Burton businesswoman celebrates decade anniversary with expansion revelation

A salon owner who set up shop to help save others falling victim to skin cancer is celebrating a milestone anniversary with as expansion revelation.

Entrepreneur Stacey Pickess, who runs Avoca Spa in Station Street, Burton, is marking an impressive decade of being in business by unveiling exciting plans to open a second salon in Burton and recruit more staff.

The 38-year-old was addicted to sunbeds when she was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2006 at Queens Hospital, Burton, at the age of 24 and within just a week was having surgery and a skin graft at Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital.

After the malignant melanoma cancer scare, which left her with a hole in her right leg, she was inspired to set up Avoca Spa offering spray tanning, amongst other treatments, to give others a safe alternative to sunbeds as a sole businesswoman.

Second salon now set to open in the New Year – potentially doubling staff employed

Over the years her salon has expanded to offer a long list of professional beauty treatments with a client base spanning as far as Uttoxeter, Birmingham, Derby and Loughborough, and currently employs four staff.

Now Stacey, whose cancer experience has seen her appear on Lorraine and This Morning, and alongside Dr Hilary, Eamonn Holmes and wife Ruth, is celebrating her 10 year business anniversary by revealing she’s bought a second premises in Station Street.

She had planned to open the new salon in time for her anniversary, but lockdown and the pandemic has forced the plan to be put back until next year while she continues to get the new salon ready with long-term partner and builder Luke.

The new salon is set to potentially double the number of staff employed from the Burton area when it opens.

“Incredibly excited” to reveal expansion plans

Stacey said: “Since we reopened after lockdown we’ve been as busy as ever so the Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t had a long-term effect on the business.

“I originally opened in a recession on the ground floor of another business but worked hard and within three years I was able to open my first salon.

“We’ve come a long way, expanding and improving all the time, so I’m incredibly excited to be able to announce that I’m opening another salon and creating more jobs for therapists in the Burton-on-Trent area.”

But what does Stacey believe has been the secret of her success?

Positivity, hard work and rewarding loyalty – key elements of salon’s success

She added: “Despite the cancer scare I’ve always been an incredibly positive person. I truly believe that positivity and hard work, as well as offering consistently high-quality services and rewarding the loyalty of customers, have been key to my success.

“I’m really looking forward to continuing to invest in Burton and building on the great foundations I’ve been able to create here with a great team of highly-experienced hard-working staff by my side.”

To celebrate her 10 year business anniversary Stacey is running a competition to give away a treatment package. You can find out more at www.avocaspa.com, @safersun.avocaspa on Facebook, @avocaspa on Instagram, email  salon@avocaspa.com or call 01283 535660.