Post-pandemic leap of faith pays off for Meldrum Academy alumni as Aberdeen beauty salon Bello Beauty thrives
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Two Aberdeen salon owners are celebrating a successful first year in business after taking on a renovation project to turn a dull city centre office into a beautiful salon space.
Beauty therapists Carrie McRobb and Julie Gillan, co-owners and managers of Bello Beauty, made the brave decision in May 2021 to step away from their full-time jobs in a city centre salon to follow their dreams of running their own beauty salon.
At the time, pandemic restrictions had started to ease a little and most businesses were able to reopen, albeit the threat of continued limitations for the beauty industry loomed and Covid secure guidance remained in place.
On top of the economic implications from the pandemic, Julie was also busy splitting her time at home with her daughter who had just turned two - life was hectic!
However, the dynamic duo forged ahead to find the all-important location for their new salon and, after viewing a former ground floor office suite on King Street, Carrie and Julie knew they’d found the perfect place for their new venture.
Sharing the story of their beginnings, Julie said: “We were worried about opening a new salon so soon after the pandemic and it was an extremely nerve-wracking process, especially after going through two years of restrictions.
“However, when we saw the office space, we could see it had so much potential and it just felt like the right fit for us.
“We believe in only having regrets for what you haven’t done and we thought ‘life’s too short!', so we took the leap and followed our dreams.”
Managers Carrie and Julie, who are from Pitmedden and Udny Station respectively, both attended Meldrum Academy and trained for their professional qualifications at North East Scotland College.
The pair rolled up their sleeves to overhaul their new premises and roped in family and friends to help with the two-month reconstruction project of plastering, sanding and painting.
The result was the creation of a charming, welcoming space for clients to relax and, in July 2021, Bello Beauty officially opened its doors.
The salon offers a range of cosmetic services including manicures and pedicures, massage, facials, dermaplaning, waxing, eyelash extension, tinting, spray tanning and more.
The business has continued to go from strength to strength with a 15 percent increase in new clients and increases in turnover reported.
The pair have also recently hired a third member of their team welcoming make-up artist, Kristy McKay.
Continuing Julie said: “We are absolutely delighted to have come such a long way in the last 12 months.
“We can’t believe it’s been a whole year since we opened Bello Beauty and what a year it’s been!
"They say the first year in business is the hardest, but we can honestly say it’s been the quickest and best year ever and we have absolutely no regrets.”
Commenting Carrie said: “It’s been a lot of hard work and it’s taken sheer determination, but we are so grateful to our amazing clients who have played a huge part in making Bello Beauty the successful business it is today.
“We’d like to thank every single person, from new and existing clients to our family and friends, who have all helped us through one of the toughest but best years ever, we are so grateful for everyone’s support.
“We have absolutely loved our first year in business and we can’t wait to keep growing.”
For more information you can follow Bello Beauty on Facebook and Instagram or contact Carrie or Julie on email bellobeautylimited@hotmail.com or call the salon on 01224 658442
