Member Article

Blaydon entrepreneur in beauty clinic startup

Beauty therapist and burgeoning Blaydon entrepreneur, Helen Carr, has launched a startup beauty business, Vision Beauty Clinic, on Tyneside.

With no grants being available Helen, who has now reached six months in business, had o rely solely on self-funding to get her project off the ground.

Helen offers an array of services including waxing, nails, manicures, pedicures, body massages, spray tans and aromatherapy.

As her business grows then beautician has extended her services to facials, tinting, eyelashes, makeup and reiki.

However, the startup did not come without its challenges.

Helen had to invest in an abundance of product to use in her clinic which were her initial outgoing costs although the biggest challenge Helen faced was becoming business ready.

Like many people launching their own business, Helen had no previous experience of setting up a startup.

Therefore Helen enlisted in a course designed to help startups, leading her to gain a self-employed qualification, under sales trainer Michael McMeekin.

Here Helen gained the necessary knowledge to survive in business, learning about self employed taxes, ingoings and outgoings, HMRC and profits and nonprofits, knowledge she previously didn’t have.

As Helen’s client base now grows she would like to expand her operations venturing into new therapies and works such as reflexology and electrical work.

Helen said: “I enjoy being self employed and to have the ability to do what I want, when I want.

“Don’t get me wrong, it is tough. If I hadn’t been on Michael’s course I wouldn’t have gained the necessary expertise to run a business, he taught me things I would never have thought of.

“This was new to me but Michael was extremely, extremely helpgu and always willing to go the extra mile.

“I’m really happy with all I’ve achieved so far and I would now like to go offer more services to my customers, I’ll be looking at more holistic therapies.”

Director at Arrow Sales, Michael McMeekin, said: “Helen went on a self employment course when, at the time, she was unemployed.

“Out of a group of 15 people what struck me about Helen was how keen she was, always asking questions and willing to learn.

“She realised the struggles that come with running your own business but she was determined right from the off.

“A lot of startups can simply disappear after 6 months so it’s a testament to her hard work and commitment that she’s doing so well for herself, she deserves it.”

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