Featured Member: Nails by Viv

Featured member, Nails by Viv, is a small business in downtown Littleton built on persistence, community connection, and a passion for customer care. Owner Viviana Flores Cruz opened Nails by Viv after years of working in local salons and building relationships with clients who valued her detailed work and personal approach. Today, her studio has become a welcoming place where customers come not only for manicures and pedicures, but also for conversation, trust, and a sense of community.

A New Beginning in Northern New Hampshire

Flores Cruz moved to the United States from Puerto Rico in 2014. Her decision to relocate to northern New Hampshire came after visiting the region and recognizing the quiet lifestyle and sense of safety it offered for her family.

“I saw it was quiet, not too much drama,” she said. “Where I’m from in Puerto Rico, sadly one or two women pass away every month at the hands of a man. I didn’t want to become another number.”

She arrived with her children and about five thousand dollars, speaking very little English and starting a completely new chapter of her life. The move was not easy, but it created an opportunity to build a future in a place she now proudly calls home.

Flores Cruz says the region surprised her with its strong sense of community and quality of life. For her, Littleton quickly became more than a place to live. It became the place where she would build her business and raise her family.

An Unexpected Career Path

Nails were not originally part of Flores Cruz’s long term career plans. When she was a teenager, her father enrolled her in nail classes after her mother passed away. At the time she did not enjoy the work and later pursued criminal justice, earning a bachelor’s degree in that field.

Years later, after arriving in New Hampshire, someone asked if she knew how to do nails and offered her a job in a salon. Even though her English was limited, she realized she could rely on the training she had learned years earlier.

She worked in two local salons, building a loyal customer base along the way. Eventually she decided to take the leap into entrepreneurship.

“I say I’m going to open my own,” she recalled. “It was scary, but I made it.”

Flores Cruz opened Nails by Viv in 2023, transforming years of experience into a business of her own.

Building a Loyal Client Community

Since opening her salon, Flores Cruz has built a busy appointment schedule and a strong network of loyal clients. Many customers followed her when she opened her own studio, and new clients continue to discover the salon through recommendations and online reviews.

Some customers travel long distances for appointments.

“I have customers from Maine, from Vermont, even Massachusetts,” she said. “They come pretty far away, and it’s nice to hear that.”

Her philosophy focuses on quality rather than volume. Flores Cruz takes time with each appointment, ensuring that every customer receives the service and style they are looking for.

“It’s not the quantity of people. It’s the quality of your service,” she explained. “When they sit here, they can talk, laugh, cry if they need to cry.”

For many clients, the experience of visiting Nails by Viv goes beyond nail care. It is also about the relationship they build with the person behind the work.

“My customers stop being a symbol of money. They become friends,” she said.

A Welcoming Space for Everyone

One of the defining characteristics of Nails by Viv is its welcoming environment. Flores Cruz serves people of all ages and backgrounds, from young children getting their first manicure to older clients who appreciate attentive care.

“I take everyone,” she said. “It doesn’t matter age, race, or ethnicity.”

Flores Cruz also enjoys connecting with clients from many different walks of life. Each conversation brings a new perspective, and she values the chance to learn from the people who sit in her chair.

For her, the salon is not just a workplace. It is a place where people feel comfortable and supported.

“When someone texts me and says, ‘I love my nails,’ that makes me feel so good,” she said.

Growing with the Littleton Business Community

Flores Cruz values the support she has received from other local businesses and organizations in the region. As a member of the Littleton Area Chamber of Commerce, she appreciates the opportunity to connect with fellow entrepreneurs and contribute to the downtown business community.

“Being able to see other small businesses succeed and people stop by just to say hi is amazing,” she said.

In addition to local networking, Flores Cruz has also benefited from business education and expansion opportunities through the New Hampshire Small Business Development Center and the Grafton Regional Development Corporation. These organizations provide training, advising, and resources that help entrepreneurs start, grow, and strengthen their businesses across the region.

Those connections have helped her continue growing her business and expanding her network within the region.

Looking Toward the Future

Flores Cruz has ambitious plans for the future of Nails by Viv. She hopes to continue growing her business, train new nail technicians, and eventually purchase a building for her salon.

“In five years I hope to have my own building,” she said. “And maybe three nail techs working with me.”

Her long term vision includes mentoring others who want to enter the nail industry while maintaining the personalized customer experience that defines her business.

Each day when she closes the salon, Flores Cruz reflects on the journey that brought her there.

“Every night when I turn off the lights, I look around and say, ‘Wow. I did this.’”

Learn more about services and appointments at Nails by Viv and discover why so many clients across the region continue to recommend this growing Littleton business.