• Who are you?

o Jo-Anne Chidley, Founder & Managing Director of Beauty Kitchen

• What does your business do?

o Beauty Kitchen is all about Sustainable Beauty. Our goal is to get more people using 100% natural products, not just because they feel like they should, but because they really work.

• Where are you based?

o Our Beauty Kitchen shop, where people come to learn how to make their own beauty products, is on Saltmarket, because its accessible and easy to park.

We are lucky enough to have our offices in Entrepreneurial Spark, Glasgow, which means we get lots of support and advice for like minded people.

• How did you get started?

o I’ve always dabbled with making my own products but Beauty Kitchen really started when I went looking for effective, truly natural products to buy at an affordable price. What I found were products that were not as natural as brands would have liked the customer to believe, which were also uninspiring and over-priced.

• What is your background

o I studied Chemistry at Strathclyde University, worked in HR & talent development for some big blue chip companies and am a herbal botanist, bee-keeper and beauty products enthusiast.

• What is your top tip?

o Having a growth mind-set is absolutely crucial. We all have to be humble and fail from time to time to be able to learn, which is why my favourite saying is “I may not be perfect, but at least I’m not fake”

• How long has your business been running?

o Beauty Kitchen has been trading for two years, but I tested concepts, talked to customers, got things wrong and learnt for 4 years before that.

• Has anyone helped you get started and how?

o We have had help from everyone and as a start-up you need it. We’ve worked closely with Scottish Enterprise, Business Gateway, Scottish Development International, RBS, Scottish Edge, Entrepreneurial Spark, KMPG, Glasgow City Council, Holland & Barrett and anyone in our network who could help! We’ve had grants, loans, introductions, strategy days, advice on areas outside of my expertise and most importantly endorsement from influential people who believed in me and Beauty Kitchen.

• What was your first deal?

o We’ve only done one deal and it’s mushrooming into a great partnership. In October 2014 we launched five Christmas gifts exclusively with Holland & Barrett and since then we have continued to build exclusive innovation together. The beauty of the partnership is the transparency, trust and the fact that both parties do what they say they are going to do.

• What was your biggest mistake/or what would you do differently?

o Not doing it sooner. The fours years of testing and learning were important but they were also an excuse to not get on with doing it, maybe in part due to lack of support. My advice is, get your idea, get into Entrepreneurial Spark and ?GoDo

• Who was/is your mentor/or inspiration?

o Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop. She did things her way and changed the awareness of natural ingredients and the impact your purchasing choices have on the planet.

• Where do you plan your business to be in five years time?

o In five years’ time we would like to see our brand recognised by consumers as 100% effective, natural, affordable, fun and transparent. Our business growth will be an outcome of getting this right.

• Useful contacts

o Business Gateway Glasgow www.bgateway.com/local-offices/glasgow

o Entrepreneurial Spark www.entrepreneurial-spark.com

• Contact Details

o Jo.chidley@beautykitchen.co.uk