How this Bengaluru-dependent cosmetologist is boosting people’s assurance with good quality hair and skin solutions

Ahead of she turned a thriving dermatologist, Dr Shuba Dharmana says that she was not constantly as confident in her pores and skin as she is now. She 1st seen the psycho-social influence of pores and skin disorders on younger grownups although striving her hand at modelling in university in the 2000s. “I experienced childhood eczema, which strike my self-confidence. I was aware of the scars on my legs whilst swimming. I carefully observed the effect pores and skin illnesses were obtaining on young grown ups whilst functioning as a general practitioner in the United kingdom for 11 many years, which experienced me gravitating toward cosmetology,” says Shuba. Several years later on, she is now working two prosperous clinics and can help individuals by boosting their confidence with a large variety of companies.

Shuba moved to the United kingdom for her masters soon after finishing MBBS from Andhra Healthcare College or university. She specialises in cosmetology, functional dermatology, facial aesthetics, and hair loss and hair removing. The variety of services that 1 can avail at the Lejeune Clinics include botox, laser hair removal, fillers, non-surgical confront elevate, microneedling/dermaroller, hair transplants, pigmentation therapies, medifacials, body contouring, weight reduction and spa services.

“When I was in the United kingdom, I noticed the mushrooming of clinics that were being offering providers like overall body contouring and fillers. I wished to do some thing equivalent in India,” states the 42-12 months-aged doctor-turned-entrepreneur.

Shuba relocated from the Uk and set up the first Lejeune clinic in Hyderabad in 2012, which received a superior reaction. By March 2020, the organization was netting an once-a-year earnings of Rs 70 lakh. She went to open up an additional clinic in 2013 in Bengaluru.

Mapping the route to accomplishment

Shuba introduced a selection of standardised protocols in Lejeune Clinics with strategies like skilled professional medical photography, facial assessment and aseptic contactless approaches for managing people in 2019. The clinics ended up also fortified with essential health-related machines like crash cart trolleys for emergencies.

Shuba feels that it is significant for businesses to get their brand positioning suitable for advancement.”We may be slightly extra high priced than some others in the market, but we offer price and choose delight in what we have to offer. We would like to be witnessed as pioneers, industry leaders, gurus and the go-to clinic for attractiveness, skin and hair wants,” suggests the cosmetologist.

Hits and misses

All was nicely until eventually the business was strike by demonetisation, and subsequently, the implementation of the GST routine. “Despite many troubles and ill-thought partnerships that failed, we survived the storm,” provides Shuba.

Talking about the result of the COVID-19 pandemic on her small business, Shuba says, “COVID-19 has been a big obstacle this 12 months, but we have managed to get paid at least 50 % of our income at any time considering that the lockdown constraints eased on clinics. We are now looking at fantastic growth in small business.”

She states that the pandemic has enabled her to re-consider her organization model. “COVID-19 has helped us re-assess team roles and retain individuals that totally mattered to the clinic. We have reduced our overheads. It really is pretty encouraging to see individuals who are interested in skin, hair and magnificence solutions coming back to us inspite of the hardships. Natural beauty and grooming raises one’s self esteem and assurance. And it’s been a humbling knowledge to know that in these rough situations: people have chosen us,” says the entrepreneur.

Shuba claims that she desires to take a look at world wide marketplaces in the long run. “Our organization has been growing organically by term of mouth, but I would like to achieve insights into income and marketing, so I can acquire my firm in the suitable path not just in India but globally,” she clarifies.

She provides that her most significant struggles are at this time gross sales and marketing and advertising. And which is wherever collaborating in GAME’s Xcelerator Bangalore — a programme for supporting gals-led corporations by way of trader link possibilities and mentorship — can steer her to occur up with a robust company approach. “Ours is an expenditure-hefty organization which desires financial commitment in new equipment on a regular foundation. The beauty industry is quickly evolving and we have to maintain up and offer you the ideal processes and treatment plans. These machines depreciate very quickly and if you do not do the job on having your ROI shortly, you have to confront competition from enterprises applying the new era equipment.”

Xcelerator Bangalore aims at accelerating the advancement of females-owned companies in Bengaluru and provide guidance to expansion-oriented women business owners across sectors and guidance them to discover, collaborate and community with several stakeholders by means of a multitude of workshops, discovering and mentoring sessions. This series highlights the get the job done of 24 women of all ages business people who will be collaborating in the initially cohort of the Xcelerator Bangalore programme.