Every business owner starts with a dream – a vision of what they would like to achieve in stepping out in the world of business. However, the reality of competition, financial limitations, accessing recruiting and developing a winning team, not to mention conceptualising the vision into a leading brand requires mustering multiple skills. Deb Farnworth-Wood is not only a highly gifted serial entrepreneur, but she is also exceptionally successful in everything she undertakes. Deb will share proven attributes and strategies that are essential in creating ongoing business growth even through challenging economic times. In this lecture you will learn:
- How to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset
- The most important elements when establishing your vision
- What to look for when recruiting staff
- How often should you review your business plan, flexibility versus stackability
- How to stay one step ahead of the competition
About Deb Farnworth-Wood
Deb is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of the world-leading medical-aesthetic franchise Australian Skin Clinics. Born in Kenya and raised in the UK, Deb’s remarkable story is one of moving to the other side of the world to retire – only to build a $70m business, which she has subsequently sold in 2019.
Having spotted an opportunity to build a successful franchise model, Deb moved her family to the Gold Coast in 2007 and got down to work. She launched the franchise in 2011 and five years later, she had grown the business to 60 clinics across Australia and New Zealand and reshaped an ailing skincare brand, scooping up multiple awards in the process. She was named Gold Coast Woman in Business of the Year 2017 and was a finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards in 2016.
Deb’s career has been punctuated by ‘firsts’. She was the first non-doctor to become a partner in a UK medical practice, and her group were the first non-pharmacist to own a UK pharmacy. She also opened England’s first drive-thru pharmacy. It is a testament to her incredible vision and passion for the aesthetics industry that she continues to push the boundaries of business to this day. In 2020, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, Deb purchased Issada Cosmetics an Australian mineral makeup company. In December 2020 she launched Issada Clinical Formula skincare range – a clean cosmeceutical range that had been in development for two years. Deb also contributes to APJ Journal through her column Business Wisdom. www.issada.com
