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Where did it all start for Rebecca?
When I was 16, I’m not going to lie I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my career, I had helped out in my parents family business when I wasn’t in school doing all hours I could to save my pennies even my dinner money.
It came round to my prom where I became more of a girly girl shall we say, as I was believe it or not a Tom boy! You wouldn’t catch me in a dress nor wearing pink .. and now I have a pink salon who would of thought it!
My prom nails was my first ever nails I had done, and it all started from there. As I kept going back to get infills I was watching thinking “I could do that”.
My nail tech then became pregnant and offered me something that was out of this world … to teach me her way of doing nails.
But it came with a hefty price also! I some how still managed to go ahead I had one to one training with her at the age of 16, day in day out, and then when I thought I was capable I paid for a separate course to get certified.
"My prom nails was my first ever nails I had done, and it all started from there."
From then I wasn’t confident enough to just start charging nor did I even drive as I was still young, I started offering free nails at home so I could practise, and my luck my first few ones had to be complicated clients but it then made me better because I was chucked in the deep end!
As time went by I looked and thought how have I managed this, my nails were getting a lot better so I started charging a small charge of just £10! I finally passed my driving test and started to offer a mobile service! The busier I became the better my nails were getting and the quicker I was.
Still juggling 2 jobs and doing this it was a struggle but I always managed to cope as if it was natural.
I had more and more people messaging for appointments even clients from Cornwall wanting for travel to me which to this day I still do her nails.
It then came a time where I had to give one job up, with lots of ups and downs to each of them I decided to stick with nails, not knowing how busy id become!
"I would be doing 6 days a week travelling all over Plymouth 12 hour day’s, some even longer."
I would be doing 6 days a week travelling all over Plymouth 12 hour day’s, some even longer. I remember going to a clients house at 5 am because they had an “important occasion” turns out it was just a house party, but me being me couldn’t say no.
The hours and days became tiring to a point I had to make a decision, I was fed up of doing mobile as I had done this since I was 17 (2009), I would be going to peoples houses some times they weren’t even there, some times I’d be lugging two cases and a table up to the top floor flat with no lift, as you can imagine it was tiring. My choice was I either gave up nails completely or I opened a salon, for some reason I didn’t even think of going into one due to how busy I was and I wanted to offer more for my clients! As the days went by I was mentioning it to clients and as you can imagine their thoughts was 100% for the salon, the comments and support I received on this were out of this world, it really did make me open my eyes to how much of a backing I had from my clients to the point that they weren’t just my clients over time they all became my friends.
So I did it, I was driving to my parents and the space, was just there! A random one to admit as it’s on a very busy well-known road that’s full of car garages but it works!
"I have not had my treatment yet. But their customer service is amazing. So helpful, friendly and professional. Booking completed with no trouble."
I contacted the landlord and as always “sorry it’s currently not available we have other interests” but I still went to look, I was almost looked down on as I remember being asked, “and people are really going to come out to Plympton to get their nails done with you?”
In what a matter of fact, they now come out to Plympton for more than just nails!
Somehow I managed to have gone away with a persuasion of convincing him of having me as an option for the unit, next day I received a phone call and it was all go go go, within the next day I had a draft of my terms of the agreement, my deposit was sent across and it was final.
By the age of 22 I had my own salon, not knowing how far I’d come nor all of the challenges and hurdles along the way!
"Can't recommend this place enough! Managed to squeeze me in with about 12 hours notice! Thank you so much! Such an accommodating and friendly business."
Time went by, the staff came and went, and I realised that I would still give it my all to every staff member that worked with me but it never is both ways, unfortunately. I started off with simply just 3 nails desks and a separate back room for the beauty treatments we used to offer. We became exceptionally busy to where we then wanted to offer more services as clients would ask “do you do hair”.
I then added to the salon I had, moved things around and create 3 hair stations so we could offer this to clients.
It took off like crazy, I never thought to this day I’d ever be as far as I am, more people were asking if I had any space for them to join the team but I didn’t, so I expanded! The unit next to me was going up for rent so I plucked up the courage and did it, we expanded into another unit, built more beauty rooms and offered more services. Our hair and nails couldn’t expand any more as we just didn’t have the room, so again within luck the unit downstairs became available, it was a massive risk but with the hours I worked, it was very possible!
We now have 3 units offering lots of varied services for our clients!
Clients would ask me if we offered a certain treatment and me being me… if we didn’t I’d damn make sure we then did!
I’ve learnt so much along the way of being in the beauty industry, and no matter how nice or how to mean you are you still hit hurdles, but it’s made me wiser and made me want to progress more. I have 10 females not working with me and a male, yes it changes goes up and down with numbers but we have an amazing, friendly, homely salon which we all can call ours.
I have clients since I first started nails at the age of 16 (2008) that are still with me to this day, I’ve seen their babies grow up, been to weddings and helped through divorces and I still wouldn’t have it any other way.
We now have 3 units offering lots of varied services for our clients!
If someone had said to me 10 years ago do you see yourself where I am now, truthfully no not in a 100 years but I’ve made it happen along side all my girls that have come and gone along the way and the ones that have also stood by me. I’ve been in the papers for…
“Young Entrepreneur”
“The 59 most wonderful cool and inspirational women in Plymouth”
“Secrets from the chairs”
“Young business hotshots under 35”
“The Plymouth sexy list”
And some I don’t even know about, but I wouldn’t of been where I am now without my amazing clients supporting me along all the way!
We have lots of new things to look forward to with the salon and we will aim to keep on growing !
- Plympton
- 01752 657577
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Rebeccasnails@icloud.com
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Units 5-7, 62 Valley Road
Plymouth PL71AB
- Whitleigh
- 01752 770773
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Rebeccasnails@icloud.com
- 76/78 Warwick Avenue, Whitleigh, Pl5 4bg