Mallows Beauty diversifies during Covid19 outbreak and achieves £100k of sales
10/09/20
10/09/20
Mallows Beauty, founded by Fashion Design graduate Laura Mallows, is a fun, innovative and down to earth skincare brand focused on self-care and mental wellbeing.
The original range of products consisted of face mask sachets with bright, colourful, positive health slogans, aimed at encouraging a younger audience to think with a positive mind-set. The business has quickly adapted its model to provide much needed products during the coronavirus pandemic.
“When I designed the business I wanted to do something with good, honest products”
Having achieved great success in the fashion industry with coverage in online editorials for British Vogue, Vogue Italia and WGSN, complimented with enviable success as a buyer at Dune London; Laura decided to investigate starting her own business.
After identifying a gap in the market for more honest skincare products through suffering tirelessly with her own skin, and receiving support to source UK suppliers, Laura set up Mallows Beauty in March 2020.
However, as the coronavirus lockdown restrictions were increasing at pace, it was clear that the business needed to quickly diversify to survive. Driven by market changes and a real desire to support the front line in the fight against Covid-19, Laura built on her relationship with a local distillery to ship hand sanitiser to NHS suppliers.
How Start Up Loans helped to get Mallows Beauty off the ground
Laura got in touch with Business in Focus to apply for a £25,000 Start Up Loan. Steve Hammond, a Start Up Loans Business Advisor supported with the application and spent time going through Laura’s initial business plan, explaining changes needed to ensure the application would be approved.
Following the initial support, Steve was then able to mentor Laura, showing her how to identify UK suppliers and steer her in the right direction to make contact and set up business relationships. Steve says “Laura was an absolute pleasure to work with, she really knows her stuff and had put a lot of thought in to her business plan. She will do very well in business.”
Steve will continue to mentor Laura over the next nine months to give her the confidence to continue her already successful business.
“Steve was amazing. He was there 24/7 and his support was invaluable. He was very complimentary about my business plan, which helped build my confidence on my start up journey”
Plans for the future
Since diversifying in April 2021, Mallows Beauty has been able to support the fight against Covid-19 and has achieved sales in excess of £100,000. The hand sanitiser is already being stocked in Harrods, online with Skinny Dip and will shortly be featured on one of the popular TV shopping channels.
Despite being a start up, Laura decided early on that she wanted to do more to support the NHS, so Mallows Beauty is currently donating 5% of profits to the NHS.
Laura’s immediate challenge is dividing her time between working in the business and working to establish the business, and is currently concentrating her efforts on the hand sanitiser but has ambitions to push forward with the beauty products more when Covid-19 allows.
“Working with Business in Focus to apply for my Start Up Loan was a great experience”
What is a Start Up Loan?
A Start Up Loan is a government-backed personal loan available to individuals over 18 years old looking to start or grow a business in the UK. The main goal of the Start Up Loans scheme is to ensure that viable start-ups have access to the finance and support they need in order to thrive.
If you receive a loan, we will then support you through your journey, providing you with your business mentor for 12 months from the date of receiving your loan. Start Up Loans are available for businesses yet to launch or those that have been trading for up to 24 months.