Salon founder, Patrica Boehler is a Skin Care Therapist in the NT who began her Beauty Career in 1975 by studying Beauty Therapy at Madam Korner in Sydney.
After returning to Darwin, Patricia was approached by the only local beauty salon owner at the time to come and work for her at her new city premises. Within six months, she had the opportunity to buy the business.
Overcoming personal setbacks, Patricia reinvented herself and pursued a career in nursing. Shortly after, another opportunity to rescue a beauty salon presented itself, Patricia rebranded and put her stamp on the business to create “Dermal Essence”.
Patricia is a unique natural beauty expert and doesn’t follow the norm, She really cares about the client and their skin and know’s that there are people out there who just want to age gracefully and maintain the health of their skin without all the hype.
Patricia’s favourite entrepreneur
“My favourite entrepreneur is my brother – Henry Townsend. He has managed to draw from his life experiences of owning a cattle station and after retiring has invested in his hobby of breeding unusual cattle as well as other financial investments to maintain his lifestyle of exploring and discovering how our ancestor’s lifestyles affect our health. Along the way, he has kept in touch with relatives far and wide and passed on medical folklore to maintain the health of all. “
What Patricia enjoys most about running her own business
“It took a long time, but after 17 years, I can lead people to choose unique natural skincare. I like the flexibility of choosing my own hours and days off so I can be with my family. Over the course of these years, I have sponsored 2 therapists from overseas, this gives me great joy to know I have helped them achieve a new life in another country.”
Three pieces of advice Patricia wished she’d been given when she started
- Don’t take on someone else’s business. Start with a clean slate, I think it would be easier than trying to rebrand as it took me 7 years to get my slate clean.
- Think carefully before going into buying the property as well as business. What maintenance needs to be done on the property, so you can continue to run the business smoothly without interruption.
- Consider finding out about marketing, 17 years ago it was unheard of, you just listed your business and did a mail-out and word of mouth travelled. But today if you don’t know anything about social marketing no one is going to know about you and your business.
What skills and knowledge areas would you recommend those starting out in business get acquainted with quickly?
“Learn how to do public speaking and promote yourself, the best way to do this is to become a member of a professional women’s group that supports your growth and offers education in the fields that support the growth of a business. Join a goals group so you can be kept accountable for your goals and actions. Learn about social media and which is the best platform for your business! The best way to do all this is to join Her Business as it is professional.”
