Belief inabilitiesis better than age

Jan 13 2009 by Sue Scott, Evening Gazette

IF YOU’RE good enough, you’re old enough...

That’s Sarah McConnell’s blunt riposte to those who believe teenage entrepreneurs are a recipe for failure.

In November the 19-year-old from Yarm established beauty salon Re:nu in her home town and claims the credit crunch is no barrier for bright young things with a can-do attitude.

“You’re a long time dead,” she says.

“Too many people stick in the same job when they aren’t happy.

“If you believe in yourself, you can go far - but you can’t afford to get sidetracked by people who say you’re not good enough or you’re too young.

“Some people think I’m mad starting this business, especially with the credit crunch, but I’m determined to succeed.”

Sarah, who has had a passion for beauty therapy “since the age of 12 or 13”, started her new venture just 18 months after completing an apprenticeship with what could now be regarded as one of her rivals, Yarm-based Affinity.

She left to run the beauty department of an anti-ageing clinic in Darlington before a desire to return to her roots and control her own destiny sparked the creation of Re:nu.

Having already employed an office junior to help share the administrative workload, ambitious Sarah plans to build the brand by opening other sites across the Tees Valley and taking on extra staff.

With an advanced apprenticeship in beauty therapy from Middlesbrough College, she claims some entrepreneurs sometimes have to battle negative perceptions of the industry in which they operate.

“People think that if you go into health and beauty you have no qualifications and no other option. I’m living proof that that’s not the case.”