IWD 2020: How a post office & pamper party idea transformed a career in 3 months

Scratch puts the spotlight on inspiring & successful businesswomen in the run up to International Women’s Day, 8 March…

MEET NIKOLE DAVIDSON

Newcastle-upon-Tyne based Nikole began her journey into nails with Helene Kell, north east educator for Bio Sculpture Gel, shortly after giving birth to her third child. 

In the space of three, she acquired a former post office and started running pamper parties for mums, daughters and more – that have proven hugely popular. 

Here, Nikole reveals more about her venture…

My eldest daughter, four-year-old Darcy, has, in recent years, taken a liking to my beauty routine – using bath bombs, painting my nails and indulging in face masks. I tried to find a pamper day in a salon that we could enjoy together, but couldn’t find anything locally – so started considering it as a business venture.

I discussed my pamper party idea with family and friends that had children and the comments were so positive, so I took the plunge and invested in nail training as the first step.

I discovered Bio Sculpture Gel training for beginners and the brand’s products matched my business ethos; offering vegan and cruelty-free products. I trained from November 2019 to January 2020, after having my baby boy, Roman in September 2019. I trained under the guidance of Helene Kell who made me – and the other students on the course – feel so comfortable. This in turn made training so enjoyable and I learnt so much. 

In between looking after Darcy, Roman and my other daughter, Mia, 3, I started searching for commercial properties in my local area to open a salon and offer pamper parties and found that the old post office was to let.

The outside need some TLC but I loved the corner spot and the building’s character. I quickly signed the lease and my thousands of Pinterest boards started to become a reality! 

There were some hiccups along the way in regard to some renovations but everything came together in the end and I added wall lights and panelling with mirrors to work with the high ceilings and character of the building. I named the salon ‘Blossom’ and feel that its look and feel is such a big part of what makes the business special.

Every person that visits Blossom loves the little details and I feel that my customers know just how much thought and heart and soul has gone into everything they see.

It was important for my branding to represent an innocence in young girls that I don’t feel is celebrated enough. I wanted to create somewhere in which mums, daughters, school friends and cousins could get to together and just enjoy each other’s company without any distractions or technology. 

Every single customer has left with a huge smile on their face and feeling amazing and that is truly what makes me proud. Some of the reviews and comments that the business has received are amazing and I couldn’t be happier with how Blossom has been received in the local area.

I made a conscious effort to use products that allow children of all ages to enjoy the salon and its services safely. I promote my Bio Sculpture services to busy mums that would like to bring along their children, as they are in a very safe environment.

We offer day packages such as ‘Best Friend’ spa packages and ‘My Grown Up & Me’ treats, which includes manicure, pedicure, facials and Afternoon tea with a Polaroid keepsake to remember the day! We also offer a bespoke pamper party service to customise and create a pamper party to the customer’s desire and Disney princesses including Belle and Elsa can be available to add to the experience.

I will also be offering prom and bridal party packages, including one that even the flower girls can enjoy. I have an amazing support system at home that helps me juggle childcare so that I can offer these services to others.

My goal for the next five years is to build an amazing team that share my goals and launch my own spa product line that will be used within Blossom. It would be great to expand to a bigger property or open another location or two! 

Follow Nikole and Blossom Pamper Parties on Instagram.