Successful start for skin specialist

About the business

Carly, an award-winning aesthetic practitioner, provides skin consultations and offers services such as medical micro needling, medical branded skincare, chemical peels, skin pen precision, dermapen, extraction, dermaplaning and facial waxing, as well as a variety of beauty treatments.   

Carly is an experienced beautician with a diverse background in aesthetic clinics, private medical and spa beauty therapy. Awarded Practitioner of Hair and Beauty in 2019, Carly later found herself unemployed and on Universal Credit due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Determined to succeed, she approached Business Gateway for advice on how to start up her own business, Carly Skin Specialist. 

When the pandemic hit, I decided to take matters into my own hands and set up my own business and I approached Business Gateway for advice about starting up on my own.

How Business Gateway has helped

With help from Business Gateway, Carly secured the New Enterprise Allowance grant, which helped her to buy the appropriate commercial equipment for the services on offer. Additionally, Business Gateway worked with Carly to secure a grant worth £2,500 through the Parental Employability Support delivered by Aberdeen City Council. This funding helped Carly receive training, facilitate her to move into new premises at a medical aesthetics clinic and enable her to purchase the equipment required to carry out her treatments.   

Carly also received regular 1:1 guidance from her dedicated business adviser as part of Business Gateway’s start-up services.  

Carly Stewart, Founder, Carly Skin Specialist said: “When the pandemic hit, I decided to take matters into my own hands and set up my own business and I approached Business Gateway for advice about starting up on my own.   

“My adviser Gillian was brilliant, and helped me throughout the whole process, from advising me on how to plan and prepare to start my business, to supporting me with funding opportunities.” 