I bought a grotty old van & transformed it into a luxury beauty salon – now I make £780 a DAY throwing pamper parties
AN entrepreneurial mum-of-two has transformed an old van into a brand new business venture – and bookings have already boomed.
Chloe Huggins and her partner Ross Bliss have run Hugs and Blisses Events since 2021.
The business-savvy duo’s luxury event hire and styling company specialised in bell tent balloon decor & mascot visits.
But business started to slow down, and they knew they needed a new direction.
Chloe told Fabulous magazine she was inspired to set up mobile pamper salon, Little Loves Pamper Bus, after the birth of her daughter: “It was an idea that we just couldn’t get out of our head.
“It’s something we discussed on and off over three years, but in October 2023 we sat down and decided that this was something we were going to try to get off the ground.”
And despite having no building experience, the pair set to work.
The couple saved for four months to build up a budget for their new van and the renovations that would need doing, and were finally able to purchase one in February 2024.
But tragically, their new van was stolen outside their house just five days after buying it – stopping their project in its tracks.
The pair struggled to find a replacement van they could afford, and were still without one by their projected launch date in May 2024.
But they persevered and by June 2024 had managed to get ‘project pamper bus’ back on track.
On their TikTok page @littlelovespamperbus, Chloe said: “The build took a lot longer than we had hoped, something that seemed so minor could end up causing a week’s delay.
“But after a few months we started to see progress.”
In November 2024, the pair were able to pick up their van from being wrapped (covered in the company branding) and its transformation was jaw-dropping.
After 14 months of hard work and determination, the Little Loves Pamper Bus officially launched on 1st December 2024.
And incredibly they already have pamper parties booked in until the end of 2025.
Chloe told Fabulous: “We are absolutely blown away and so grateful for the response we have had from launching the pamper bus, we always expected the reaction to be good but we can’t quite put into words how the reaction has made us feel.
“After taking us nearly 14 months to get ready to launch, all of the stress time and effort that has gone into this really does make it all worth it.”
The van offers luxury spa experiences for kids, with parties ranging from one and a half to three hours.
They include a choice of treatments such as mermaid hair styling, a pedicure station, face gem art, mini makeovers and mini manicures.
The pamper parties can cater for up to 12 children and include ‘champagne-style’ drinks, luxury robes and headbands, party snacks, a pamper box for each child and unlimited photo opportunities.
Little Loves Pamper Bus is based in Essex, but thanks to it’s mobile premise is able to travel to clients in surrounding areas.
They are also fully insured and DBS checked.
Parties range in price from £350 for six children (for a one and a half hour party) to £780 for twelve children (for a three hour party).
There are options in between to suit every budget.
Reflecting on the journey so far and the incredible success they have seen, Chloe said: “Right now seeing our dream become a reality (is the best part) and the response has shown us that the possibilities of this business really are endless.
“We cannot wait to grow this business and we have many, many ideas on how to grow this to a huge level.”
You can follow Little Loves Pamper Bus on TikTok here.
Or on their Facebook page, here.
If you’d like to see their Instagram, you can find it here.
How to start your own business
Dragon's Den star Theo Paphitis revealed his tips for budding entrepreneurs:
- One of the biggest barriers aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners face is a lack of confidence. You must believe in your idea — even more than that, be the one boring your friends to death about it.
- Never be afraid to make decisions. Once you have an idea, it’s the confidence to make decisions that is crucial to starting and maintaining a business.
- If you don’t take calculated risks, you’re standing still. If a decision turns out to be wrong, identify it quickly and deal with it if you can. Failing that, find someone else who can.
- It’s OK not to get it right the first time. My experience of making bad decisions is what helped develop my confidence, making me who I am today.
- Never underestimate the power of social media, and remember the internet has levelled the playing field for small businesses.
- Don’t forget to dream. A machine can’t do that!