Meet the founder of Lauren Stone Number One
Hi Lauren, please tell us about the lady behind Lauren Stone Number One.
I’m a single working mother-of-two and fragrance has always been my passion – it’s been a dream of mine to develop a brand so this is literally a dream come true. I’m Cheshire born and bred (apart from a stint in London when I was in my 20s) and have appeared in the Real Housewives of Cheshire on ITV Be for the past 5 series.
What is the story behind this amazing brand?
I’ve got really strong memories of being a young girl and playing with my Grandmother’s beautiful antique perfume bottles – she had a dressing table full of beautiful trinkets and I was fascinated with how glamorous she was. She’s definitely the inspiration behind the brand.
You’ve launched not very long ago. How has the journey been so far?
It’s been hard work and a real labour of love. I’m a very passionate person and if I do something I have to do it well – I can’t take failure and will work and work until I’ve achieved what I set out to achieve. As with any new business I’ve hit some brick walls and come across things I wasn’t expecting but you just have to keep going - I don’t like being told no so I’m persistent to say the least!
I love the strong, yet feminine design of the bottle. What was the inspiration behind it?
I’ve got a tattoo on my back of a flower which is where the rose design came from and I absolutely love black and gold because it’s so sexy and opulent so they were my first choice when it came to designing the packaging.
You starred on a very popular TV show, how do you think your experience on The Real Housewives of Cheshire has shaped your mind-set on entrepreneurship?
It’s changed us massively – when we started out in the show we were quite naive and in all honesty, we were dependent on our husband’s money. The show opened our eyes and we realised that there’s so much opportunity out there that it turned all of us into entrepreneurs in our own right. We’ve become businesswomen and it’s amazing to be around other women who inspire and support each other.
You are growing in a market that is highly saturated. How did you separate yourself from your competitors?
I’ve used the best products and the best oils possible – Number One is different from any other scent out there and it’s a little bit of affordable luxury. People are looking elsewhere for fragrance now, it’s not just about what you can buy at your local chemist, I’m aiming at a more discerning buyer who’s happy to pay for quality and doesn’t want to smell like everybody else!
Your grandmother must be so proud! How does it feel to have something so amazing out there to represent the incredible memories you both shared?
She died when she was 99 and was truly the most wonderful lady. She was a businesswoman herself who didn’t get married until she was 36 - back in those days that was practically ancient! She was a tough woman, I have her spirit, and I know she’d be very proud of what I’m building for my own daughters.
How did you fund it all in the beginning?
It’s completely self-funded.
What would be your top 3 tips on how to grow a small business, without the budget for PR?
· Use social media as much as you can – that’s a key driver back to your website.
· Commit to it and dedicate every waking minute to what you’re doing. You really can’t start up a business unless you really believe in it and you’re willing to make sacrifices.
· Think positively and remember that as in life, business is a journey and we don’t always have the answers to everything that’s thrown at us but all we can do is keep that vision of what you’re we’re trying to achieve clear in our minds.
What has been the most exciting and the most challenging experience so far?
The launch was the most exciting – I had 200 people at Foxes in Hale Barns when I was meant to have 60 but it was amazing! I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights about the business though worrying about whether it’s going to work but I just keep in mind that Rome wasn’t built in a day and it’s going to take time to get it to where I want it to be.
How do you stay motivated?
I’ve got really close family and a group of 10 best friends who are always on hand to pick me up if I have down days. Having said that, I’m generally a really positive person though so I tend to keep myself motivated making plans for the future!
What plans do you have for Lauren Stone Number One over the next 12 months?
To be stocked in designer boutiques across the UK and we may have another scent in the pipeline too.
Find out more about Lauren Stone Number One and connect on Twitter and Instagram.
Its simplicity has made transitioning from traditional tobacco to vaping a breeze for many.
Bitcoin, the digital currency conceived in 2009 by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto, is a financial phenomenon. Despite the volatility of global markets, it has demonstrated remarkable resilience.
From university students and young entrepreneurs to senior executives, imposter syndrome remains a common thread in everyone’s personal career journey.
Seeing your ideas materialise, working for yourself, leading others, and becoming a CEO might seem like a dream come true, and indeed, it is for many.
While the benefits of a well-executed PR strategy are evident to practitioners, misconceptions among business leaders often cast PR as fluff, lacking business results.
In an era marked by the cost-of-living crisis, the landscape of consumer behaviour is undergoing a significant transformation. This shift demands a strategic adaptation from businesses.
When it comes to managing spend in a business, the budgeting process can set a high level of accountability. This drives headcount forecasts, subscription-based spend, and key projects throughout the year.
Real-world usage of ChatGPT highlights a challenge that entrepreneurs and business leaders face today in understanding how to harness ChatGPT's capabilities effectively and seamlessly integrate it into business processes to yield tangible productivity.
