Naomi Woods has been running her salon in Newhaven since 2017 and is amongst the first beneficiaries of the NEZ Town Centre Revitalisation Fund.
The scheme is designed to help businesses in the town centre to improve the look of their shop fronts and is already proving popular.
Naomi is looking forward to moving her salon from Avis Way to Newhaven town centre in the winter after works have been completed to refurbish her new premises.
We caught up with Naomi to find out what she loves about running her own business in Newhaven, how our town centre is improving and her experience of securing funding.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and what led you to set your business up in Newhaven?
I opened ‘Naomi’s Hair Salon’ in April 2017.
After eight years in this premises, I have decided to relocate to a more convenient and prominent location on South Way, at the top of the town.
There is quite a lot of updating needed, so I am currently in the process of renovating the new property to make it comfortable and modern for my clients.
What first sparked the idea for your business and how did it develop into what it is today?
Ever since I was young, I had always wanted to be a hairdresser and have my own little salon.
I started off as a Saturday girl, sweeping up and making teas.
Once I had graduated, I worked part time as a hair-stylist until the opportunity to open a small salon in Avis Way came up.
I absolutely love what I do. It’s so rewarding to be able to make people happy and feel good.
What made Newhaven the right place to start and grow your business?
I have lived in Newhaven all my life and like the community, so when the opportunity came up to open in Avis Way, I took it as there wasn’t a hairdresser around that area.
How has Newhaven Enterprise Zone supported you?
Newhaven Enterprise Zone has been a real support with my relocation into the town.
I emailed querying about potential help for businesses and they came back to me with different grant opportunities and support available that I could apply for.
How do you see yourself contributing to the town centre?
Once I’ve opened, I hope my existing clientele will be able to make use of the shops that the town has to offer.
I know I’ll certainly be making use of the bakery and cafés on my lunch breaks!
Opening the hair salon will make it one less shop turned into flats.
What do you enjoy most about being based in Newhaven and being part of the local community?
I love how all the businesses seem to support each other.
Since starting the renovations on the new salon, I’ve realised there’s a real community feel amongst all the shop owners within the town.
It makes me excited to be a part of Newhaven town.
How do you feel the town is changing and what excites you about its future?
The town seems to be changing in a positive way. There’s a lot of independent and family run businesses popping up and the empty shops are slowly being taken over.
For the future it would be amazing to see all of the empty premises filled with a variety of shops which would then help the existing shops to stay in business.
Are there any hidden gems or favourite spots in Newhaven?
I love the walk along the river up to the beach, it’s such a beautiful part of Newhaven.
I love the cafés and restaurants in the town centre but my favourite would have to be Padella D’oro, which is a real hidden gem along Bridge Street.
What are your hopes and ambitions for the next year?
For this following year I want to focus on renovating the new salon and making it a warm and welcoming space for my customers.
I’ll hopefully be looking to start the process of employing someone to help with extra jobs around the salon.
How would you describe Newhaven in three words?
Welcoming, historic and vibrant.
To find out more about the Town Centre Revitalisation Fund visit: https://newhavenenterprisezone.com/newhaven-unleashed/town-centre-revitalisation-fund/
