We were coached on how to take on the dragons

What does the business do?

Beauty Boulevard, a local business specialising in hair and beauty, was set up by Rachel De Caux and Paula Short in 2013, due to an incredibly positive response from their original creation, Glitter Lips. They began selling their product on 6th December 2013 and within weeks sales reached an average of one per hour with no prior marketing investment. Both ladies have a strong background in hair and beauty and are raring to take the business world by storm. They share a common aim in both their business and ethical beliefs, which has helped to form their successful business partnership.

What's the history?

GlitterLips is a unique product which can last up to eight hours and is drink proof, kiss proof and party proof. It all began when the pair were spotted wearing their product in a Topshop store in London, where they were inundated with compliments from staff members and by the end of the day, their pictures had reached some important fashion names, including Vogue editor Anna-Marie Solowij and Ruby&Millie’s Millie Kendall MBE. Three months later the product had made it to the shelves of Topshop in Oxford Street and sold out in just two days.

Blonde and brunette ladies smiling at camera

How have Business Lincolnshire helped?

The ladies were introduced to the Lincolnshire Investment Network in early 2016 to help upskill their business knowledge and experiences. During this process, they received advice and coaching for their appearance on BBC’s Dragons Den (shown on BBC 2 in September 2016) and their most recent pitch at Lincolnshire’s Taming of the Dragons 4 event.

Before accessing the support from Business Lincolnshire, Beauty Boulevard had been running for a year from Paula’s home study. The business had grown organically to such an extent that their products were being stocked by around 300 companies worldwide. It was clear they needed to expand and required support to be able to do so. Support provided by Business Lincolnshire involved creating targets, strategies and learning to take a step back and view the business strategically. The Business Lincolnshire adviser introduced Rachel and Paula to a range of classes which helped break down all aspects of business into manageable pieces. Not only did the training instil further confidence for both Paula and Rachel, it also helped them to realise their true potential which gave them further motivation to set and achieve more ambitious goals.

Lady laid on therapy couch receiving a facial treatment

What's next?

Currently, the business is in negotiations for a substantial equity investment deal, and they are in the process of setting up a strategic partnership and distribution agreement. They are also attracting attention from major UK and US online retailers.