I Love Chapel Holistics, Cheadle Hulme
3 Mar 2016Carmen Brackenridge first opened Chapel Holistics, near the roundabout at the end of Ravenoak Road, in February 2006. How things have changed since then!
Chapel moved to Cheadle Hulme Shopping Centre in 2014. They now have a beautiful, relaxing and welcoming Beauty Retreat. Chapel’s Retreat really is an oasis of calm in our busy lives. All those stresses and strains just seem to lift off your shoulders as you head up the stairs…
Like so many of us, Carmen has lived in the area since she was little. She attended local schools before studying for her degree in Holisitics. She brought her children up here (they also attended Cheadle Hulme High School) and has always supported the local causes, schools and businesses. When the chance came to relocate her holistics salon from Chapel-en-le-Frith, after lots of market research she knew it had to be done. Starting small, Carmen took her time growing the business in Cheadle Hulme. Doing virtually everything, assisted by just one part-timer, left very little time for business development! Even back then, it was clear that Chapel was a bit special – Carmen was happy to tailor treatments, go off-menu and offer treatments across generations – from a 100-year-old Granny to someone’s little daughter.
This personal service and family vibe continued, and as the business began to really take off staff, who had to be equally special, were soon needed. Not easy, but Carmen’s done it – all the girls at Chapel Holistics are genuinely welcoming. Carmen works hard to find exactly the right people who exude what she calls ‘Chapel Charm’. Chapel Charm is not just about being professional yet friendly, it’s also a real warmth and a passion, coupled with a keen eye for detail. It certainly pays off – beauty salons can be intimidating (as Carmen remembers from a time when she’d just had her first baby and desperately needed a little tlc – her experience left her very upset and determined to get it right with her own salon) but that’s not the case at Chapel. It’s a happy place both to work and visit, and clients are immediately made to feel comfortable and at ease. This is also true for the gents – Chapel for Chaps was launched a while back and has really taken off. Over a hundred fellas attended the launch event and 30% of Chapel’s client base is male.
Carmen also knows that happy staff make happy clients and so she really looks after her team. Charlotte, the salon manager, agrees. Everyone at Chapel Holistics enjoys monthly treatments for their health, wellbeing and posture. The whole Chapel team is made to feel valued and this is clearly reflected in their work, and ‘above and beyond’ ethos. This means clients return again and again – and are always happy to recommend. Carmen, who trained in business as well as beauty, is very well aware that word-of-mouth is a powerful marketing tool – after all, Chapel opened well before social media really took off. All the marketing in the world is no substitute for wonderful service which really goes the extra mile. The welcome and star treatment is extended to all clients, whether regulars or once-in-a-blue-moon visitors. Carmen says Chapel Time is largely about healing and wellbeing, so should be accessible – and affordable – to those who need it.
Carmen and her team love Cheadle Hulme, and Carmen says she feels she really belongs. She recognizes Cheadle Hulme’s genuine community spirit as well as its comforting familiarity. Of course, Chapel also support and recommend other local businesses – being a regular at Pimlotts the Butchers, attending many evenings and having Chapel nights out at Rainbow88, enjoying coffee from Hudson’s and getting hair done at Soap. On top of that – and further illustrating that ‘above and beyond’ attitude – as Chapel are so popular, if they can’t fit someone in, Carmen will recommend another local salon as she’d rather have customers happy.
So what’s next for Chapel? There are more exciting times ahead. For starters, a ‘Natural Facelift’ and two other specialist treatments by well-known local Swedish Massage Therapist and Indian Head Massage Therapist Sally Triner, as well as a new brand, developments in massage treatments, more ‘Chapel for Chaps’, and a premium spray tan with a state of the art brand. You can bet that Chapel will always be at the forefront with innovative new treatments. Chapel‘s genuinely warm team, each highly skilled, qualified and experienced have their own specialities. Charlotte, as manager, really feels a part of the business and takes the utmost pride in helping to run it so very well. It really does show – and that’s no doubt why Chapel Holistics was recently voted Cheadle Hulme’s best local shop. Well done to the whole Chapel Team!
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