Stories

Wed, 29 Jul 2026

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 I dropped out of university and built five beauty businesses. Here's how I did it

Marcia Kilgore, founder of Beauty Pie, shares her top tips on how to create a successful business.
1. Start a business in an area where you have genuine knowledge and expertise. 2. Be able to explain the value of your idea in one clear sentence, answering "so what?" if it doesn't immediately make sense to others. 3. Avoid developing "ownership bias" and test your idea with your target market before investing in it. 4. Use AI to help refine and challenge your ideas, without relying on a large budget for consultants. 5. Be willing to make big sacrifices, including sacrificing free time, and be aware of changing customer behavior, new competitors, and wider market trends.