Laura Breen is the proud owner of Laura's Hair Stylin, a luxury hair salon located in Rosenallis, Co. Laois. Laura started hairdressing 6 years ago, starting as a mature student. In 2009 she started her junior trade under Julia Mullaly and the following year she started senior trade of hairdressing in Crumlin College after a series of courses. Laura holds a Masters colour degree with Revlon and has recently received her barber qualification under Niall O'Connor. Laura started her own business 5 months after completing a Start Your Own Business Course through the Local Enterprise Office and since starting, the salon is going from strength to strength.

In Laura's own words  "If you can dream it, you can do it"

We sat down with Laura to ask her a few questions about her entrepreneurial journey to date.

Laura, how did you go about starting your own business?

I had a friend in Business and I took her advice on her own experience in business and she also suggested completing the Start your own Business course run through the Local Enterprise Office and it all went from there.

Did you always want to own your own business?

No I didn’t, I always feared that there would be too much to it.

What has been the greatest struggle you faced in starting your own business and how did you overcome this?

The initial fear of “will I be busy enough” and the word “overheads” taunted me, but as soon as I got started the salon has never been empty and my fears gradually faded away.

What has been your proudest business moment to date?

Cutting the ribbon alongside all my family, friends and clients old and new really is a moment that stands out for me. Everyone has been so supportive and seeing so many people come to celebrate the achievement was so amazing.

 Laura you have a young family, how do you find the balance between work and life?

My family are wonderful. My husband is a great help around the house and my daughter is working in the salon with me, we all chip in and work together which is just great.

You are a past participant of our start your own business course. Did you find that it helped equip you for starting your business?

Absolutely, I was clueless of figures and where to go and what to be doing to get the business started. The course gave me a foundation of knowledge in my head and made me believe that nothing is impossible once you think it through.

 What are the benefits you feel in taking part in a start your own business course?

Along with learning how to balance your own accounts and creating a business plan, I enjoyed meeting new people with the same queries going into business and seeing how businesses in different industries are similar to each other.

 What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about starting their own business?

Go for it, if you think you can do it, when you have done your research with a bit of motivation and determination anything is possible.