If you want business growth, fight for it - says Westpac Auckland Central Business Award Winner

Rubywaxx won the Excellence in Retail Award, sponsored by The New Zealand Herald, at the Westpac Auckland Central Business Awards on 2 November, presented by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Rubywaxx is a beauty therapy business, specialising in hair removal and anti-ageing, with four salons Auckland-wide.

The impact of the global economic crisis on the retail sector has been widely reported, yet Rubywaxx has bucked this trend. Not only has the business opened three new beauty therapy salons in the last three years, but also their retail sales have seen significant growth during that time.

“Just because there’s doom and gloom about a recession doesn’t mean that you should put your dreams on hold,” says business owner Ruby Francis. “Sure, things have got tougher out there. People are leaving it longer between waxes. And there’s been more competition from low-cost operators as well as the daily deal promotions. But that just means you’ve got to work smarter.”

“At the Award ceremony, the judges said that they were impressed by our strong branding, and our world-class KPIs [Key Performance Indicators],” says Ruby. “That sums up nicely what we’ve been doing, which is to chip away at things on a daily basis. When it comes to Retail, that means recruiting the right people, and then seriously investing in their training, and keeping them motivated. It’s got to be a team effort. And as the business leader, it’s my job to provide the vision, and also to pave the way to making it happen.”

“When you focus on getting the small details right, and you’ve got a good plan to work to, you make progress. If you want business growth, you’ve got to fight for it.”

Ruby is no stranger to having a fighting spirit. A keen athlete and sportswoman, she is participating in her first ever boxing tournament on 23 November 2012. Her boxing match at Ringside Corporate Fight Night is a fundraiser for Variety, The Children’s Charity. And Ruby has already blitzed her fundraising target.

“I’m not sure if it’s a wise move for a beauty therapist to risk getting her face smashed up,” laughs Ruby. “But by pushing myself to go further outside of work, it gives me the drive to do the same in my business.”