Read Charlotte and Zoe’s blog about how they turned a passion for beauty and a desire to utilise practical experience into a beautiful campus-based business.
Beautiful beginnings
Charlotte and Zoe met each other in 2020 during online learning. Zoe had always been interested in the beauty industry and owning her own business. She found Team Entrepreneurship and felt it could help her achieve her goals, especially due to the support provided by the course.
Charlotte was studying a different degree at UWE but decided to transfer to Team Entrepreneurship, drawn to the more hands-on and practical approach to learning.
A campus-based business model
After finally meeting in person, the pair decided they wanted to open a salon on the UWE campus. They successfully applied for funding from Student Ventures, which offers funding to student run businesses, and gained access to space to set up their business.
The Beauty Bar opened in November 2021 and has been open ever since, growing a loyal clientele of students, staff, and members of the wider Bristol community. In early 2023, they gained approval to open a permanent salon on campus.
A booming business
Zoe says Team Entrepreneurship has built a strong foundation of skills she’s needed to succeed as an entrepreneur. She’s especially appreciated the support of her mentor and coaches during her time studying.
‘TE gave me practical experience of how exactly you should run a business. It helped me create strong problem-solving skills and gave me the confidence to open my own business knowing that I can deal with anything that comes my way.’
Zoe Jenkins
Charlotte says studying Team Entrepreneurship and running her first business was challenging but immensely rewarding, and she’s grown and learned so much during the process.
‘UWE has helped me become a self-sustained entrepreneur. Not many start up business owners are able to pay themself a graduate wage straight out of university’
Charlotte Roberts
Since graduating, Charlotte and Zoe have stayed on campus as co-owners of The Beauty Bar and are currently in the process of opening a brand-new salon they’ve helped design.
Find out more: Instagram – @thebeautybarbristol