Poole-based training academy and beauty supply store Cassidy’s Beauty Academy is aiming to shake up the nail and beauty training sector after securing £25,000 of funding.
The funding from the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme, delivered by the programme’s partner, GC Business Finance (GCBF), will help Cassidy Jade Darby’s academy following her experience of training courses failing to meet her learning needs.
Darby has been passionate about nails for over a decade and did her first acrylic nail course at 16. After this, she began doing nails in her mum’s garage until she could open her first small beauty room when she was 18 and had gained further qualifications.
While taking nail courses she noticed a gap in market, with training courses being either too short and taking a day or lasting a full year at college. She also felt the courses were not very adaptive to people who learn in different ways – having ADHD herself, she found many courses to be rigid and too textbook-heavy.
Despite her passion for doing nails, she decided to switch careers and work in sales. During this time, she had the chance to teach people and discovered an enthusiasm for education.
Making use of her professional experience, she finally set up Cassidy’s Beauty Academy from a studio in Poole to address the market gap.
She set up courses that are split into both online and in-person sessions, meaning people can have multiple in-person sessions while also learning at home, gaining a qualification in a way that fits them.
The business is already beginning to expand its team, hiring a part-time employee to manage its social media content.
Darby said: “At Cassidy’s, we’re helping to train the next generation of nail technicians in a way that suits their way of learning, and are looking to open a second studio within the next five years. My advice for other entrepreneurs scared to take the first leap into starting their own business is to abandon fear and just go for it, the worst thing that can happen is nothing changes! I hope my story inspires others to follow their dreams.
“The Start Up Loan from GCBF gave us the initial funding we needed to open our first salon and buy equipment. Without it, we wouldn’t be where we are now. As a first-time entrepreneur, it made accessing funding easy and I’ve already recommended the programme to friends looking to start their own businesses.”
Alex Mearns, head of startup lending at GC Business Finance, said: “We’re really proud of all the businesses we support, and seeing all the success Cassidy has achieved already reinstates that the work we do at GCBF is continuing to make a positive difference to the small business community in the South West. Cassidy’s Beauty Academy is clearly loved throughout its community and is already looking at ways to increase its outreach even further by opening a second studio.”
“Getting a Start Up Loan supported Cassidy in taking the first step towards following her passion for nails. It allowed her to offer a flexible and person-focussed training model to make training inclusive and accessible to those who require a different approach to traditional learning styles. She has been on a unique journey in her career and I’m proud that GCBF could be part of it, providing the funding she needed to get her business set up. I look forward to seeing what she will achieve next in what I’m sure will be a bright future.”
Richard Bearman, managing director, small business lending at the British Business Bank, said: “Cassidy’s entrepreneurial spirit and love for doing nails is apparent through the passion she puts into her business, and it’s amazing to see her business thriving. She is a great example of an entrepreneur spotting a gap in the market and turning it into a full-time business, achieving success as a result.”
