Company: Heaven by Deborah Mitchell, Shifnal, Shropshire, United Kingdom
Entry Submitted By: Awards Intelligence
Company Description: Started more than 20 years ago by beautician Deborah Mitchell, Heaven by Deborah Mitchell has successfully created an exclusive niche for itself as an innovative beauty brand. With a wide range of beauty products and treatments, Heaven has enjoyed worldwide success boosted by skilful marketing, ambitious growth plans and the support of senior members of the British Royal family and cele
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Female Entrepreneur of the Year in Europe, the Middle East & Africa

Nomination Title: Deborah Mitchell, Founder and Owner

Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated entrepreneur since the beginning of July last year (up to 500 words):

Heaven by Deborah Mitchell is an outstanding example of how you don’t have to be big to be best.

Under the leadership and direction of award-winning beauty therapist and entrepreneur Deborah Mitchell, the beauty brand has carved an exclusive niche for itself on four continents including Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The world-wide beauty industry is dominated by major international corporations, but that has never daunted the unstoppable Deborah who has developed a thriving company by skilful marketing, inspired leadership and astute business acumen.

Sales are on track to almost double this year (year end Sept 2012) to £5 million compared with £2.75 million in 2010/11. And the increase is earnings since 2009/10 is almost eight-fold while profits have risen five-fold in the past year from £275,000 in 2010/11 to £1.4 million forecast for 2011/12.

Deborah Mitchell has been able to make such an impact in a crowded marketplace thanks to the unique qualities of her products, an obsessive focus on customer service – and a little help from senior members of the British Royal family plus other celebrities.

Runaway best-seller in Heaven’s extensive range of products is her innovative Bee Venom Mask which saw a huge increase in sales after news emerged that the wife of Britain’s future King is a fan.

Sales enjoyed another boost after it was disclosed that the Duchess of Cambridge, wife of Prince William, has also used the product in addition to Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and wife of Prince Charles.

The resulting worldwide publicity contributed to a big increase in sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa via distributors in Cape Town, Dubai, Cyprus and Spain. Exports account for more than a third of Heaven sales with EMEA making up 65% of that. Gran Canaria is the brand’s top overseas market, with Dubai and South Africa ranked highly.

Based in Shropshire, England, Deborah makes frequent trips to different regions of the world to train distributors and therapists to give her exclusive treatments and use her products. With a staff of 61, up from 23 in January 2011, she also regularly sends more experienced members of her team abroad on stints of up to several weeks to provide training.

A key driver in the success of the company has been Deborah’s unrelenting emphasis on customer service to make the Heaven brand really stand out. She says: “Customer care makes us what we are.” This is reflected in her returns policy – if anyone is dissatisfied with a product she will personally contact them, give them a full refund, send an alternative product and/or give them individual advice on alternatives based on her 20+ years experience.

As an entrepreneur, Deborah – whose brand was a Gold winner in the 2012 Stevie International Business Awards - has also set the bar on giving something back to society. Ten per cent of the value sales of her best-selling Bee Venom Mask go to the Bee Preservation Society and she is also a major supporter of The Prince’s Trust, the Red Cross and other organisations.

Provide a brief biography of the nominated entrepreneur (up to 100 words):

Since starting out as a beauty therapist more than 20 years ago with just £10 and a burning desire to make the personal care industry more natural, Deborah Mitchell has achieved great success. By skilful marketing and careful positioning, her brand Heaven by Deborah Mitchell has maintained an exclusive edge in the fiercely competitive worldwide beauty business.

An entrepreneur who thrives on challenge and change, Deborah has kept one step ahead by constantly developing new products. Recently awarded a Fellowship of her local college in the UK, Deborah is also a firm believer in giving back to the community and society.