3 minute read

03/01/2017

How to run three businesses from one space

Tap, swipe, done. The key to success lies in the palm of your hands.

A few years ago, using your phone to run your business seemed like a farfetched idea. But now, with today’s smartphones getting ever smarter, it’s not just plausible, it’s possible. So meet two women taking the mobile revolution into the realm of entrepreneurship.

Nestled on a busy street in East London, Hackney Central Space may not look particularly notable from the outside. But on the inside it’s a completely different story.

Running one successful business is tough. But Yasemin and Hella run three separate enterprises out of this single space – “Yoga-Lab”, “Beaut Box” and a creative space for gigs, fashion and art – using only their mobile phones. And as if that’s not impressive enough, Hella runs her side of the business from almost three and a half thousand miles away, in the UAE.

How do they do it?

One thing that makes such a challenging situation easier is that each aspect of business has its’ own app. As Yasemin, the partner in charge of the day-to-day running of the business says “We’re an app-driven business. I couldn’t be without my phone”. And that’s so true. Throughout our time with her, Yasemin was constantly checking her phone, which didn’t stop ringing, beeping and buzzing all day.

Although it may sound stressful, Yasemin takes it all in her stride. She enjoys the direct contact with her customers and isn’t afraid to hand out her number to people who’ve passed through Hackney Central Space. Not only does it allow her to answer customer queries and deal with their concerns, but Yasemin knows that a personal touch encourages people to leave a nice review online and return over and over again.

Hella, on the other hand, looks after the financial aspect of the business. She too, is thankful for her mobile – particularly living abroad. But through her phone, Hella keeps in regular contact with Yasemin and uses a variety of apps to pay staff and suppliers. It’s a very efficient process, despite having to manage three different revenue streams and cash-flows.

All in a day’s work

It was pretty amazing to see how Yasemin was able to seamlessly transform the Hackney Central Space from a beauty salon into a yoga studio, and then into a gig venue. It seemed surprisingly effortless, and resulted in the unusual sight of people watching a band play with their yoga mats rolled under one arm.

It’s difficult to deny that both Yasemin and Hella are remarkable individuals. Equipped with their mobile phones, these two young businesswomen are able to achieve so much. It was impressive to watch Yasemin switch from answering emails, to managing hair and beauty appointments, taking payments for her yoga classes and uploading gig photos to Instagram, all in the space of a few minutes. Their success is richly deserved and has been recognised when they were awarded Beauty Salon of the Year at the London Hair and Beauty Awards 2016.

But what next? “We always talk about our future plans,” Hella admits. “We want to have more spaces popping up over London, that’s the dream.” And – as a mobile first business (or rather, collection of businesses) – they’ve got the flexibility to realise it.