Amore Offers More
A County Durham entrepreneur has injected some American flare into the area with the opening of her beauty parlour with a difference.
Mum of one, Sharon Cole, from Ferryhill, has finally realised her dream and opened Amore Nails and Beauty, a shop that caters for all a woman’s beautifying needs, thanks to funding and support from Be Enterprising, County Durham’s Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI).
Amore Nails and Beauty, located on Main Street, Ferryhill, is the American style nail and beauty bar that offers everything a girl could wish for, from spray tans, waxing, manicures and pedicures to full body massages, teeth whitening and Botox.
Inspired by her time living in London and her shock at the prices people would pay for a manicure, Sharon decided to enroll at beauty college so she could eventually work for herself.
After moving back to the North East at just 21, Sharon started her own mobile beauty business as well as working from her mum’s salon a couple of days a week. After building up a reputation with clients she eventually moved her mobile business to a well known salon in Durham with great success.
Sharon said: “I had always wanted to open a salon of my own, but never thought it would be possible. That was until I saw an article about two young ladies opening a hair and beauty parlor in Spennymoor with the help of Be Enterprising.
“And after approaching Be Enterprising and drawing up a business plan I could see that my dream was possible too.”
Be Enterprising is Durham County Council’s LEGI programme, supported by funding from government and by £4.12m additional investment from the European Regional Development Fund. It was created to inspire enterprise and bring about positive and measurable changes in the employment hotspots of County Durham.
The BE Enterprising team has a local community base in the SASDA office, located in Aycliffe Business Park, Newton Aycliffe.
Andrew Watsford, Sharon’s Be Enterprising coach said: “We were happy to help Sharon get the advice and funding she needed to secure her own premises as she had a track record of entrepreneurial qualities from such a young age. You could tell she knew what she wanted and had fire in her eyes.”
Sharon said: “The advice and help I received from Andrew was fantastic and it really helped me to push my own limits. I was also given great advice on marketing, something I knew nothing about.
“I received a £3,000 grant which helped towards the initial set up of the business; buying stock, marketing and getting an impressive shop front.”
Amongst a long list of services, Amore also offers a new leading detox treatment called The Bio-Energiser D-Tox Spa, which has the same effects as a seven day detox. The foot spa rebalances the body’s cells of positive and negative ions which, in turn, kick starts the dispersal of the body’s unwanted toxins into the water.
Amore Nails and Beauty is a real family business and currently employs an apprentice, Sharon, her mum, auntie and niece but is looking to take on another apprentice in the summer.
Andrew said: “It’s fantastic that Amore is really taking off and needs so many hands to help run it. It just shows if you have a business idea but are a little unsure how to progress then, it’s worth talking to Be Enterprising about and we can give advice on how to make your idea a reality like Sharon has.”
Be Enterprising’s ‘Enterprise Coaching’ project is delivered in the former borough of Sedgefield by the area’s local enterprise agency, SASDA.
Sharon Cole talks about her business journey on Radio Tees, click here.
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