How a Doncaster entrepreneur survived lockdown

Lindsay has recently expanded her beauty business and is now the proud owner of Lindsay Lambert Permanent Makeup and Training Academy.

In January 2022, extra rooms became available at Queens Road where her salon is based so Lindsay decided to take on the additional space and set to revamping the whole house, creating the reception area she had always dreamed of.

Business Grants were made available by the Government to help keep businesses afloat during periods when lockdowns and other restrictions were in place, some also focused on restart and recovery for those looking to grow or adapt in a changed post-covid environment.

Lindsay, aged 60, was made aware of the business grants, but she struggled with the online application process and was initially told her business wasn’t eligible and didn’t fit the criteria.

She subsequently turned to Business Doncaster where she received support in accessing the grants and the financial support she so desperately needed.

“If it had not been for the grant support my business would have definitely gone under and we would not have survived. It was massively helpful as things had got really difficult” said Lindsay.

All her savings and money from the government grants has gone back in to her business. Without that financial support she wouldn’t have been able to do it and the business wouldn’t have survived.

With her business, like so many others, only open for a short period of the year, Lindsay used the time to improve her offer, worked on her social media, updating her website and on upgrading the business premises. She also stayed in touch with her clients, so that when she reopened her doors, they came back.

Lindsay has been able to create a full-time receptionist position, recruit a microblade trainee as well as taking on another beauty trainer in August.

Fast forward to 11 May, the official opening day of her revamped Lindsay Lambert Permanent Makeup and Training Academy and things couldn’t be better.

“The last two years have been the toughest I have experienced with Covid-enforced long-term closures, rising rates and overheads”.

‘The first few weeks I nearly had a meltdown,’ she remembers. ‘I had to pay my rent, my own expenses, my mortgage and I often wondered how I was going to manage?”

‘The business grants were an absolute lifesaver, once I received those I knew then that I could pay the rent,’ says Lindsay. ‘I paid it every month without fail and worked hard on my business while we were in lockdown.’

‘When the pandemic hit, I was massively worried,’ she admits. ‘I am a people person and love being around others, love chatting and having a little gossip. To go from that to nothing, was really, really hard. It had a big impact financially and emotionally.’

Award winning technician and accredited trainer, Lindsay offers elite training in PMU and microblading, Level 4 ABT accredited training courses, one 2 one training and bespoke packages to suit all budgets.

Lindsay says: ‘I work all hours of the day and night, I am passionate and love what I do and adore the people that I work with. It becomes social’ she explains.

For further information please contact Business Doncaster  on 01302 735555 or info@businessdoncaster.com