Cameo - Skin Body Beauty
09 Aug 2016
![]()
There are times when we meet someone who impresses us with a fresh, positive can-do attitude and it is clear that they are achieving and loving what they do.
We met with Kim Krekeler from Cameo – Skin Body Beauty after she took out the Best Professional Service category at the Hastings City Business Awards, and she is one of those dynamic people who is passionate about what her team are doing and how they make their clients feel.
Trained as a physiotherapist, Kim took a personal interest in skin conditions early in her career and found that while both services were valuable to her clients, it was the positive changes that she could make to a client's skin which really helped them feel better about themselves. “Clearly, many clients who have poor skin have confidence issues, and in spite of the huge number of skin products sold with promises of improved complexion, there are few people with the knowledge and commitment of working with a client long-term to improve their skin condition – and that is where we focus” says Kim.
“I know most of our clients on a personal basis now and our team believe that we can seriously improve how a client feels about their look and this naturally flows to their confidence across other parts of their lives. We have chosen to take a different approach to many in our sector with no uniforms (these can create a barrier for clients), a small intimate studio, have regularly reached out and participated at the Hastings Night Markets (to get outside our usual clinic) and recently exhibited at the Hawke’s Bay Women’s Expo. This has allowed us to not only broaden our market and start talking with many people who want better skin but have also reached customers who never considered seeing a professional for fear of cost.”
Kim has been self-employed for many years and started trading as Cameo in 2012. Over that time she has focused on systemising the administration and operations of the business to allow her and her team to focus more on working with clients and consequently her team and client base have grown on the back of word-of-mouth recommendations. At the same time, a number of businesses with larger female workforces have moved close to her studio allowing her to be more responsive to client needs as they arise. “Regularly we will have clients pop across in a break to either pick up some product or receive a mini-treatment because they have an event that night,” says Kim. “This tells me that we are providing the customer service that our clients need.”
Working closely with Sally McKnight at PKF Carr & Stanton, Kim has a solid grasp on her financials, is a Xero fan and is working with a business coach with the idea of growing her business and it’s profitability over the coming months. Her full range of services are visible on www.cameobeauty.co.nz or call into her clinic at 101 Warren Street South, Hastings to see just how this team really delivers outstanding service to their clients.
It seems appropriate that we leave the last line to Kim - “Our team love being the go-to people for our clients and there is nothing more satisfying than seeing one of our clients leave feeling better about themselves and more confident in where they are heading. That is the difference that we make and everyone deserves to feel good about themselves often.”