For four years, Fefe Ntsoelengoe fought to keep her nail-care business alive after the franchise she bought into collapsed in a highly publicised scandal. Today, she not only runs a successful independent brand but has also successfully expanded with a second outlet.
“There were so many times I thought about giving up,” says Fefe, owner of Glow-Up Nails, which now operates from Roodepoort and Douglasdale in Johannesburg.
Her entrepreneurial journey began in 2021 when she opened a Tammy Taylor Nails franchise at Retail Crossing in Roodepoort. Just three months later, the franchise became embroiled in controversy amid allegations that local operators had been running the international brand without permission, leaving franchisees facing an uncertain future.
The crisis came at a time when Fefe was already dealing with personal turmoil. Having recently graduated as an interior designer, she lost her mother during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her father had passed away years earlier, leaving her responsible for caring for her younger sister and overseeing several family businesses, including a guest house, a catering and equipment-hire company, and a construction business. Having witnessed the challenges of entrepreneurship through her mother’s businesses, Fefe had never planned to become an entrepreneur herself.
“I went into survival mode,” she says. Although she found work as an interior designer, her salary was not enough to support her family responsibilities. Faced with difficult decisions she eventually closed her mother’s businesses and invested in a nail-care venture. The move was not entirely unfamiliar territory. While studying, Fefe had taught herself nail-care techniques and operated a small side business, making the franchise a natural next step.
Unlike some franchisees who were left with nothing, Fefe at least received a fully equipped salon before the franchise collapsed. When the scandal erupted, many advised her to cut her losses and pursue legal action. “People told me to walk away and sue the franchisors,” she says. “But I decided to stay calm and focused on keeping the business going.”
Her determination paid off. Customers remained loyal and she focused on building a business based on quality service. Recognising a gap in the industry standards, she invested heavily in training and developing skilled nail technicians and eventually secured accreditation for her own training programme.
As the business stabilised, she realised rebranding and establishing an independent identity was essential. However, her landlord would only lease to franchise operators, preventing her from changing the salon’s identity. Determined to move forward, she identified suitable premises in Douglasdale and began searching for funding to support a relocation and rebranding strategy.
Securing finance proved to be one of her greatest challenges. “I tried every funding source I could find online,” she says. “The banks weren’t interested, and some development finance institutions took so long that I had to keep reapplying.”
Then she discovered Business Partners Limited through an online search. Expecting another rejection, she submitted an application anyway. Instead, the company saw potential in her vision. Through its Entrepreneurs Growth Centre, Business Partners Limited helped her refine her expansion plans and reduced the amount of funding required, ultimately strengthening her business case.
The loan approval also reassured her landlord, who agreed to allow the business to remain at its existing premises despite the planned rebrand. Fefe seized the opportunity. She transformed the former franchise into Glow-Up Nails and simultaneously opened a second branch in Douglasdale.
Looking back, she says the experience was difficult but invaluable. “I paid expensive school fees,” she says.
The journey taught her important lessons about resilience, adaptability and the realities of running a business. It also reinforced her belief that demand for premium nail-care services remains strong and that the need for quality training in the industry is even greater. Both opportunities now form part of her future growth plans.
Perhaps most importantly, Fefe discovered a passion she never expected to find.
Despite initially avoiding entrepreneurship, she found that she thrives on overcoming challenges. What began as a fight for survival has become a growing business built on resilience, determination and the courage to start again.
About the Author: BPL Admin
