Gqeberha resident Carla Scholtz is the owner of Love for Beauty Salon.
She also does beauty and maternity dress hire.
“Expectant mothers can enjoy both beauty services and access to stylish maternity dresses in one location, saving them time and effort.
“Pregnancy can bring changes to a woman’s body, and many expectant mothers may feel unsure about how to dress to flatter their changing shape.
“By offering personalised styling consultations, you empower them to feel confident and beautiful during this transformative time.
“Beauty and being an esthetician has always been a passion of mine.
“After high school, I attended Elizabeth Beauty School, and this gave me a stepping stone to pursue my career.
“I believe that women should empower themselves to do whatever they aspire to do, and when a girl looks good, she has the confidence to soar.
“After the birth of my second son, I realised that there is a need for purpose-designed dresses for expecting mommies to capture the beauty of pregnancy, and this is when Love for Beauty expanded to offer a full range of maternity shoot dresses.”
How old is your business?
Going on 12 years.
What is your core service?
Nails, facials and dress hire.
What makes your business unique?
Services tailored to the needs of my clients, and a flexible schedule that allows me to accommodate my clientele.
How did you navigate your business during the pandemic and load-shedding?
I was on maternity leave when the pandemic started. When I started work again, I worked according to the load-shedding schedule when needed, and I also invested in a USB nail lamp (which was a lifesaver)
What are some of the biggest inhibitors your business faced before getting off the ground?
Exposure. It is a saturated market, and getting your name out there in the early stages is challenging, but crucial for growth.
Do you have any tips for budding entrepreneurs or new business owners?
Keep at it! Small businesses face daily challenges and obstacles that, at times, will dampen your drive, but it is critical to persevere through those times and keep focusing on the end goal.
What are some of your biggest challenges in day-to-day business operations and your particular industry?
As with any SME, the volatility of the business finance is a daily challenge, but with discipline and planning, this becomes easier with time and experience.
What is the best advice anyone gave you on success?
Every failure is but a small lesson on how to be successful.
How do you measure or define success in your business?
Doing what I love, and the journey of clients turning into lifelong friends that support and encourage me. To me, that is success.
What are some of the best practices that have made your business successful?
Perseverance, discipline, and having a loving and supportive family structure.
What kind of advertising do you do?
Social media and word of mouth. If you are good at what you do, eventually your business will sell itself.
What is your company’s vision?
To accentuate every client’s natural beauty with safe and quality products through dedicated service.
What is your target market?
Women of all ages and walks of life.
What have some of your highlights been in running your business?
Definitely the friendships that have blossomed over the past 12 years.
How important is social media and an online presence for your business?
Social media is a powerful platform for any small business, and crucial for exposure.
How many people do you employ?
It’s only me.
Do you have any plans for expanding the business, and how would you go about this?
Definitely! Watch this space.
How did you acquire funding for the business?
I started small and built on every opportunity that I could.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt from your business journey so far?
Stay passionate, keep your focus on the end goal, and be patient.
What have been the greatest challenges and advantages of running your business in a city such as Gqeberha?
Gqeberha is a small city, and as mentioned earlier, there is a lot of competitors to compete with. I guess I have a slight advantage in being born and raised locally with a broad friend base that supports me.
What do you say are the three key traits of a successful entrepreneur?
Perseverance, dedication and passion.
HeraldLIVE
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