Business Hour
Leading aesthetics physician Dr Natalie Haworth chats to Gail Bailey about her career journey, success and plans for the future
Born and educated in Blackburn and graduating in medicine from Manchester University in 2011 Dr Natalie Haworth was training as a surgical obstetrician and gynaecologist and seemed to have her future laid out ahead of her: “I was happy and busy with my work when a friend convinced me to train in administering anti-wrinkle injections which I did, and began by just doing a few friends at a local salon,” she says.
Although not commercially at first, Dr Natalie was one of the few qualified doctors offering the treatment and didn’t realise just how quickly it would take off and how popular it would become: “I was very soon administering treatments at four different salons whilst still practising in medicine,” she explains. “But my circumstances changed when I was expecting my second child and life took a different route.”
Needing a job that would fit around her family, Dr Natalie decided not to return to the NHS after maternity leave, and following a short role carrying out health assessments for the Department of Work and Pensions, she began working for a national aesthetic clinic: “Working for a large company was quite an eye opener for me and I realised that the world of social media can be quite deceiving. I wanted to have more control over my practice and give my patients the very best I could, so in 2019 I opened my first clinic in Blackburn – right before Covid struck!”
Dr Natalie then found herself expecting her third child and whilst focused on her pregnancy, was also concentrating on her new business in the middle of a pandemic: “Whilst it was an odd time and I had initial concerns, the business rapidly went from strength to strength,” she says. “We were incredibly busy in between lockdowns and as aesthetics is needed in cycles we developed a regular client base, which was quickly growing.”
When the premises came up in Whalley, Dr Natalie took a leap of ‘blind faith’ and signed on the dotted line: “I didn’t have a complicated business plan,” she explains. “It just felt instinctively right!” And trusting her instincts has proven to be positive, as the Doctor and Company has grown significantly since opening, with an increase in profit year on year.
When the opportunity to expand further came up, Dr Natalie took over more premises in Manchester and she has gone from working on her own to now employing a team of 12. The Manchester clinic also has a training academy: “Aside from our skilled and professional approach another reason for our success is how we have invested in our machines, equipment and training,” she says. “We are committed to being the best at what we do and ensuring our patients receive the best possible service.”
Dr Natalie’s grit and determination are testament to her success. She explains: “I always wanted to do it by myself. I’ve had offers from investors, but I wouldn’t want to give away that control over my business. When I left the NHS I was a single mum and now I am committed to being a strong and successful role model to my children.”
Dr Natalie recalls her father telling her a story when she was younger about turning down what would have been a lucrative project as he was unsure about taking a risk – and this drove her to become a risk taker: “I say ‘yes’ when I’m approached with something – and then I find a way to make it work! It was hard as a young woman embarking on a surgical medical career and I’m proud to have proven those who doubted me wrong.”
Always striving for the next thing Dr Natalie has begun her MsC in Skin Ageing and Aesthetics and has another new business in the pipeline: “I can’t say too much yet, but we have an incredible product to help other clinics and practitioners and are looking for our third clinic – we have found the right location, now we need to find the right property!”
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