If someone had told me back in March 2012, when we first opened the doors to Serenity Loves, that one day we would be standing in London collecting the Business of the Decade award and celebrating at 11 Downing Street, I don’t think I would have believed them.
Yet here we are.
And honestly, it still hasn’t quite sunk in.
Over the past few weeks we’ve had the privilege of being named Business of the Decade at The Small Awards, organised by Small Business Britain, before being invited to a special reception at 11 Downing Street to celebrate the incredible contribution small businesses make across the UK.
It’s a moment our whole team will never forget.
But as proud as we are of the award, what makes it truly special is knowing we didn’t achieve it alone.
This Award Belongs to All of Us
Awards often have one business name on them, but they are never won by one person.
This award belongs to every member of Team Serenity Loves, past and present.
It belongs to every apprentice who walked through our doors, nervous on their first day, and worked tirelessly to learn their craft.
It belongs to every stylist, therapist, receptionist and educator who has chosen to be part of our journey and who shows up every day determined to make people feel amazing.
Most of all, it belongs to our wonderful clients.
Some of you have been with us since the very beginning. Others discovered us only recently. Whether you’ve visited us once or hundreds of times, every appointment you’ve booked, every review you’ve written, every recommendation you’ve made to family and friends has helped us become the business we are today.
Thank you.
We genuinely couldn’t have done this without you.
Fourteen Years of Learning, Growing and Never Standing Still
When Serenity Loves first opened, our dream was simple.
We wanted to create somewhere people genuinely enjoyed visiting.
A salon where clients felt welcomed, valued and cared for.
A place where our team could build fulfilling careers rather than simply have jobs.
Over the years, that vision has grown.
We’ve invested heavily in education because we believe learning never stops.
We’ve continued employing apprentices even when many businesses have found it increasingly difficult to do so.
Since opening, we’ve supported more than 30 people through apprenticeships and professional qualifications, with many going on to enjoy successful careers within our industry.
That is something we’re incredibly proud of.
At a time when apprenticeship numbers in hairdressing continue to decline nationally, we believe investing in young people is one of the most important things we can do for the future of our profession.
Innovation Has Always Been at the Heart of What We Do
One thing we’ve never wanted to do is stand still.
Whether that’s creating one of the country’s first salon crèches, which later evolved into our dedicated children’s salon and sensory-friendly environment, launching new training opportunities, or developing specialist de-matting services that help people who may have nowhere else to turn, we’ve always tried to look at how we can do things differently.
One initiative particularly close to our hearts is our specialist hair detangling service.
What started as helping just a handful of people has now grown into supporting more than 50 individuals experiencing severe hair matting caused by illness, disability, mental health challenges, hospitalisation and other difficult life circumstances.
Every single story reminds us why we do what we do.
Hair isn’t “just hair.” For many people, it’s confidence, dignity and self-esteem.
We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported our fundraising efforts to help make this service accessible to people facing financial hardship, and we’ll continue working to ensure nobody feels they have to struggle alone.
The Reality of Running a Small Business
Receiving this award doesn’t mean the journey has been easy.
Far from it.
Like thousands of small businesses across the UK, we’ve faced challenge after challenge over recent years.
Brexit.
Covid.
The cost-of-living crisis.
Rising energy bills.
National Insurance increases.
Minimum wage increases.
Increasing business costs across almost every area.
There have been moments when it has felt overwhelming.
As an employer, every decision matters because it affects our team, our clients and the future of the business.
Despite those challenges, we’ve always remained committed to doing things the right way.
We believe in employing people.
We believe in investing in training.
We believe in creating careers.
We believe in giving back to our community.
Recognition like this reminds us that those values still matter.
Looking Forward
Winning Business of the Decade isn’t the finish line.
If anything, it feels like the beginning of an exciting new chapter.
We’ll continue investing in our incredible team.
We’ll continue supporting apprentices and developing future hairdressers.
We’ll continue introducing innovative services that genuinely make a difference.
We’ll continue investing in the very best products, education and client experience.
We’ll continue fundraising to support people who need our specialist services.
And we’ll continue striving to improve every single day.
Because that’s who we are.
Whether You’re Already Part of Our Story or Thinking About Visiting…
If you’re already one of our clients, thank you for trusting us.
Thank you for supporting a local independent business.
Thank you for supporting local employment and apprenticeships.
Thank you for every recommendation, every review, every kind word and every appointment.
If you’ve never visited Serenity Loves before, we’d love to welcome you.
Whether you’re looking for a complete transformation, a little self-care, specialist support, or you’d like to help our apprentices develop their skills by booking one of our discounted training appointments, our doors are always open.
Finally…
To our team.
To our clients.
To our suppliers.
To our families.
To Small Business Britain.
To everyone who has believed in us over the last 14 years.
Thank you.
Business of the Decade is an incredible honour.
But the greatest achievement of all has been building a business that makes a difference to people’s lives.
Here’s to the next chapter.
With love and gratitude,
Jo Bevilacqua
Founder, Serenity Loves