However, 2022 was the year of the Amazon aggregation downfall. Funding dried up and inflation and rising interest rates hit the highly leveraged aggregators’ debt hard.
It goes without saying that moving away from outdated decision-making processes which rely solely on a handful of senior executives can unlock a realm of opportunity for businesses, but it is useful to begin by considering why exactly there is a need for this change.
Beyond the launch, the challenge then becomes the pursuit to be seen. This is where search engine optimisation (SEO) comes in to act as an ally for your online business. With the high street experiencing dwindling foot traffic, the allure of being a hidden gem has lost its appeal.
When the narrative is almost always the same, it can perpetuate a very particular idea of how a business should be run that has for so long excluded so many.
With the emergence of embedded finance and digital payment solutions, a lot of businesses are experiencing fundamental shifts leading them to become, to some extent, a fintech.
The difference between securing the investment and losing interest often hinges on how effective startups are at conveying their vision and value proposition, so creating a compelling pitch deck has never been more important.
Acknowledging these concerns, Dr. Yousef Alhammadi, the Executive Director of The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), sheds light on a groundbreaking approach that empowers parents to safeguard their children’s digital experiences.
Every business has taken on the responsibility to speed up the process of collecting customer payments without compromising security. It is another way to stay competitive in a business environment with decreasing margins and substantial competition.
Edge computing has emerged as one of the most important trends in IT since the advent of ChatGPT and LLMs.
Are you equipped to embrace the future of tax administration? With the UK's Making Tax Digital (MTD) initiative, traditional tax practices are poised for a digital makeover.
Recent instances of Microsoft, TikTok, and Meta facing GDPR fines due to inadequate protection of young people's data underscore the insufficiency of efforts by Big Tech to safeguard the next generation of consumers.
Now, there are opportunities to access accounting software that simplifies the process. This is especially crucial since tax regulations have gone digital, requiring all financial reports, including tax returns, to be submitted online.
Within this exciting landscape, the concept of "smart EVs #1" has emerged, encompassing a range of cutting-edge electric models that combine intelligence, sustainability, and style.
A happy and healthy workforce will bring more productivity, engagement, and loyalty. However, it’s important employer’s realise a ‘1 size fits all’ approach to wellbeing just won’t cut it.
In particular, AI’s potential impact on email marketing cannot be overstated. For businesses, it has the potential to streamline activity, increase engagement, and ultimately drive conversions.
From the humble kitchen table offices to the dynamic innovation hubs scattered across the UK, venture capitalists and angel investors have wholeheartedly recognised the nation's immense potential in spearheading advancements in the tech sector.
You are an early-stage founder, eager to generate buzz and excitement around your business. You live and breathe your startup, but how do you catch the media's attention and inspire them to write about it?
Circular economy is another way of thinking about an economic system that far better matches both the fact that man exists as part of an ecosystem, not separated from it, and how we best create and deliver valuable solutions.
A sales strategy is a plan of action that outlines the approach and tactics a business will use to achieve its sales goals and sell to prospective clients. It details the steps that a company will take to identify, engage, and convert leads.
The sheer diversity of marginalised groups celebrating triumph over adversity is testimony of just how expansive and ubiquitous the human experience of discrimination is.
We were persuaded that we had everything we needed to survive right here and to want anything else was to be at risk of losing our livelihood or worse, losing our sense of purpose and belonging - triggering that primal instinct that will have us compromise on our values if it means survival.
Emilie Vallauri is a 27-year-old program manager at Techstars with a passion for innovation. Born and raised in Nice, France, Emilie studied business and political sciences before embarking on a career punctuated by innovation and supporting startups.
Zsuzsa has been instrumental in growing Antavo from a startup to a scaleup. As Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder, she is transforming the company into a unique loyalty technology vendor, offering a next-gen, best-in-class solution to the loyalty sector.
Software engineering and product development is my specialisation - and I have had a wide range of experience across the industry. I had a brilliant 22-year long career at IBM, working across a number of roles, which I really loved.
Holly Zoccolan is an entrepreneur and Founder of new parenting app, Carol. Before Founding Carol and entering the tech space, Holly built successful online wellness brand The Health Zoc in 2016.
Anna Gudmundson is the CEO and co-founder of Sensate, a device that emits infrasonic waves that are synchronised to resonate with the specially composed hemispheric audio in the app.
Rebecca is Senior Vice President of Clients, Partnership and Creative Transformation at CreativeX, provider of an industry-first AI driven data platform to help the world’s most loved brands including PepsiCo, Nestle and Facebook achieve creative excellence.
This funding will propel Criterion Capital's vision of redefining hospitality with its sleep-centric, design-forward hotel concept.
The theme of this year’s BBBAwards is #NEXT. Now in its 11th year, the BBBAwards is marking a new decade of celebration of the outstanding achievements of Black professionals and entrepreneurs in the UK.
