The pandemic has hit female business entrepreneurs hard, there is no playbook on the most proficient method to juggle maintaining a business and homeschooling children during a pandemic. This is a worry for all entrepreneurs currently, however, we’re especially grieved by what this emergency may mean for female entrepreneurs.
Women are more likely to run businesses in areas harder hit by the pandemic, such as independent highstreet stores, beauty, health, and retail, with most businesses in the start-up phase with less financial support behind them. The Business Resiliency During the COVID-19 study, published by FreshBooks, showed that women-owned businesses are taking nearly twice the amount of time to recover financially from the impacts of COVID-19 than those owned by men, a new study revealed.
Discover our series of articles featuring a selection of Cheshire-based entrepreneurs, who share how they have remained resilient within their businesses on the heels of a pandemic that has managed to bring to administration and the collapse of many big businesses.
Through their stories, you’ll discover motivation and inspiration on how you can do the same for yourself and your business.
Meet Sarah McHale: CEO The Boutique Bell And Najla Cosmetics UK
Sarah McHale launched Najla Cosmetics during the lockdown 
The Guide Cheshire interviewed several women as recommended by the Northwich Business Support network and Sarah`s story of resilience stood out. The Cheshire-based entrepreneur was pretty open about how she has been able to deal with the uncertainties that already accompany female entrepreneurship during a pandemic.
According to Sarah, she needed to rethink the best approach to doing business at the beginning of the pandemic, as her focus would constantly split between caring for her two teenage daughters and running a business.
In an interview with The Guide Cheshire Sarah Said;
Before coronavirus, I worked with my husband doing the marketing for his travel agency but as travel was completely obliterated by the virus I have turned my hand to a couple of new businesses.
In August last year, I launched The Boutique Bell a bell tent hire business, and had a pretty successful season and now I am on the verge of launching a lash and brow growth serum with my two teenage daughters (17 & 15). It’s a real team effort as I am really keen to show them that with hard work you can build something out of nothing.
Since taking my youngest daughter out of her school she has enrolled on a business studies course online and we have both completed a lash lift and tint qualification. This inspired my oldest daughter, who studies science at college to create a serum to promote lash growth between treatments.”
Sarah opened up about feeling pretty trapped in the mundane rat race and having to look at other income sources while keeping the business running during the lockdown, she has stayed optimistic and sees this challenge as more freedom to explore what she would really like to evolve into for future endeavors.
Sarah is inspired by ethical practices and is keen to build a successful ethical beauty brand product with an ultra-sensitive oil version of serum and beauty balms. Najla Cosmetics UK has recently had its final quality test results, its formulation is packed with natural, vegan ingredients and its packaging is zero plastic.
Sarah has confirmed plans for an official product launch on Sunday 18th April, and The Guide Cheshire will be following the story of her new business venture to update our readers.
Small businesses need your support, simply follow, like, or share posts to increase their reach during these challenging times, Sarah`s businesses can be found via usernames below (click links):
The Guide Cheshire would like to hear from you, submit your guide to Cheshire stories, product launch events, things to do, and lifestyle stories to the news@theguidecheshire.com
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