As part of Bank of Ireland's Money Smarts series, makeup mogul Aimee Connolly chats to presenter James Patrice, sharing her impressive journey to success through starting her own business and providing inspiration for budding young entrepreneurs.
Her award-winning makeup brand, Sculpted By Aimee, was founded in 2016, and having recently launched in Boots stores across the UK, global market dominance seems well within Aimee’s reach.
Here, she shares her advice for students considering taking a similar path to becoming a business owner.
So, where did it all start? Well, it was the common panic of finding last-minute transition year work experience that spurred Aimee’s interest in makeup, as she eventually secured a job at House of Fraser’s Benefit Cosmetics counter. From there, her confidence grew, largely due to the job’s requirement of approaching customers for on-the-spot makeup consultations. Through this, a love of makeup began to blossom.
Like many others, Aimee always loved school, which is where she developed essential transferable skills that she still uses to this day as an entrepreneur. Things like adhering to deadlines, setting personal expectations and abiding by a strong work ethic are all vital strengths to have if you launch your own business. Although you may not realise you’re learning these skills at the time, their worth will be proven down the line.
For those currently on the fence about its benefits, Aimee describes the decision to do transition year as ‘game-changing’, both in terms of personal growth and career development. Her acquired skills and clarity from that year have played a key role in getting Aimee to where she is today. The freedom associated with TY is unparalleled in professional life, as it’s a pressure-free zone designed to help you try new things and figure out your passion.
For those juggling a part-time job with their studies, Aimee proves that balancing both is very doable. While it may seem like a means of survival, a part-time job can provide strong foundations for having a healthy relationship with money in later life. The basics of budgeting, spending and saving can never be learned too soon. Master them early and you’ll be more on track than you realise.
The best advice Aimee received in school was to push herself outside of her comfort zone. In turn, her advice for today’s students that are unsure about which path they’d like to take after school is to simply be okay with being undecided about things. Reckon with the fact that there’s a lot of time to figure things out, especially when you’re in your teenage years. Even if you settle on one thing and find that it doesn’t work out, Aimee assures the youth of today that it’s okay to try something else to see what fits. Time is on your side.
Social media was where Aimee learned a lot about owning and growing her own business. She was managing her own makeup pages on Facebook at a time when social media wasn’t hugely recognised as an effective marketing channel. Aimee recommends that budding entrepreneurs take a similar approach in jumping aboard new things, particularly with emerging social media platforms.
"Social is a great way to be creative and put your own stamp on things to put yourself out there", she says.
You can reach a large amount of people a lot quicker with social media than through traditional means of advertising. The emergence of TikTok is a prime example of how pushing yourself to embrace new things can lead to you figuring out a way to market yourself or your business, as many teens are now establishing success on the new platform.
For those considering starting their own business, Aimee advises you to trust yourself: "If you don’t know everything, you’ll learn it", she says.
Entrepreneurs tend to have the confidence to go out and find the answers themselves. She also stresses that you should know your product or service incredibly well. Since the market can often be saturated, it’s vital to know your competitors’ offerings and be crystal clear on what sets your product apart, since that’s the first question potential investors will usually ask.
Although daunting at first, Aimee quickly got to grips with the financial demands associated with growing your own business. Thanks to her studies in commerce and majoring in tax and digital marketing, Aimee was on steady footing from the outset. Between ensuring people get paid on time and liaising with suppliers, it can be a learning curve at the beginning, but these days, it’s an everyday task that Aimee’s grown to feel comfortable with.
With a successful and growing business under her belt, Aimee serves as sn inspiration to those considering a life of entrepreneurship. Her perpetual appetite for learning new things and embracing the journey was evident even during her school days. Whether it’s taking on a part-time job to fund your passion, becoming better at sticking to deadlines, or trying out new things to see where your areas of interest lie, every small action has the potential to carve out the future that you want.
For more information on financial literacy and the Bank of Ireland Money Smarts programme, click here.
