Stockton mum who started nail business in her kitchen is now up for UK gong

A Teesside mum who started her business from her home eight months ago is now in the running for a national award.

Bobbi-Lee Johnstone, owner of Nails By Bee, started her business in April this year. The Stockton woman started doing her clients’ nails in her kitchen, where she still works from now.

The 29-year-old is now a finalist in the UK Hair and Beauty Awards 2024 in the categories Best New Talent and Best Gel Nails. After posting some of her work on Instagram, Bobbi-Lee quickly gained more clients and she is now fully booked five days a week.

After her sister pushed her to start her own nail business, she took the plunge and has now become a fully insured and qualified nail technician. “I used to be the nail painter of the family,” Bobbi-Lee explained.

“I’ve been the nail painter since I was around 15. If anyone wanted their nails painted it was always me who did it and I always got my nails done myself and my sister said ‘you’d be really good at this so why don’t you do it yourself?’.

“For years I said no and then literally it was a spur of the moment decision.” The mum-of-two booked a course by Magpie Beauty in March to become an accredited nail technician and she started her business from there.

She self funded Nails By Bee which launched earlier this year and she has three to four clients who come to her house per day to get their nails done. Bobbi focuses on nail health so she makes sure her clients have healthy nails and she has done specific courses to improve her knowledge in this area.

She said her niche is “intricate nail art” and she has recently started doing character art, including the Grinch.

The nail technician has “blocked off half the kitchen” for her business as she has put an extractor unit and a desk in there, as well as all her other equipment. As she has two primary school aged children, including her eight-year-old son who is autistic, working from home allows her to fit the business around them.

She added: “I was a personal trainer and I was at The Gym Group this time last year in Middlesbrough and I couldn’t work because my son’s autistic and I really struggled to go out of the house to work because he would get really upset, really overwhelmed and I’d have to come home early whereas my son’s really interested in this and it’s at home. He loves it because he knows I’m at home.”

Bobbi has booked more courses to “learn more about nails” and she wants to be “well known for doing a good job”. She would also like to eventually move her business out of her kitchen to an outdoor office space such as a shed.

The UK Hair and Beauty Awards ceremony takes place in Birmingham in June 2024 so Bobbi will find out next year if she has won either of the awards she has been shortlisted for. Find out more about Nails By Bee on Instagram by clicking here.

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