Lujo Salon, Halliwell Road, Bolton

JOANNE Hales is testament to the fact that bringing up baby is no barrier to running a successful business.

She is proof that combining motherhood with a thriving enterprise can be achieved by hard work and dedication.

In the past three years, with the help of friends and colleagues, she has built up her Lujo Salon into a thriving and growing firm.

And she has emerged as an inspiration to other young people who may wish to follow in her footsteps.

At the age of just 21, she opened the salon in Halliwell Road.

Launching a business is daunting enough, but when you are a single mum with a one-year-old baby, the task is even more difficult.

“It was a bit of a roller coaster for a while, trying to find reliable staff and struggling to juggle a young baby. It was hard being a single parent,” she said.

However, the success she and her team have achieved is illustrated by the fact that turnover at Lujo has almost tripled in the last six months alone. This was achieved by lowering prices and offering high standards of treatment at affordable prices.

Given her own background in hairdressing, and the individual expertise of her colleagues in the health and beauty field, the salon offers a number of services.

Joanne also has considerable experience in hair extensions, ear and nose piercing, plaited extensions, spray tanning, threading and waxing.

The salon also offers eyebrow tinting and extensions.

Joanne said: “By training in all these areas, it means I can offer everything at reasonable prices.

“We’re not just a hair salon or beauty salon. We are everything.” Her colleagues have been encouraged and heartened by Joanne’s drive and enthusiasm and stress she is an inspiration to others.