At the end of January, we opened the bespoke clinic space – West Room Aesthetics – that I’d always dreamt of to focus on my keen interest: skin of colour. The project was completely self-funded because we were turned down for a loan (but that’s a story for another day!), so we were completely bootstrapped when we opened but we had healthy financial projections that provided us with comfort and optimism. Eating noodles for a few months was worth the sacrifice! So long as we worked diligently over 2020, we would be able to loosen our belts in 2021. I was more than ready for the challenge.
But then Coronavirus arrived at the end of February and I actually closed the business earlier than most people. My toddler has a terrible chest infection and I didn’t want to take any risks, so I withdrew him from nursery and my daughter from school, so we could isolate and we went into lockdown early March.
This then began a mass of stress, panic and tiredness to take West Room Aesthetics from a new bricks and mortar business to an even newer online business. Of course we had an online offering in our plans, but this is not how we planned to do it. But again, I was ready for the challenge because in my head this would only be the situation until the end of June.
I was lucky enough to get some money from one of the government’s relief schemes which we divided up to support us for three months, which did ease some pressure. Nevertheless, I worked around the clock to develop online content, in fact I remember a journalist telling me that in effect, I had become a content producer. My fear of speaking on camera quickly disappeared with weekly IGTV videos, Zoom masterclasses, virtual consultations and Instagram Lives. I was literally sh*tting myself half the time, but I figured it was short-term discomfort for long-term gain.
All along I believed that on 4th July, like the hairdressing industry, we would reopen. We’ve always been hair and beauty, so why would it change now?
You can imagine the bitter blow when all of a sudden there was a parting of ways and beauty was called a high risk service, yet you could get a beard trim. How many women need beard trims?
Over the months, I had stocked up on all manner of PPE – temperature machine, gloves, aprons, surgical masks, visors, high grade anti bacterial gels – we had some of these items in clinic already, but I bought more. I could open up a small hospital with the amount of PPE we have. And the inference that we were unclean was beyond upsetting; outside of medical settings, clinics are among the most sterile environments you could be in. At beauty college, there are several modules on hygiene, infection control and safety; it’s paramount.
To say I was disheartened on 31st July when I learnt that yet again our opening had been delayed would be an understatement. It’s beyond depressing and it takes a lot of strength to go through this rollercoaster of uncertainty and dashed hopes. I see fellow practitioners struggling – financially and mentally (it goes hand in hand), having to make decisions between feeding their children or paying their rent.
Entrepreneurial women who were fully self-sufficient with successful businesses are watching their dreams and plans go up in smoke. It makes me both sad and mad. We have a capitalist government that encourages the self-made entrepreneur, yet when it comes down to it, we’re being overlooked and laughed at in parliament. I don’t see male entrepreneurs being overlooked and there are double standards at play, intended or otherwise. Beauty is a lifeline for so many women and provides a financial buffer between them and the benefits system. Surely that is something to be applauded? We are beauty industry entrepreneurs, but we’re worth £30 billion annually and provide employment to thousands and that’s no small fry.
So the fact that businesses like pubs and restaurants, which encourage mass gathering by their very nature, were given priority to open and stay open over beauty businesses like mine was and still is mind boggling. Even more of a dismay is that even though the virus rates are going up, it’s still ok to go down to the pub for a beer with your mates, surrounded by strangers. How does that make sense? Surely, more restrictions on these sort of businesses are required because at the moment, it really feels like I’m being penalised even though I’ve not done anything to contribute to this spike.
All I want to do is go back to work. I am prepared and ready with all the relevant enhanced safety measures, so the question really is why can’t I work?