “cut and clip” nail services, and barber services. \u00a0They see this as the start of offering a long line of in-offices services. \u00a0Additionally,\u00a0Manicube has a social mission of helping female entrepreneurs, which allows employees to feel good about making use of these services.<\/p>\n

\"Source:<\/a>
Source: Betaboston, photo courtesy of Manicube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Operating Model<\/strong><\/p>\n

Location: \u00a0Manicube\u00a0started operating in New York, and its services are now available in Boston, Chicago and San Francisco, all\u00a0cities full of young professionals with busy schedules. \u00a0In these locations,\u00a0its services will be most in-demand, and part-time employees will be most available.<\/p>\n

\"Source:<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: Manicube<\/p>\n

In-office convenience: Manicube\u00a0works with HR departments to provide in-office services. \u00a0Instead of paying rent, they are given an office space to work in, and they can get this deal because they can position themselves as being a perk for employees. \u00a0Some HR departments even provide this as a free service. \u00a0Technicians transport themselves to an office, whereas traditional manicures take place at salons where customers must transport themselves to the salon, generally during or slightly after business hours. \u00a0Beyond the office, Manicube advertises that they also send technicians to events and on-demand for one-time occasions.<\/p>\n

Experienced technicians: Manicube understands that their customers expect experienced technicians with a focus on personal hygiene, and they ensure that every technician hired is licensed and trained in Manicube-specific protocol. \u00a0The specific protocol emphasizes speed – a standard appointment is only 15 minutes, whereas a typical manicure at a salon could not be fit into a work day, unnoticed.<\/p>\n

Mobile sign-up: Employees can sign up for their appointment online on their phones and pay by credit card, again increasing convenience.<\/p>\n

Uber-like service hiring: Manicube works with an HR department to reliably schedule services. \u00a0To book the actual manicurists,\u00a0Manicube uses an Uber-like interface, where they check to see which of their technicians are available at a given time, and hire services from there. \u00a0Technicians can accept or reject an offer to work, as they are part-time employees who often also work at a salon.<\/p>\n

Social mission: For each manicure service, Manicube donates $1 to female entrepreneurs in developing countries. \u00a0This commitment aligns authentically\u00a0with Manicube, as it was founded by two female HBS entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Alignment of Operating Models<\/strong><\/p>\n

The business model and operating model of Manicube are complementary. \u00a0The business model is one of unparalleled convenience to the customer, who may both an employer or an employee. \u00a0The operating model of Manicube allows employees to take care of routine personal care more quickly than usual, adding time back to the employees life, which creates value for both the employee and employer. \u00a0The operating model achieves this efficiency by placing the service in workplaces, by allowing the service to be booked and paid for online, and by making a professional manicure faster than any competitor. \u00a0Additionally, a social mission was implemented at the very start of the business that donates money to female entrepreneurs. \u00a0The mission is well aligned with the business, and it is seemless for customers.<\/p>\n

References<\/strong>
\nhttp:\/\/www.betaboston.com\/news\/2014\/04\/14\/in-office-manicure-startup-manicube-collects-5-million-from-bain\/ http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/is-entrepreneurship-better-with-a-social-mission-2012-11
\nhttp:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/aliciaadamczyk\/2015\/03\/04\/manicube-brings-15-minute-manicures-to-the-office\/2\/
\nhttps:\/\/manicube.com\/
\nhttps:\/\/www.pehub.com\/2015\/11\/elizabeth-arden-red-door-spa-buys-vc-backed-manicube\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“It should be just as ok for a woman to get her nails done in the office as it is for a man to get a shoe shine.” – Katerina Mountanos, co-founder<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":991,"featured_media":7003,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[],"class_list":["post-6785","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/assignment\/the-tom-challenge-tom-winners-and-losers-assignment\/","yoast_head":"\nManicube \u2013 The $15, 15 minute, in-office manicure\/lifesaver - Technology and Operations Management<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Manicube \u2013 The $15, 15 minute, in-office manicure\/lifesaver - Technology and Operations Management\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\""It should be just as ok for a woman to get her nails done in the office as it is for a man to get a shoe shine." - Katerina Mountanos, co-founder\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Technology and Operations Management\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-12-10T04:44:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Manicube-polish-clippers-barber-pic.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"449\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"449\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\\\/\",\"name\":\"Manicube \u2013 The $15, 15 minute, in-office manicure\\\/lifesaver - Technology and Operations Management\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/Manicube-polish-clippers-barber-pic.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-12-10T04:29:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-12-10T04:44:18+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/Manicube-polish-clippers-barber-pic.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2015\\\/12\\\/Manicube-polish-clippers-barber-pic.jpg\",\"width\":449,\"height\":449},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Submissions\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/submission\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Manicube \u2013 The $15, 15 minute, in-office manicure\\\/lifesaver\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/\",\"name\":\"Technology and Operations Management\",\"description\":\"MBA Student Perspectives\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"性视界Action\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/d3.harvard.edu\\\/platform-rctom\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Manicube \u2013 The $15, 15 minute, in-office manicure\/lifesaver - Technology and Operations Management","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Manicube \u2013 The $15, 15 minute, in-office manicure\/lifesaver - Technology and Operations Management","og_description":"\"It should be just as ok for a woman to get her nails done in the office as it is for a man to get a shoe shine.\" - Katerina Mountanos, co-founder","og_url":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\/","og_site_name":"Technology and Operations Management","article_modified_time":"2015-12-10T04:44:18+00:00","og_image":[{"width":449,"height":449,"url":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Manicube-polish-clippers-barber-pic.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\/","url":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\/","name":"Manicube \u2013 The $15, 15 minute, in-office manicure\/lifesaver - Technology and Operations Management","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Manicube-polish-clippers-barber-pic.jpg","datePublished":"2015-12-10T04:29:25+00:00","dateModified":"2015-12-10T04:44:18+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Manicube-polish-clippers-barber-pic.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Manicube-polish-clippers-barber-pic.jpg","width":449,"height":449},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/manicube-the-15-15-minute-in-office-manicurelifesaver\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Submissions","item":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Manicube \u2013 The $15, 15 minute, in-office manicure\/lifesaver"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/#website","url":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/","name":"Technology and Operations Management","description":"MBA Student Perspectives","potentialAction":[{"@type":"性视界Action","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hck-submission\/6785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hck-submission"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/hck-submission"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/991"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hck-submission\/6785\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}