Thea Callan: Nails Inc

Thea Green, nee Callan
Age: 27
Company: Nails Inc.

Former Tatler fashion editor Callan made her parents pay her to take her GCSE exams seriously and quit her job in a hairdressers. It didn’t take her too long to get back in the salons and the company she launched in 1999, Nails Inc., now has around 30 stores with the likes of Kylie Minogue as customers, and turned over around £3.5m last year.

2012 update:

Few could have predicted this nail bar chain’s growth. Set to turnover £22m this year, Nails Inc. has 56 concessions in UK stores such as Selfridges, House of Fraser, Debenhams and Harvey Nichols. Already trading in Ireland, Australia, Hong Kong, North America and Canada, Green, who recently received an MBE, is exploring opportunities in South Africa, Asia and Australia.

2016 update:

Nails Inc. and its “portfolio of 150 colours and special effects” continues to be the choice of high profile clientele including Victoria Beckham, Alexa Chung and Poppy Delevingne and has worked behind the scenes at major events such as London and New York Fashion Week and the MTV EMAs. Achieving revenues of £21.7m, the company is estimated to serve an average of 10,000 customers a week and employs more than 400 people. In 2013, Nails Inc. was awarded a Queen’s award for enterprise for international trade.