Q. How many years has your business been trading?
A. 10 years.
Q. How would you describe your business? What services or products do you offer?
A. Amaranth is a natural health store with treatment rooms. We sell high quality nutritional supplements, along with a range of luxury natural and organic beauty products. From the treatment rooms above the shop we offer complementary therapies, massage, reflexology and organic beauty treatments.
Q. Why did you start your business? Favourite thing about being an owner?
A. I qualified as a nutritional therapist in 2010 following a career change after my children had been born. Prior to this I worked as a management consultant on large retail projects. My first position as a nutritional therapist was in a homeopathy shop in Bramhall, where I worked for 3 years. Over this time, I became more involved in the running of the business so when the owner decided to close, it was the perfect opportunity for me to set up my own health store on the same site. The best thing about being the owner of Amaranth is working with a fabulous team and getting to know our customers. There is never a dull day as we talk to so many different people and there have certainly been some entertaining moments over the years. I also love working with health and beauty products and having the opportunity to put all of my ideas and passion into actions.
Q. Describe what a day in your business looks like. What routines do you follow each day?
A. We always start the day by setting up the clinic and treatment rooms. Checking the diary to see who is booked in, getting the rooms warm and lighting NEOM candles to get the spa fragrances and essential oils into the rooms. It’s then down to the shop. We start with a fill up, tidy and clean and then carry on with specific jobs for the day. This could be placing orders with suppliers, product training, unpacking deliveries or working on our marketing and social media. Every day is different depending on which therapists we have in and which customers come through the door. Most of our time on the shop floor is spent giving advice as customers come to talk to us about their health and natural beauty concerns. We focus on giving detailed advice on diet, lifestyle, supplements and skincare products.
Q. What makes your business unique?
A. The knowledge, qualifications and advice given by each member of the Amaranth team make us unique. We have four registered nutritional therapists and three complementary therapies working on the shop floor and offering treatments.
We are much more than a shop. We work hard to educate our customers on health and natural beauty and are always happy to provide detailed advice so that our customers can find the solutions that will work for them, their lifestyle and their budget. Customers can book free mini consultations and we often run taster treatment days and events. We have won a number of national awards over recent years, including Natural Beauty Retailer of the Year 2016, 2018 and 2022 and we were shortlisted for the Best International Retailer in the Natural Health Beauty Awards.
Q. What’s the biggest piece of advice you have for people interested in starting up an independent business like yours?
A. Firstly, make sure that you understand the commitment involved in running an independent business. It is an incredibly rewarding and fun career but it is more than a full time job. Things don’t always go to plan and you need to be ready to step in at all hours. Secondly, you can never do too much research. You need to make sure that people want to buy the products you are planning to sell and that will buy them from you. There is a lot of competition out there so you need to understand what your USP is, realistically how much you can sell, your margins and then whether you will have enough level to cover your costs and earn some money for yourself.
Q. Tell us something we may not know about your business and its offering.
A. Many people are unaware of the treatment rooms that we have above the shop. The rooms are beautifully decorated and are a haven of tranquillity away from the bustle of the shop downstairs. You also may not know that we have three registered nutritional therapists working from Amaranth. They offer nutrition consultations but also a range of health tests that you may struggle to get from your GP – tests such as thyroid, food intolerance and vitamin levels. Our Nutritional Therapists are always happy to talk through the tests on offer and to help customers find the right approach for them.
Q. Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.
A. I have been listed in the Top 10 Who’s Who in Natural Beauty for the last two years and my lifelong ambition is to be the Hazel Grove Carnival Queen.
Q. What is the best thing about the location of your business? why did you choose the Village Square?
A. Amaranth is located on the edge of the Village Square and the main road going through Bramhall. It is a great location as we benefit from the footfall from both sides. Customers can access the shop easily from the Village Square Car park and the bus route. The Village Square has a lovely community feel with the childrens play area and cafes, and the shops work together on events and activities.
Q. How easy was it to opening your business in the Village Square? Did Wain Estates manage a smooth process? What did Wain Estates do to help?
A. I took over an existing business and so the arrangement with Wain Estates was already in place. Waines Estates were however very helpful in the transfer of the lease and have helped in all renewals since. Wain Estates are very supportive and proactive in marketing the square and putting on events to encourage footfall. They are very approachable and we have a contact for the site if we have an issues. I highly recommend Wain Estates as a landlord and property manager.
