Month: June 2026

A passionate Italian entrepreneur who once gave massages to royalty has transformed her lifelong dream into one of the West Midlands’ most celebrated beauty and wellness destinations, and she shows no signs of slowing down.

Paola Spiga, founder of the award-winning Glam & Glow Beauty Lab in Hockley Heath, Solihull, has been named a finalist in the Small Business Awards UK’s Best Beauty Business category; her latest recognition in a remarkable run of 13 awards and accolades achieved in less than three years since opening.

The announcement adds to an already outstanding record. In June 2026, Paola was honoured with the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Solihull Customer Commitment Award, widely regarded as one of the region’s most prestigious business accolades.

That followed a Fresha Highly Recommended Winner title in March 2026, an E2 Media Award of Excellence in January 2026, and a coveted Top 3 Best Beauty Salons in Solihull listing by Three Best Rated in December 2025.

Earlier in 2025, Paola was also recognised as the Best Massage Therapist in Solihull for 2025, reached the Regional Finals of the Muddy Stilettos Awards in the Best Beauty Salon/Clinic category, was a finalist in the HBA UK Hair and Beauty Awards for Beauty Therapist of the Year, and was shortlisted for the UK Small Business Awards Best Business Start Up.

The accolades stretch back to the very beginning. In June 2024, Paola was named Start-Up of the Year at the Ladies First Awards just months after launching. She went on to become a finalist at the Solihull Chamber of Commerce Awards for Outstanding Start-Up, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and later received the Ladies First Excellence in Health & Wellbeing Finalist honour in February 2025, before earning the Ladies First Special Recognition Award in June 2025.

“Thirteen recognitions in under three years are something I could never have imagined when I first opened the doors,” says Paola. “But every single one of them belongs to my clients. They are the ones who trust me, who come back, and who push me to keep raising the bar. This is for them.”

Paola’s journey into beauty was a calling she discovered almost by accident. After stepping away from a different career including her Pharmacy university path, she enrolled in courses, eventually securing an apprenticeship at a salon in her native Sardinia, where she worked for seven months doing make-up and nails, initially unpaid, simply for the love of it.

“It was the first time I’d ever seen a beautician at work, and it was mind-blowing for me,” she recalls. “That was where my passion truly started.”

That passion would lead her to the St Regis Luxury five-star hotel in Florence, where she spent three transformative years working as a beauty therapist while continuing her studies. It was there she honed an uncompromising standard of excellence, treating guests from across the globe including royalty.

“Looking back, it was the most important time of my career. That incredibly high standard of service has stayed with me ever since. I always ask myself: if a prince walked through my door right now, would I be ready? Ultimately, I want every client who sits in my chair to feel like a prince or a princess like they’ve never felt before.”

In 2014, Paola relocated to the UK and spent years building her expertise across a range of prestigious salons and Spas. In October 2023, she took the leap and opened Glam and Glow Beauty Lab on Stratford Road in Hockley Heath.

“I always knew I wanted my own salon, but I wanted to do it right,” she says. “For me it was about finding the perfect location, the finest products, and creating a space where every single detail matters. I believed in my skills. I just needed the right moment.”

For small business owners, networking is often framed as a “nice to have” – something you squeeze in between client work, bookkeeping, and the hundred other spinning plates that define entrepreneurship. But in reality, networking isn’t an accessory to business growth. It is the engine.

In fact, networking is critical for small businesses, acting as a powerful tool to drive growth, build brand awareness because, by forging relationships, owners can access new opportunities, gain industry insights, enhance credibility, and find mentorship.

Small businesses rarely have the luxury of big advertising budgets. Networking fills that gap by creating a steady stream of word‑of‑mouth referrals – still the most trusted form of marketing because it doesn’t feel like marketing.

A strong network becomes a distributed PR team, advocating for you organically. This is especially crucial for small businesses that rely on trust and personal recommendation.

A single conversation at a breakfast meeting can lead to anything from an idea, industry update, a referral, a client or even a collaboration. In essence – new opportunities! Some of the most transformative business moments happen not in boardrooms, but in casual conversations at events, workshops or industry gatherings.

And when times get tough, your network becomes your ‘safety net,’ offering everything from advice and emotional support to practical help.

But at its core, it works because people buy from people – and they remember the ones they’ve met, especially those which have left an impression.

In an era of digital noise, human connection cuts through. When someone has shaken your hand, heard your story or shared a coffee with you, you stop being ‘a business’ and become the person they know who does that thing.

That familiarity builds trust, and, over time, trust builds sales.

Networking also opens doors you didn’t know existed. Small business owners often operate in their own bubble – head down, focused on delivery – and networking bursts that bubble. While entrepreneurship can often be lonely, networking reminds you that you’re not doing it alone.

The old mindset of guarding your contacts and keeping your cards close to your chest is outdated. Today’s business landscape rewards collaboration – and collaboration beats competition every time, not to mention supporting your own professional – and personal – growth along the way, including building confidence and soft skills.

Reputation is currency

Ultimately, networking isn’t just about who you know; it’s about what those people come to believe about you, repeat about you and associate with your name long after you’ve left the room – in other words: your reputation.

A strong network becomes an army of advocates. They recommend you, tag you, introduce you, and speak positively about your work long after the event has ended.

Reputation is currency. It isn’t built through marketing campaigns or polished websites alone. It’s built through people – the ones who’ve met you, worked with you, heard you speak, or simply observed how you show up in professional spaces.

In a world where small businesses can appear fragile or fleeting, showing up repeatedly builds credibility and trust. People trust what they routinely see.

When your reputation is built solely on marketing, those more challenging moments – a delayed project, a tricky client or a miscommunication – can feel catastrophic. But when your reputation is built on relationships, people are more inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt. The more people who vouch for you, the harder it is for misinformation to stick.

Contributing to discussions, sharing insights, mentoring others or collaborating generously, leads to you becoming known for more than your service offering. You become known for your presence.

Contrary to common belief, done right, networking isn’t about collecting business cards or attending every event on the calendar. It’s about the slower burn of building meaningful, mutually beneficial relationships that strengthen your business from the inside out.

And, who knows, you might build a few meaningful friendships along the way too!

Ladies First

I am always careful to practice what I preach and have reaped the long-term benefits of networking my own PR business, for several years.

Indeed, I am now an ambassador for Ladies First Professional Business Network, based primarily in Warwickshire and the West Midlands. The group has been run successfully for the last ten years by Tracey McAtamney, from Balsall Common.

She told me: “I’ve learnt that networking is far more than exchanging business cards – it’s about empowering women through connection, collaboration, support and shared success.  The right network can change not only your business, but your confidence, opportunities and future.”