KM Beauty

Debbie Whittington is a 20-year beauty and wellness industry veteran but her career really started when she was just eight.

“I was doing facials and things for my mom and her friends,” she says of her early childhood foray into the world of beauty. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, and it’s all I’ve ever done.”

Today, Debbie is empowering other beauticians to achieve their own professional goals through KM Beauty, her Watford-based business established in 2011, that contracts and manages a team of beauticians who provide mobile in-home treatments such as massages, facials, and manicures to women across southeast England.

As a freelance service provider, for years Debbie lost potential customers because she could not immediately respond to requests via her website. But WhatsApp changed that – and the WhatsApp Business app’s advanced features made it even easier. The impact was instant – customer retention soared and it has helped her better organize and streamline on-the-go exchanges with contractors and clients alike. The app currently accounts for 98 percent of KM Beauty’s customer engagement.

“We saw an almost immediate increase of 30 more bookings per week due to WhatsApp,” says Debbie, adding that her team has grown to eight beauticians. She describes the quick replies feature as a “lifesaver” and uses the catalog feature to highlight special offers. “It shows we’re modern, and we’re using what clients use; the way they prefer to communicate.”

That is indeed the case.

“It’s quick, easy. You always get a faster response. It’s more convenient,” says Leasha Girvan, a KM Beauty client who books a monthly facial, waxing and nail treatments with Debbie via WhatsApp.

While she still performs some treatments herself, in the near future Debbie plans to play a more managerial role, with goals to expand to customers in France and Spain while continuing to grow in her home country.

“I want to be the largest mobile beauty company in the U.K.,” she says.

A dream in the making since childhood.