'My six-figure business started with doing nails at home'

6 days ago

Chloe Hughesin Shrewsbury

News image — Becci Hollis' nail journey started when she was 17

BBC A woman with blonde and brown hair, wearing a white top and light brown blazer. She is standing in front of a pink wall, with a large display of pampas branches. There is a light in the middle that reads "Blossom Academy" — Becci Hollis' nail journey started when she was 17

At 17, Becci Hollis started doing her own nails at home to save money.

Little did she know, this decision would be the catalyst that led her to owning a training academy and a brand that brought in more than six figures in its first year.

Becci, now 29, founded Blossom Academy based in Shrewsbury, which sees her deliver training courses on how to do nails, and has a team of 10 women offering their own treatments from the building.

Her brand - Muse - which sells nail equipment and accessories, has just opened a fulfilment centre in America, and has shipped products across the world, as far as Australia.

"We've gone from, this time last year, sending maybe 50 orders a month, to over a thousand a month now," she said.

"It has boomed, and we're kind of a household name in the industry, which is just a dream come true."

The journey to get here was hard-fought, and it was the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 that marked a turning point for Becci.

"It gave me that time to work on my business," she said.

"I couldn't do nails, so I started my teaching qualification, did lesson plans and manuals, and as soon as we were allowed to work again, I started offering courses."

Lucy Rebecca Photography A small bedroom with a flat bed with pink cover on it. There is a pink chair next to it and a wooden side board, with flowers and photos on it. — In the early days of her career Becci worked from her bedroom

The courses had humble beginnings - she taught people one-to-one from her bedroom in her mum's house.

When she outgrew that, she rented a local village hall, teaching larger groups.

After a year working in salons in Australia, she decided to put down roots in her hometown.

That was where Blossom Academy was born.

Lucy Rebecca Photography A woman with blonde and brown hair wearing a white t-shirt and a pink apron is standing outside a building with dark grey wood panels. The number 51 is on the outside, and the sign above the door is pink with white writing that reads "Blossom Salon and Academy" — Blossom Academy offers nail training courses and houses 10 women who offer their own nail treatments

It offers two to three courses a week, teaching everything from nail extensions, nail art, gel polish, and courses on how to use the equipment, like e-files, from her own brand.

"I've actually had to stop doing nails because I'm just to busy with the teaching and the product brand," Becci said, describing it as "a dream come true".

"Blossom is a six figure business on its own so that's really amazing, Muse has done amazing in its first year, definitely over six figures."

Lucy Rebecca Photography A woman with blonde and brown hair wearing a white t-shirt and black apron. She is holding a small piece of nail equipment that is pink and black. It has a white stand and there is a block on the stand, which also holds a pen-like tool. She is sitting on a white sofa with pink cushions — Muse made more than six figures in its first year, Becci said

"When I was a full-time nail technician I would go to things like business networking and be in rooms with a lot of male business owners, and if you say 'I do nails', they literally just dismiss you," she said.

"I think now, people take me more seriously because they can see what it's grown into and I have the physical place but at the end of the day all of these women that are running beauty businesses are so inspirational.

"They're creating their own income, they're still able to do the school run, they're providing for their families, that is just amazing."

'Keep shouting about what you're doing'

Becci does not want to stop there - she is ready to reach different areas of the globe.

"With Muse, it's just expanding into these new markets that we've not tapped into yet… we want to explore more of Europe, Australia, America."

"To be well known worldwide would just be amazing, but it's been such a good start.

"With Blossom, it's about expanding what I'm doing slightly in terms of new courses, and I want to bring in help so it's not just me."

Her advice for others: "Business is not linear."

"It's actually how you show up in the dips that is most important, it's really easy to show up when things are going well, but you have to deal with the downs as well."

"Even if it feels like you are talking to an empty room, you have to keep on shouting about what you're doing."

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