Heaven by Deborah Mitchell
Company: Heaven by Deborah Mitchell, Shifnal, Shropshire, UK
Entry Submitted By: Awards Intelligence
Company Description: Heaven by Deborah Mitchell is a rapidly growing beauty brand with more than 150 original and luxurious beauty products and treatments. Available online and at more than 200 salons and stores in the UK and abroad, Heaven has developed many innovative products including our Bee Venom Mask made from bee stings. The product is a natural alternative to botox and is taking the beauty business by storm.
Nomination Category: Individual Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Entrepreneur – Service Businesses - Up to 100 Employees
Nomination Title: Deborah Mitchell, Owner
Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated entrepreneur during the eligibility period (up to 500 words):
Heaven by Deborah Mitchell has enjoyed record growth of almost 300% in the past year as the launch of an innovative new beauty and health product has taken the market by storm.
Heaven’s world-first Bee Venom Mask, a natural alternative to botox, has firmly established itself as the most popular product in Heaven’s range of more than 150 beauty and skincare treatments and products.
Major events in the past year have been the opening of a flagship store in Taiwan as part of a major distribution deal in the Far East followed by a more recent contract which will see Heaven products sold in 2,500 Heaven salons in China.
As a result of these deals, Owner and Managing Director Deborah Mitchell is planning a major recruitment campaign to select and train hundreds of British therapists to work in the new Chinese stores. She currently employs a staff of 15.
Under the contract, each store will carry the Heaven name and include at least one British therapist trained by Deborah to ensure the high quality of the brand is maintained around the world.
A qualified beautician with 25 years experience, Deborah started the company with a mission to encourage women and men to use more products made from natural, mainly organic, ingredients.
She discovered early on that she could make a difference when beauty products she created proved highly effective.
In the past year her company has enjoyed record growth following the launch in 2010 of her most successful product so far - Bee Venom Mask.
A natural alternative to botox in smoothing wrinkles, the product whose vital ingredient is bee stings has created a a real buzz in the market.
Interest was boosted further as news emerged that among celebrity admirers of the Heaven range is a member of the British Royal family.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall enjoys regular treatments courtesy of Deborah. Press photos showing her looking more radiant and with smoother skin served only to confirm the extraordinary benefits and effectiveness of Bee Venom Mask and the Heaven range.
A lifelong advocate of natural remedies, Deborah has a highly impressive track record of innovation in skincare.
Among her ground-breaking achievements are being the first beauty brand to treat referrals from doctors to help patients with significant skin or facial conditions, and pioneering a number of sustainable green initiatives.
In a new departure for the beauty business, Heaven gives customers money back for every empty pot they return so the container can be recycled.
In the past year Deborah has made great strides towards achieving her vision of making Heaven a household name with a global reputation as her turnover has increased from £650,000 to £2 million.
In an industry dominated by multi-national conglomerates, the ever resourceful and dynamic entrepreneur has shown real grit and determination to establish her highly successful niche business.
An expert in international trade, Deborah is a superb example of Women in Business at their best.
List the URLs (web addresses) of any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that you would like the judges to see that support your nomination. IMPORTANT: List each URL on a separate line, begin each URL with http://, and enclose each URL in square brackets. For example, [http://www.yourcompany.com/pressrelease.html]:
Link to the Heavenbydeborahmitchell website at
http://www.heavenbydeborahmitchell.co.uk
A link to press coverage in Britain's Daily Mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/beauty/article-1298041/The-Duchess-Cornwall-55-bee-string-facelift.html
Coverage in the Britain's Daily Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/7917062/Ive-had-the-Camilla-face-lift.html
Here is a link to a film of Deborah Mitchell in action doing a beauty treatment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxtMu8irCKg
Provide a brief biography of the nominated entrepreneur (up to 100 words):
Since starting out as a beauty therapist with just £10 and a burning desire to transform the industry, Deborah Mitchell has achieved great success.
In the past 12 months her brand Heaven, known for using only natural, organic ingredients, has earned a worldwide reputation for excellence attracting many celebrity fans including a member of the British Royal Family.
Deborah has achieved great strides towards her vision of making Heaven a household name as sales have soared by 288% following the phenomenal success of her innovative Bee Venom Mask.
Supreme determination has helped Deborah overcome hurdles that would have defeated others.