Rochelle Raye-Anthony: How she went from Solopreneur to The Apprentice runner-up, all with Passion, Determination & a Solid USP!
Who is Rochelle Raye-Anthony?
Rochelle Raye-Anthony may well be superwoman—she’s a mother, a salon owner, an influencer & TV sensation! Twelve years ago, Rochelle opened The Dollshouse Salon as a solopreneur. Fast forward to 2023, and she was on Britain’s screens as a runner-up on The Apprentice, branded “a grafter like an old East-End girl” by Lord Alan Sugar himself.
It’s giving rags-to-riches vibes, so how did Rochelle get to such a successful point in her career—especially considering she started solo? Rochelle believes her success was kickstarted with a very strong unique selling point (USP), combined with good, old-fashioned passion & determination.
She continues, “This is a billion-dollar industry and it’s no secret why. That feel-good factor…you just can’t put a price on it. I always knew that my business was going to be a safe haven for women to come & sit down and get a bit lost in time. We are all about women empowerment, making you feel good & comfortable, but luxurious & girly, all in one.”
Why is a unique selling point valuable for my salon?
Your unique selling point is what makes you stand out from the rest, expand your footprint and catch people’s eye. This means more customers, more money, and more influence & longevity.
A unique selling point is designed to attract clientele and offer them something they can’t get elsewhere. In Rochelle’s case, she went with the feel-good factor.
She continues, “This is a billion-dollar industry and it’s no secret why. That feel-good factor…you just can’t put a price on it. I always knew that my business was going to be a safe haven for women to come & sit down and get a bit lost in time. We are all about women empowerment, making you feel good & comfortable, but luxurious & girly, all in one.”
Rochelle can not only easily identify the USP of her salon, but she genuinely believes in it. She wasn’t lying when she said she used her passion & drive to forge ahead. Lord Sugar was right—she certainly is a grafter!
“I’ve always grafted my butt off. Passion and determination can oftentimes take you further than just a skillset. That is so important.”
How to deal with the challenges
Positivity is a great approach to success, but how does Rochelle approach any challenges that may arise as a salon owner?
“For anyone starting a business, you have to understand it isn’t going to be a 9–5 day job. Your business is active from the minute you open your eyes to the moment that you shut them. It’s not going to happen overnight, and it will take time. There are going to be times you don’t feel good and you feel stressed. It’s important to listen to your body and take some time for yourself. Then, you dig deep and find that resilience & patience, and you keep going. There will be months where you make no profit, and you’ll have no patience, but grit & determination are priceless here.”
She details her TV time as such:
“From being on The Apprentice, I learned that Lord Sugar is such a hard worker, and he gives personal attention & his presence where it’s needed. That’s how I want to run my own business.”
Stepping up to be a leader
Rochelle started out on her own, and now manages several stylists, beauty therapists & more. She is responsible for training them on Vagaro, the booking & salon management software that she swears by.
She also teaches them how to work with various hair textures & styles, and how to become superheroes, just like their boss!
On describing the transition from having to consider only yourself, to having a whole team depend on you, Rochelle says:
“It’s a really tough thing to navigate when handling young people starting out in their careers. One thing I had to learn was how to be a leader and empower my team. I don’t boss my team around; I am always respectful towards them. I want to give them what I have learned, so they are able to take that and pass it on to our clients. I want to give them all the tools they need. This is what I’ve learned makes for great client retention—if you give them support, make them happy & empower them, you’ve got a stylist that will stay with you their whole career.”
The best salon management software
Rochelle is a longstanding user of Vagaro –
“Luckily for me, I found Vagaro pretty early on,” she explains, “It’s been such a handy tool for myself and my clients to be able to arrange online bookings & take card details. It doesn’t matter if you have an iPhone or a laptop; you can do it from anywhere and it’s instantly there. You don’t get any issues with cross-bookings, and there’s a waitlist that’s great for filling in last-minute gaps.”
Her favourite bits of the software?
“You have the opportunity to advertise all your services on the Marketplace, and one of the best features is that you can customise your time. No two hairdressers are the same—one might spend 30 minutes on something whilst the other spends 40, so you can customise those appointment slots per stylist in the calendar.”
And what about the cost?
“What’s even more helpful with Vagaro is its value for money. In today’s cost-of-living crisis, everyone is having to pull back where they can, but Vagaro is so worth the money (starting at just £30 per month!) and user-friendly. If you do need help, there is a personal agent right on the other end of the phone in the UK who is always happy to help.”
“Nothing good ever comes out of staying in your comfort zone. Start your business, use Vagaro and let your determination do the rest.” –Rochelle Raye-Anthony
Vagaro also recently paid a visit to The Dance Lab in East Putney, and wrote a checklist for a successful business, so be sure to check that out to help you get on your way!
