Husband and wife team Aga & Slawek Felerski have set up Envy tanning and beauty salon on Minden Place following Aga’s successful career as a nail technician. Envy provides amazing manicures and perfect pedicures using the best brands in the business. The whole place has been created as a little oasis of calm for their devoted clients who have followed Aga for the last 8 years. Envy also provides state of the art sun beds at a reasonable cost.
Aga Felerska
Born: Poland, Chorzow
Uni: Studied Economics at Katowice Uni
First Job: Worked in a Cinema
Car: BMW 1 Series
Music: Anything R&B
Film: Twilight Saga
Gadget: iPhone
Last Holiday: Egypt before we opened the business!
Enjoys: I actually really enjoy my job!
Slawek Felerski
Born: Poland, Chorzow
Uni: Studied Computer Science at Katowice Uni
First Job: DJ
Car: BMW 1 Series
Music: House Music
Film: Pulp Fiction
Gadget: Anything Apple!
Last Holiday: Egypt before we opened the business!
Enjoys: I love DJing
So, tell us what inspired you to get this off the ground?
We saw a gap in the market to create a really high quality salon using fantastic machines and products. One of our main aims is to meet our clients’ high demands but at sensible prices. Also Aga has been in the industry eight years now and her 200 strong client (fan) base is still growing, so we needed to create a salon where we could grow the business.
What did you do prior to starting this business?
Aga has been working in nails for a long time and for the last two years she has worked for herself at B Beauty. She is trained in using Bio Sculpture Gel, Shellac, Hollywood nails and OPI which are her clients’ favourite products. The best bit about having your own business is that you can tailor everything for your clients.
Did that teach you any lessons that helped you succeed?
My main focus is making sure each of my clients feels that they can get an appointment when they need one. It is so important to be good to my clients. I always try to fit them in which can sometimes mean very long hours but it is worth it to have someone who is happy with the service and will keep coming back. It is also important to provide treatments which are bespoke for each client. Some people like to come in and sit back and relax, others want to chat away. I’m happy to do either, it’s lovely to make friends whilst working but ultimately it’s just great when clients are over the moon with the look of their nails.
What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learnt since starting the business?
That the office and admin side of things have definitely been an uphill struggle; social security, tax, dealing with the population office, they certainly don’t make it easy for you, especially with English as a second language!
Any funny stories that you have about the business starting out ?
Not really. I’m always amused when people walk in to have a sunbed and they have no idea what one is or how it works. Some think that one go will make them instantly chocolate tanned!
What are your plans for
the future?
We would love to expand in the future, but at the moment we are just getting this one up and running. We’re building our client base now that we have this gorgeous new space and are also really trying to showcase the tanning side of the business.
What advice would you give to would-be entrepreneurs ?
Once you’ve worked out how much it will cost, double the figure!
