AN entrepreneur from Bury is set to hit a turnover of £1m through her laser hair removal business.

Helen Quayle, 28, launched LaserHQ from a "tiny, windowless" room four years ago. Since then, she has opened two clinics in Liverpool and Manchester, with a third opening soon in Leeds, as well as launching a training academy.

Helen, who struggled with dyslexia throughout school, grew LaserHQ from nothing after being made redundant. She now employs a growing team, and the company has a projected turnover of £1m by the end of the year.

Helen said: “I started the business four years ago when I was looking for laser hair removal and found that there were no well-known brands around to offer it.

"I wanted to launch a brand that was trustworthy and affordable, with a vision that it would be the best laser brand in the UK. I built the brand from nothing and started in a tiny little room in a salon – there was literally a bed and the machine, with no windows.

"My mum gave me £50 for the logo to help start the business and I got busier and busier. At the start, I was working all hours and lugging the machine around in my car, going between Manchester and my clinic in Liverpool.”

After two years in business, Helen opened the LaserHQ headquarters in Hamilton House, on Bury New Road. She said: “We moved into a bigger space to house the Manchester clinic – we’ve now taken on 80 per cent of the building and we just keep growing. There are currently 12 people on the team, which will expand again when the new clinic in Leeds opens and creates new jobs.

"We’re a close-knit team, some of them have been with me from the start; they’re all amazing and they’re a huge reason why the brand has grown to be a success.

Despite the challenges of the global Covid-19 pandemic, Helen has adapted and expanded the business and introduced new services. The business also recently confirmed a partnership deal with industry giants Cosmeditech for a range of new and bespoke laser hair removal machines.

She added: “When the pandemic hit and we had to close, we wanted to use the time wisely and turn it into a positive – so we made plans to be bigger and better. We launched the LaserHQ training academy, which means we now can train therapists from all over the UK."

But despite Helen’s entrepreneurial success, the former Bury Church of England High School pupil struggled with dyslexia throughout school, college and university. She achieved a 2:1 in Physical Education at Edge Hill, before landing a business apprenticeship with a sports company.

She added: “I’d say to any kids in school not to worry if you’re not academic, you’ll find your niche. "When I did an apprenticeship, I found my niche and that was problem-solving and being a good people person. It doesn’t matter if you’re awful with spelling or you struggle with the academic side; you’ll find what comes naturally to you. Everyone is unique and has different strengths and weaknesses. It’s about finding what you are good at and learning new ways to improve your weaknesses."