Shahena Ali

Shahena Ali is the founder and managing director of the successful beauty brand The Powder Lounge. Shahena founded the company in 2007 and has quickly established it as a specialist in brow and lash treatments and products, with Brow and Lash Bars located in flagship Topshop, Debenhams and Superdrug stores.

Shahena, you quit your job in the city to establish The Power Lounge, what made you decide t take the leap? I felt that my work as a Fund Manager at an investment bank was not allowing me to be as creative as I wanted to be; I just wasn’t getting inspired or excited about it as before. I also wanted more flexibility in my career, combined with a deep desire to use the constant creative ideas that came to me, in some form. This did put me at a cross-road a few years ago when I came to realise that the only outlet I had to utilise these ideas, was in the form of a business.

Do you wish you made the move earlier? I think everyone wishes that they had made the move earlier, especially once they get started with launching a business and it starts growing rapidly. However, I do believe that previous experience gained in other fields will always help in some way towards making you better equipped to deal with any problems you may encounter in your business.

Was self-employment a valid career option for you after leaving education? I would say that my father has been a major influence in my decision to create The Powder Lounge as he has been self-employed his whole life. It was something I considered whilst at college but I felt that I needed to gain experience in the corporate world and in other fields first in order to become more well-rounded and be able to problem-solve more effectively. I do feel that this experience is invaluable to contributing towards a successful business, although being self-employed will ensure you are always learning as the most unexpected problems can crop up quite suddenly. My previous work however has definitely given me more confidence and ability to diffuse such issues quite quickly.

What made you feel there was a gap in the market for female beauty treatments and how do you best define your service? I decided to create The Powder Lounge Brow & Lash Bar as a solution to the problem of locating a High Street outlet which specialises in the art of Threading and Lash Extensions. At the time, I found it very difficult to locate a high-quality place to have my own eyebrows shaped, without resorting to an outlet with either a waiting-list or, unregulated and uncertified therapists; there were two extremes of quality. Therefore, after searching high and low for an express brow and lash bar in Central London, where the highly skilled threading technique can be used to shape brows, and also where lash treatments could be carried out quickly and expertly, in an accessible location yet with a glamorous and comfortable ambience, I decided to create The Powder Lounge.

The Powder Lounge has also allowed me to use my creativity to create a brand that provides effective beauty products combining the science of nature with cutting edge discoveries in beauty.
Is the female beauty industry experiencing any hardship due to the economic downturn?
There are certain areas of the beauty industry which definitely are seeing a downturn and these include spas. However, judging by ‘The Lipstick Index’ which indicates that women are prone to increase their purchasing of small cosmetic items which they feel will give them an instant improvement, it appears that in fact, the beauty industry is not suffering as much as other sectors during the economic downturn.

How important did the essential elements of branding develop your business model? I had strong ideas about the branding as I wanted to create a premium cult beauty brand with a showgirl/burlesque feel to the image and a boutique vibe to our concession salons. This has been unique in the industry and it therefore appeals to a wide customer base, but retains the ‘cult boutique’, less commercialised image which we would like to maintain. This did affect our choice of outlets in terms of our collaboration with certain store companies and also, which companies we declined to work with in order to maintain the brand value and image.

What were your early inspirations and are there any particular entrepreneurs that you look up to? I am very much inspired by the style of entrepreneurship of Richard Branson as he places great importance on the opinions of employees and clients alike, valuing their opinions and wanting them to contribute ideas and feel a part of the business, not to view themselves simply as employees.

You mention that your service adds a touch of Hollywood glamour to your customers’ lives. How so? Born out of a love affair with convenient and effective beauty treatments and unapologetic femininity, quick, affordable and accessible to all, The Powder Lounge Brow & Lash Bar is a new concept offering women in Britain quick, effective and affordable eyebrow & lash treatments and products, used by celebrities, and which will be the quickest route to glamorising and beautifying their eyes in the space of a few minutes.

You make a point of only stocking products that are not tested on animals is this a topic that you feel strongly about? Animal testing is certainly something that I feel strongly about. I am very much against this practice as these days there are so many other excellent alternatives to animal testing.

How did you secure sure prominent locations for your concessions? I do feel that the unique image and innovative products and services offered by The Powder Lounge have been key to securing the prominent concession locations as we offer a number of very unique products and treatments which other competitors do not. This has been crucial towards certain store companies approaching us to launch within their prominent locations.

Apart from the obvious advantage of customer footfall, do you benefit from your association with the brands where your concessions are located? Absolutely! Yes, our collaborations with the stores are essential in creating a ‘buzz’ and interest from customers, and their involvement in key events such as ‘Beauty Club’, London Fashion Week and Vogue’s ‘Fashion’s Night Out’ for charity have been aspects we had considered as essential to our decision to launch within their stores.

What are the 3 top tips you would give anyone stuck in the rat race longing to start a new business venture? 1. Discover what you enjoy doing – you need to be passionate about the field in which your business is based, in order to get through the bad times as well as the good, and still maintain a hunger for knowledge in order to keep updated about the field in which your business operates.
2. Research competition and find out if there is a demand. You can either find out how much demand there is for what you wish to offer, or you can find a gap in the market within the field you are interested in and offer something that is there is a demand for.
3. Stay determined, don’t get emotional and don’t give up – this goes without saying. It’s inevitable that you will encounter difficulties throughout your self-employed career, either from external factors or internal factors. It is a case of on-the-job learning as you will find that you come up against problems that you may not have planned for or expected and also, for which you may not have a definite solution or answer; you must realise that you need to take an objective viewpoint when making decisions, occasionally accept the best help and not get too emotional about things.

You may need to make difficult decisions which you are reluctant to do, for the best interests of the business. And you must also realise that with the right steps carried out, there is a higher likelihood of getting through any problems that arise, and making an eventual success of your business.

What mistakes did you make in the early stages? I delayed launching products because I had wanted to extend the range of services which The Powder Lounge could offer. But looking back, I would have launched our products much earlier as there has been a demand for them and so we obviously would have had less competition within the market.

Do you think there is enough support for career changers – especially those that wish to start a new business venture? I feel that there should be more support offered, as well as a need for greater awareness made in the media, of the support outlets and schemes that currently exist for career changers, particularly for those wanting to become self-employed in niche industries.

How do you think that the government can assist small businesses during these difficult financial times? I don’t think enough of a concerted effort has been made to significantly reduce red-tape and documentation for small businesses as yet. These issues and also, the lack of financial support really do put many people off from starting a business despite the fact that they may have a viable and robust business idea.

Where do you see The Powder Lounge brand in 5 years? We are already expanding upon our range of innovative and unique beauty products, as well as distributing in the UK and internationally. We aim to expand into the US and also other parts of Europe with The Powder Lounge products.

Are there any plans to diversify for the male grooming market? We do have a proportion of clients who are male and it is an area which is definitely increasing with respect to demand for a variety of beauty solutions, whether in terms of treatments or products.
We would look towards launching in this area at a future date with a sister, or should I say brother, brand to The Powder Lounge.

How do you achieve a work life balance? I think it’s very important to maintain a work-life balance and in order to do this I try to be as highly organised as possible in order to get the most output out of myself during working hours. I also find it important to employ excellent employees who can be relied upon, so that I am able to switch off at times