Aistetic, a groundbreaking Oxford University AI spinout, has proudly announced its participation in the Techstars Future of Ecommerce Accelerator powered by eBay, a highly competitive program designed to help shape ecommerce.
An alarming new study of workplace leaders describes an environment of unconscious fear in modern-day leadership, leading to toxic culture, stunted growth, performance and productivity, and decision inertia.
Mambu, a leading Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud banking platform, today announced it is now available in AWS Marketplace, making it one of the first core banking providers on the site.
Bengalis have been rewarded and acknowledged for their substantial contribution to healthcare, finance, politics, education and the arts.
Retail PR will be working with COOK in the lead up to Christmas, helping to support their PR objectives throughout the golden quarter.
A new cohort of six GeoTech and PropTech start-ups has just been selected to start on its Accelerator Programme.
In 2020, data confirmed that there are 1,223,850 tonnes of waste disposed in the ocean, with future predictions standing at a rise of 60% by 2030, 147.4% by 2040 and 274% by 2050.
A growing social enterprise supported by a global network, Impact Hub London Euston at Regent’s Place will offer under-served local communities affordable workspace and tailored business support, as well as arranging impactful engagement activities throughout Camden.
Phil Race appointed as Chief Executive as Jim Darragh steps down after seven successful years of leadership.
Appointment of product management leader, Phillip Burr, to bring Lumai’s game-changing AI technology to market across all regions.
New data released from Tech Climbers has revealed how Greater Manchester’s tech sector continues to thrive, as companies plan to attract millions in investment.
Appointments of Joel Cardenas as the new Head of Business Development for Latin America, and Ard Crebas as the new Head of Business Development for North America and the Caribbean.
Fastest growing modern-day learning management system, Thrive Learning, has announced a number of new appointments within the team as part of their ambitious growth plans.
Ai Build, the Additive Manufacturing (AM, also known as 3D printing) software company, has raised a Series A round of $8.5 million led by IQ Capital.
The Board of Arbuthnot Banking Group PLC ("Arbuthnot", the "Company" or the "Group") provides the following update regarding the trading performance of the Group for the three months to 30 September 2023.
The partnership enables service providers worldwide to access the UK network footprint with location-based intelligence and automated and standardised quoting.
EDHEC Business School and Ring Capital are proud to announce the creation of GENERATIONS Powered by EDHEC, an impact seed fund for socially- and environmentally-responsible startups.
Birmingham Tech Week 2023 is set to be the biggest in the event’s four-year history, with 7,500 people estimated to attend across five days.
John joins Arbuthnot Latham from Hampden & Co plc, where he was a Business Development Director and built strategic partnerships with private client advisors.
Sodexo Engage, the leading expert in employee engagement, today announces the launch and UK implementation of its new brand, Pluxee.
The company, founded by tech industry veteran Tom Dunning, has also seen its headcount jump from 15 to 26 full-time staff, with plans for additional key hires in the next year.
The new investment will support ambitions to become a global leader in 6G technology, improving the capacity and speeds of data transfer and improving the energy efficiency in networks through cloudification.
The High Value Manufacturing Catapult is pleased to announce the appointment of its new chair Steve Bagshaw CBE.
Each founder in the Ada Ventures portfolio will be entitled to claim up to 40 hours of childcare each year. The offering will be delivered via Bubble, the UK’s leading on-demand childcare platform (and an Ada portfolio company).
Shopblocks has raised funding from NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance, which is managed by Mercia and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.
The new appointments come as demand for hybrid cloud storage with distributed file shares and safeguards against ransomware continues to grow rapidly.
The team leading Stockport’s new Merseyway Innovation Centre has now been announced.
A further £5.8 million for Scotland, £3.4 million for Wales and £2 million for Northern Ireland will be allocated to devolved administrations to support local and regional economies, in turn boosting growth and increasing productivity.
It was more of a gut feeling that led us to the intersection of digitalisation, mobiles and the democratisation of payments. Paynetics felt strongly about making moving and managing money right for everyone and started building a platform that covers it all.
I’m Simon Goodman and I started out in PR, where I was introduced to the noble Choc Ice working on the Cadburys account. At the time they were looking to upgrade the humble choc ice.
In 2017, Matt launched Borrow A Boat, aka the ‘Airbnb’ of boats, making waves in the charter industry by offering a modern marketplace solution with the aim of making boating more accessible, affordable, flexible and inclusive for all.
Founded in 2021 by Alisa Patotsakaya, Immersive Fox is a text-to-video generation startup that specialises in providing businesses with AI-generated videos for sales and customer communication.
Samantha Gilchrist, co-founder and CEO of The Gilchrist Collection, shares her life as an entrepreneur.
Co-founded by Conrad Poulson in 2014, Huq has been at the forefront of utilising cutting- edge technologies and innovative mobility research methods.