Meet the founder of Silver Fern Group

What inspired you to launch your business and what is the end goal?

I really wanted to make the hair and beauty industry a luxury experience which is accessible to everyone – that led me to set up the Silver Fern Group which includes Cecily Spa, Alchemy and Koha. My end goal is growing the businesses to be profitable, looking after my staff and expanding in as many cities at possible.

Keeping an eye on the numbers in any business is important. How do you ensure that you’re always up to date? 

I have daily, weekly and monthly accounts on the accounting software Xero. I look at them daily and do 12 week cash-flow forecasts as well as my own monthly Profit & Loss.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?

It’s all about your people - looking after their ambitions as well as your own to propel the business forward.

What are your thoughts on failure? 

I don’t believe in failure, there may be set backs but it’s just things you could do differently next time round or developing yourself further.

As a business owner, do you know when to walk away from a sale? 

Yes for sure - we have to be the right fit for a client and if the client doesn’t match our ethos or beliefs then I feel it’s healthier to walk away. You can’t please everyone.

Do you have a morning routine or ritual to get your day started on the right foot?  

I try my best to get 8 hours sleep. I used to have the mindset “you can sleep when you’re dead!” but I have learnt that is a sure way to burn out. Eight hours sleep is scientifically proven to give optimum performance. My quality of work is the most important not the amount of working hours. I also do 30 mins of exercise each day whether that is a run, Pilates or golf.

If you could be in a room with 4 entrepreneurs, who would they be and why?

A young entrepreneur for that creative flare - young entrepreneurs have less to lose and are much more risk taking which makes it more exciting to thrive off.

Richard Branson – Keeping humble and looking after his staffKaren Brady – A total inspiration for woman entrepreneursPeter Jones- a confident and no bs guy – I like how straight talking he is.

What are your top tips for entrepreneurs wanting to get their business out there? 

Be prepared to give it your all. Be confident and believe in your business otherwise no one else will.

Does your company help the community that you’re located in?

Yes we are always contributing vouchers towards charitable events as well as asking local people to nominate those in need of some ‘me time’.

Any moments where you thought you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?

Yes - when I had too many businesses that weren’t complimenting each other. For example I was running a signage company, events company, marketing website, business consulting company and a hair, beauty and skin clinic. I had to streamline these to ensure that I could focus my time on businesses similar to each other which enabled me to utilise comparable resources. 

So I sold my signage and events companies, pivoted my marketing website and stopped my personal business consulting to focus on my three main businesses. I’ve learnt to rein myself in, not look too much at new ‘shiny objects’ and focus on making my core businesses super successful. Less is definitely more in my case.

What do you think gives a brand longevity?

Consumer loyalty and their obsession with a particular brand - it has to have a story, they have to connect with the brand and the business has to have a heart for people to care about it.