Room Ninety Two

In 2008, Lynn Taylor's business plan was rejected on three occasions. Not for a business bank loan, but a simple business bank account. With zero funds, debt and a poor credit history, the odds were stacked against her beauty treatment business ever getting off the ground. Where others may have given up, Taylor ploughed ahead, sourcing equipment from high street suppliers on expensive high interest credit and continuing to work part-time while setting-up from her Whitstable home. Three years on she's now banking with NatWest, her debts are paid off, she has two employees and revenues of £50,000. Offering high-end beauty treatments for clients often too busy to visit salons or spas within traditional opening hours, Taylor has built an impressive and loyal client list and is permanently booked up four weeks in advance. She insists the secret of her success is being completely client-focused, even dropping her party plans to accommodate GMTV's Kate Garraway on New Year's Day!

• Overcome serious financial difficulty
• Established loyal, high profile client base
• Found a simple but powerful way of differentiating her offering