Prize lets beauty entrepreneur employ husband
Sally Miller’s husband Tim was made redundant last year but, thanks to an innovative competition by a new enterprise park, she’ll soon be employing him.
The Rosscarbery-based mother-of-two won a €70,000 prize put up by the enterprise park to foster fledgling businesses.
The idea for the prize came from Jerry O’Donovan, the promoter of the Lisavaird Enterprise Park project where 43-year-old Sally will receive rent and utilities free for one year.
She will also get a unit fitted out for her requirements along with associated start-up costs, such as legal and accountancy services.
“Winning this fantastic award has really given my business a big kickstart. It will mean I can now expand so that it will provide a job for Tim, who was made redundant last year,” Sally said.
“The new unit will mean that we can manufacture on a much larger scale and more cost efficiently.”
She got the idea for the business while working as an aromatherapist and, soon afterwards, formed her company which produces natural lip balms, bath salts, shower gel, shampoo bars, body creams, scrubs, and natural wax candles.
The company also imports pure shea butter from Ghana, West Africa, and has helped a group of women there to set up a business to support their families.
Sally says shea butter has amazing healing and moisturising properties for dry, damaged skin, especially eczema.
At present the collection is available from about 20 different retail outlets and most recently on the MV Julia Cork-Swansea ferry.
“As the business grows I will be looking to taking on more staff,” Sally said.
The Mayor of Cork county, Cllr Jim Daly, was involved in promoting the setting up of Lisavaird Enterprise Park.
He said West Cork Enterprise Board and the West Cork Development Partnership are working towards ensuring other entrants will be assisted with getting their business idea going.
