We are pleased to welcome two new businesses who this month became members of Shrewsbury Business Chamber: Beauty by Sarah and Max Ball Virtual Assistant.
Joining us is Sarah Hodnett, salon owner of Beauty by Sarah situated on the outskirts of Shrewsbury near the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. Sarah’s initial interest in beauty therapy stemmed from how a well-performed treatment can induce a sense of wellbeing. Sarah qualified as a beauty therapist in 1999 at Shrewsbury College. She has received a number of awards over the years including the British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology (BABTAC) Spa Therapist of the year which led to her opening Beauty By Sarah. She is also a huge supporter of the community. Sarah is the Regional Coordinator for Look Good Feel Better in Shrewsbury and will resume their monthly workshops from the Hamar Centre after the pandemic is over. She is currently a volunteer supporting the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.
A real success story for Sarah has been her adapting to the pandemic, from keeping her son Jake on task with all his school work to realigning her business to operate online, it hasn’t been easy but she has risen to the challenge. As an ambassador both for Avon and Neal’s Yard Remedies, she has begun selling cosmetic products to a lot of her clients and also holds online workshops which add real value and also bring in key funds for her business.
“As a business owner, I have never really had much opportunity to do networking, but the temporary closure of the salon due to the pandemic has helped me see me more value in it. I value the Chamber’s commitment to supporting local business with their monthly meetings. They have had some great speakers and it made me very keen to join.”
We also welcome Max Ball, who launched a new venture Max Ball Virtual Assistant last year. Born originally in Yorkshire (but still retaining his northern twang), Max studied Business Law at Sheffield Hallam University before moving to Shropshire in 2012. Since then he has worked for Salop Leisure for 8 years and developed a love and interest for digital marketing and graphic design. His passion to learn new skills that add value to others led to the Business Chamber recruiting him as our digital marketing executive in 2019. Max is another supporter of the community. He served as Parish Councillor of Bayston Hill Parish Council from 2012 – 2015; he raised £15,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of his late father in 2016 and currently is club captain for Shropshire Squash Club. Working as a virtual assistant, he has been integral to Shrewsbury Town Council’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and is keen to support businesses who need help during these challenging times.
“I am really pleased to become a member of the Business Chamber and hope that many others will see the value of becoming a member after this pandemic is over,” Max explained.
“You become a part of a bigger community who have contacts and ideas that can support your business. With the interesting speakers as well it is a great offering.”
For more information about Beauty By Sarah visit:
For more information about Max Ball Virtual Assistant visit: https://maxballvirtualassistant.co.uk/