Môn CF's Business Support team have been providing expert guidance to small businesses all across Anglesey!
Cora Scrivener is the owner of one such business, and came to Môn CF looking for support to help her her ideas off the ground.
We caught up with Cora to ask about the support she received from Môn CF, and to see how her business is performing!
Q1. Hi Cora, to start us off, could you tell us a little about yourself and your business?
My name is Cora, I’m 28 and I own C L Beauty, based in Holyhead.
I offer a range of treatments that include eyebrow waxing, shaping, and tinting. I can also offer more detailed services, such as Henna tints and High-Definition treatments.
I was 25 or 26 when I first got into the Beauty industry. I had just come out of university, and I wasn’t especially sure if I wanted to use my degree or not. Everything I was doing at the time was getting pushed back because of the Covid lockdowns, so I didn’t officially graduate until last year. It made me want to do something else and pursue my own ambitions.
I started teaching myself new beauty skills at home using resources I was able to find online, and as we started coming out of lockdowns I started practicing, with friends and family initially.
Eventually the word got out and people started to approach me for my services. I got popular enough that I was able to set it up as a business and I have been providing the service ever since.
Once we fully came out of lockdown, I approached Môn CF who helped me grow my business.
I’ve had a lot of support from my clients and people in the community. I’ve been able to grow a really good following on social media and I get some great engagement on my pages, especially TikTok! This helps new clients find me and helps my business keep growing!
Q2. That's great, so how did you initially approach Môn CF? Was it always for Business Support, or did you come to us for a different reason?
I’ve always wanted to be self-employed. I’ve known that for a while, even before I set up my business. I knew I wanted to do it; I just didn’t know what kind of support was out there.
It was just after lockdown and I was unemployed at the time, so I came to Môn CF looking for Business Support.
I’d already taken some steps on the journey myself. I’d completed my business plan and I knew how I wanted to market my business online.
Môn CF helped me learn a lot about the funding that was available to businesses like mine.
They put me in touch with Business Wales, and because I’d completed a lot of the journey myself, I was able to apply for some of the grant funding they had available at the time.
Môn CF have helped me, as well as my business too.
They provided some employment support to me when I first approached them too. I worked with Hannah and Sam who provided some amazing support. They still keep in touch to see how I’m doing!
They helped me develop some of my other skills, book my theory test, and find other employment to help while I was getting the business set up!
I love being self-employed and doing what I do, but I wanted that extra safety net and Môn CF helped me achieve that.
Q3. Could you tell us a bit more about how your business has grown, and how the support you received helped that growth?
Môn CF helped me access the Business Wales start-up grant.
They helped me with every part of the application process, and I’ve had a lot of engagement with them over the last two years. Without that, I wouldn’t have been able to start this business.
Business Wales have called me and asked for some feedback on the process, and I told them I couldn’t have done it without Môn CF!
The funding I received helped me get the equipment I needed to start my business. With it I bought the bed I use, the lighting I use, and all my initial stock. It was literally everything!
It was quite a big trajectory. I went from being unemployed, to being self-employed and owning my own business. I have a client base of around 50 to 60 people who come to me repeatedly now, with some travelling more than 50 miles for my services!
Q4. Could you tell us about your plans for the future of your business?
Yes! So, obviously I want the business to continue growing, and I’ve started working on new plans and ideas to help me get there.
I think the next big step is looking for a premises, so I can have my own little space to run everything from.
I’m also exploring options of expanding the services I offer. I want to provide semi-permanent make up too. I know of a training academy that can provide all the courses and qualifications I need, so I’m going to put some money aside to help me to invest in the qualifications I need.
The academy is actually run by someone who got their start running a business a lot like mine, which inspires me to keep pushing forward!
Q5. How about the business mentorship you've received from the Môn CF team, could you tell us a little about that?
Yes definitely! My business mentor was really helpful.
I have Dyscalculia, which is like Dyslexia but only affects your ability to work with numbers.
I was diagnosed with it when I was in college, so I’ve always worried it would hold me back if I was starting my own business. I thought it would make things like tax and accounts too difficult, it could get too overwhelming.
My Self-Employment Mentor – Katie, went through everything with me and explained the entire process to me, which really helped. She was always available over the phone if I needed any extra support, which really helped. She even helped with the finance side of things and helped me set up my UTR number.
They made sure that I knew that the door was always open!
Q6. One more, if you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about starting their own business, what would it be?
That’s a good one!
I’d say, don’t doubt yourself. Know your own strengths and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and try something.
If you want something enough and you’re willing to work for it, you can do anything!
I’ve been doing this for so long now I forget how scary I used to think it was.
But now, with all the feedback I get from my clients and how much progress I’ve made I get such a good feeling.
It’s so rewarding!
Thinking about starting your own business?
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