A former nurse who founded her own skincare company is set to top £3 million in turnover this year.

Fiona Ross said she has been "lucky enough to work alongside and train with global experts in the aesthetics field" on the way.

Read more in the Monday Interview:

What is your business called? The Aesthetics Club

Where is it based? Glasgow (Bearsden)  and London (Notting Hill)

What does it produce/do? We offer medical aesthetic and results-driven skincare treatments

To whom does it sell? We treat mostly women at the moment, but our male customer base is growing. Due to our range of services, we treat adults of any age.

Turnover  By the end of 2024 we are forecasting a turnover of £3 million.

How many employees? 14

Why did you take the plunge? I worked in a variety of aesthetic settings from private members clubs to the largest cosmetic and aesthetics group in the UK as their lead nurse for London; I felt there was a real disconnect between a patient’s experience and their expectations. The environments always felt intimidating, stuffy or dismissive. It became apparent people were often under qualified and overcharging for their services – practitioners' motivations felt more focused on profit than patients. The gap between price and experience felt huge to me, I didn’t understand why a medical grade treatment couldn’t be delivered in a beautiful setting –  treatment rooms were always so clinical and cold. I knew there was a gap in the market to offer incredible treatments, from a team that could deliver excellent results in a welcoming, beautiful space.

What were you doing before? After completing my degree in Nursing at Glasgow University, I became a nurse in trauma receiving at King College Hospital London. I  then moved into practice nursing before transitioning into full time Aesthetic medicine.  I then completed my Independent Nurse prescriber training and a masters in Cosmetic and Aesthetic Medicine. I have since been lucky enough to work alongside and train with global experts in the aesthetics field.

What do you least enjoy? I feel really lucky this is hard to answer!  I enjoy all aspects of my job and the variety that each day brings. I especially love working with patients and anything that involves setting the company’s goals, vision or culture. I do perhaps leave the admin side of things to last…

What are your ambitions for the firm?  I have really big plans for The Aesthetics Club - I would like to grow to more key cities in the UK, hiring expert medical teams and skin specialists to deliver exceptional results and patient experiences. We also plan to expand beyond the UK and have been approached about opportunities in the US and UAE, both of which are extremely interesting. 

READ MORE: 

From five-star hotel and wedding venue to professional basketball

The Scottish finance chief who has no time for egos

Scots firm which works with Disney has US market in sights

This year alone we are taking a big step by opening four more locations throughout the UK.  We are also partnering with some incredible product and technology brands that are not yet available in Scotland – this will create further distance between us and others in the market.                 

What single thing would most help?  I would really like to see legislation introduced to ensure safe aesthetics practice in the UK. Scotland is currently the worst country in Europe for aesthetic regulations which is putting so many patients at risk. If regulations could be introduced to ensure treatments were carried out by medical professionals and appropriate guidelines were adhered to would be really valuable for the industry as a whole.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned? Go with your gut, especially when it comes to hiring staff. If it doesn't feel 100% right - it won't be. Hiring passionate, kind people will always serve us well.

What was your best moment? Launching our Skin Academy which serves as an apprenticeship for people who are passionate about skin care but don’t have a typical beauty background has been really exciting. We have found such amazing talent who would never have gotten into these roles without this avenue.  Winning Best Nurse practitioner in 2023 at the Scottish Aesthetic awards was also really special, as was being a finalist at the UK wide aesthetic awards for best clinic in Scotland and best team in the UK. Over the past four weeks we have had two major partnerships confirmed which I cannot wait to launch. We have also partnered with some of my favourite brands over the past twelve months including Soho House and Barry’s Bootcamp. There’s a lot to choose from. This year momentum is really building and it feels as though all of the hard work the team has put into growing Glasgow and London has been really worth it.

What was your worst moment? I try to focus on the good and believe that what is meant to be will be. Like so many other businesses, lockdown was really difficult for us as we couldn't work in any capacity. But it gave me so much precious time to spend with my six-month old daughter which I never would have taken off otherwise.

How do you relax?

My idea of heaven is having my breakfast outside somewhere sunny with a good view while reading a book. With a three year old and a 10 month old baby that isn’t very frequent so I would settle for a sunny day in the garden with my favourite people. Every evening I try to take 10 minutes to do a lovely skincare routine which feels like a little slice of me-time.