Beauty and Brains: How Beauty by Sonica combines a passion for pampering with entrepreneurial prowess

Sonica Hunter of Beauty by Sonica has travelled the world: from South Africa to Scotland, from cruises to Churchill Square. The first item in her suitcase? The entrepreneurial mindset that helps her to stand out from the competition wherever she goes.

From childhood passion to successful enterprise

Sonica’s journey into the beauty world began at an impressively young age. “When I was young, I would give my mom a pedicure and she’ll pay me 1 rand, which is like 5p. And that was my business,” she laughs.

Born with an innate drive to spoil and pamper people, she pursued her passion formally at age 18, studying a comprehensive three-year somatology (combined health and beauty) degree covering advanced skincare, nutrition, and fitness at the Central University of Technology in South Africa.

Eager to see the world, Sonica spent four and a half years working on cruise lines like Cunard and P&O. It was on these ships that she met her husband, Stephen. After getting married, they relocated to his home country of Scotland, where Sonica successfully established her first high street salon business in a small village outside Edinburgh.

Today, operating out of Churchill Square Business Centre in Kings Hill, Beauty by Sonica serves a loyal and multi-generational client base across Kings Hill. Sonica offers a full suite of professional beauty services including manicures, pedicures, advanced eyebrow treatments, LVL lash lifts, reflexology, hot stone therapy, and Indian Head massage.

Starting anew in Kings Hill

When her husband’s career brought the family south to Kings Hill, Sonica faced the daunting challenge of rebuilding her business from scratch in a new geographic area. After working in a local salon for a year to understand the local market, her innate drive to be her own boss took over. She initially launched her small business from home just before the 2020 lockdowns, leveraging local mum groups, friendship circles, and sports clubs to generate vital word-of-mouth referrals.

What truly sets Beauty by Sonica apart from intense local competition is a relentless focus on individual care rather than high-volume turnover. Sonica said: “I never want to give people a treatment where they feel rushed like a conveyor belt.” Clients receive premium touches, such as a complimentary eye massage following an eyebrow shape, fresh towels, and warm blankets.

To stay ahead of market trends, Sonica frequently books treatments at other high-end salons for market research, gathering insights to constantly elevate her own service level. For years, her business grew entirely through reputation; it was only recently that she began strategic advertising to fill natural gaps in her calendar, ensuring a consistent, profitable flow of clients throughout the year.

Expanding into Churchill Square

As her home-based business expanded, managing late-evening appointments around a busy family life became increasingly difficult. Sonica needed professional business accommodation that kept her close to her target market in Kings Hill while offering clear boundaries between work and home. She found the ideal solution at Churchill Square Business Centre.

The decision to choose Churchill Square was heavily influenced by the flexibility of the premises. Unlike traditional commercial landlords that demand restrictive long-term commitments, Capital Space offers a highly flexible monthly license requiring only a single month’s notice. This arrangement significantly lowers financial risk for a sole trader.

Sonica mentions: “Moving from a work-from-home setup, I knew that I didn’t need a huge space and the increased overheads that come with it. At Capital Space, the rent is very reasonable, and I felt reassured knowing that I wasn’t signing myself up for a 12-month-long contract. I often get clients who want to come in after work, so having a space that allowed me to operate after five was essential.”

The bright, professional, and well-proportioned workspace provides a premium environment for her clients without saddling the business with heavy, unsustainable overheads. Furthermore, the central Kings Hill location means local professionals can easily pop in for high-end skincare treatments during their lunch breaks or right after work.

Planned maintenance in the future

While many SMEs rush to scale up, Sonica’s future strategy is intentionally measured. With two children aged 7 and 11, her current priority is balancing steady commercial success with family life. However, as her children grow older, she plans to extend her operational hours and scale up her business right within the business centre: “If I do expand, I’d want to stay at Churchill Square; maybe get a larger office or two next to each other for privacy.”

Her long-term plan involves moving into a larger workspace at Churchill Square that can be partitioned into multiple treatment rooms, potentially allowing her to take on staff. To drive this growth, she focuses heavily on B2B networking. Rather than viewing nearby beauty businesses as rivals, she actively collaborates with them. For example, she cross-refers clients with a laser specialist located on the floor below her. She is also planning to roll out targeted marketing campaigns, including seasonal flyers offering exclusive discounts to the hundreds of fellow professionals working right alongside her inside the business community.

Sonica’s best businesses tips

Drawing from two decades of international experience in the beauty and hospitality sectors, Sonica shares her top business tips for fellow entrepreneurs and expanding SMEs:

Start small and protect your cash flow: When launching or expanding, keep your overheads as low as possible. Choosing scalable business accommodation helps insulate your venture from unnecessary financial risk during the early stages.
Be hyper-flexible for early clients: Building a loyal customer base requires sacrifice. If a client needs an appointment at 7:00 PM or 8:00 PM, accommodate them. Exceptional initial flexibility secures long-term customer retention.
Capitalise on the moment: The most effective time to secure repeat business is when the client is standing directly in front of you. Always focus on rebooking before they walk out the door.
Diversify your marketing: Do not rely solely on social media algorithms. Combine digital advertising with localised B2B networking, physical flyers, and collaborative cross-promotions with complementary businesses.

By combining genuine passion with lean, strategic operations, Beauty by Sonica proves that any small business can carve out a highly profitable niche, even in the most crowded of markets.