South Shields mum's high-brow business gets national backing

Megan Patrick founded her business - Brow Wow Specialist Brow and Beauty Bar - which provides brow shaping and sculpting, in 2015.The venture came after the 28-year-old from Galsworthy Road, in South Shields, was forced to leave a top London dance school when funding ran out.

After carrying out market research she went on to enrol on Enterprise – an intensive Prince’s Trust programme which helps young unemployed entrepreneurs start their own business and - after successfully securing funding - she went on to develop her business.

Three years on, the mum-of-one has seen her venture go from strength to strength, and has expanded from a mobile service to having two permanent bases - in Charlotte Terrace, South Shields, and Durham Road, Gateshead.

Megan splits her time between the two, seeing up to 15 clients a day, four or five days a week.

Now she has received national backing after successfully applying for a place on the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator Programme.

After intense rounds of interviews, which saw Megan pitching her business growth idea to a judging panel, her business was chosen to be a part of the scheme.

The NatWest Business Hub takes on one North East business of each type per year and provides expert mentoring and support for business owners.

She said: “I am over the moon that my business has been chosen, and I will now be pushed forward by NatWest’s business coaches, mentors and investors, as well as having a free office space on Newcastle Quayside.

“The six to 18-month programme is designed to push high growth businesses to scale up to new heights, and I am hoping to create more employment in the area and, in the new year, franchise Brow Wow around the UK.”

Megan’s work saw her nominated for an award at The Prince’s Trust and TKMaxx and Home Sense Celebrate awards, where she was named runner-up in the Natwest enterprise award category back in 2016.

On her latest success, she added: “I am so pleased. I have just found my own way as I have gone on, and this programme will just give me that push now and give me some help and find out if the business is franchiseable.”