Millie Homewood, owner of Millie Rose Salon in Lowestoft, was named winner of the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, sponsored by Cory Brothers, at the Suffolk Business Awards 2022.
The 30-year-old entrepreneur launched her luxury beauty salon in 2012 when she was 19 – and was also named Young Business Person of the Year in 2018.
“I cannot believe it,” said Millie. “I’m still in shock because the other nominees were amazing.
“I went to Greece two days after the awards because it was my 30th birthday,” she added. “You had to be under 30 to win the award, so I was lucky to just about make the cut.
“We have the award on our desk, clients have brought in cards saying congratulations and I’ve had loads of messages. Everyone’s been so nice about it.”
Millie spent a large part of her childhood in France, where she did work experience in a salon. “It was so old fashioned,” she said. “There were little curtains to corner off each treatment room – I absolutely loved it.
“It was being in France that really inspired me to get into the industry.”
After being declined for a beauty course in France due to the language barrier, Millie moved back to the UK to pursue her dream career.
“I spoke to Lowestoft College and got a space on their course, so I moved back to England with my parents when I was 16,” she said.
Three years later, Millie opened her salon in Lowestoft – fulfilling the ambition she’d had back in France.
“I realised it was cheaper to rent a whole premises than it was to rent a room within someone’s salon, so I saved up £2,000 and that’s all it cost me to start my own business,” said Millie.
“My friends and family came in and helped me decorate the place. I had no clients, but I just had a dream of doing something on my own.”
Millie started out doing all treatments herself, with her mum helping on reception. She now has a team of 17 staff working across both floors – a hair salon downstairs and an advanced skin clinic upstairs, which was recently rebranded as The Daily Glow.
“My team are amazing,” she said. “I still have a lot of the same people from day one with me now.
“I think they see my passion, and because I’m always growing the business, it excites them to be part of the team.”
The Daily Glow also delivers training in the advanced beauty procedures offered at the salon – including permanent cosmetics, specialist brow treatments and skin treatments.
It’s all part of Millie’s “goal to help others”, which has also seen her set up an online membership platform for people in the hair and beauty industry – due to launch in early 2023.
“The platform is called Closed on Mondays Club because most salons are closed on Mondays,” Millie said. “There’s a small monthly fee, and every month we get a specialist in a different subject such as Pinterest, client communication or email marketing.
“There’s a real knowledge gap in our industry,” she added. “You learn how to do lashes and brows when you go to college, but you don’t learn anything about promotion.
“I’ve got 500 people that are interested in joining at the moment, which is very exciting.”
Ever the entrepreneur, Millie has also launched a service offering ‘permanent jewellery’ – seamless welded bracelets that cannot be removed. The service is a collaboration between Millie Rose Salon and her online gift business Homewood & Rose.
“Permanent jewellery is new to the UK, but it’s massive in America and Australia,” she said. “I am always looking to bring new things to Suffolk.”
What advice does Millie have for other aspiring entrepreneurs?
“Self-doubt can hold you back, so do something small every day that moves you closer towards your goal,” she said. “And remember it’s never a mistake; it’s always a lesson.”
For more information, visit www.millierosebeauty.co.uk