Jan Kuuskman, head of the family business: ‘There is always room for entrepreneurship’

In our blog, we shine a spotlight on entrepreneurs and their journeys. The fourth to share his experience is Jan Kuuskman, who, together with his partner Berit Einsalu, founded the family business SLIMM – a health and beauty salon where every detail is a reflection of their heartfelt work.

What motivated you to start your own business, and what problem did you want to solve?

I’m the third generation of entrepreneur in my family, as my grandfather started selling shashlik at events during perestroika. Being a manager in the meat industry, he had plenty of professional experience, and cooking was his passion. That’s where he earned his first sums of money. These were then invested in bars; for example, my grandfather owned the Trükkali Bar, which operated in the premises of the Von Krahl Theatre in Tallinn. Next came wholesale trade and finally rental real estate, that is, commercial and residential premises in Kopli, as well as party room rentals; the place was called Villa Leonard. After my grandfather passed away, my mother took over the rental property and the rental of party rooms.

I was motivated to become an entrepreneur by my desire to be part of the decision-making process and to build something special. Entrepreneurial experience is invaluable. In the process, you learn almost everything about life and business: financial and human resource management, investing, strategy and positioning. I would encourage everyone to try entrepreneurship: it makes the world a much clearer place and gives you an understanding of how income is generated and where the costs go.

My wife, Berit, and I founded the body and health salon SLIMM. We wanted to run a business that operated with honesty, quality and excellence in the health and beauty field. In fact, we had been considering doing something in the field of health for six months when the concept for the SLIMM studio came to us quite unexpectedly and quickly took shape. Berit had already worked in several clinics in this high-potential sector, but she had always had the feeling that she would do things differently. So, after a confluence of circumstances, we decided to take over the rental space of a previous salon and jump in head first. These events all happened in the spring of 2019.

What were the greatest obstacles to starting and growing your business?

The people we talked to about our business idea were sceptical; nevertheless, we remained quite confident. We believe that if you do something better, in a more innovative way, and with heart in your field, there is always room for entrepreneurship.

Initially it was very difficult because all our capital came from our own reserves and from a term loan from friends. That’s why we couldn’t build a perfect salon straight away, and were unable to buy all the machines we wanted. It all came gradually by reinvesting income. I believe that a great many of our customers who witnessed this growth appreciate us more because of it. We’re often told that this cosy, homey atmosphere is something you don’t find very often. That’s probably our contribution, because we’ve had a hand in absolutely everything.

The second phase was a growth spurt: strong and rapid growth was essential for us in terms of the collective, as well as our services and collection of machines. For us, this meant a lot of risk-taking, a bit of listening to our hearts, and reworking the communication plan for the collective.

How did the LHV micro loan contribute to the development of your business?

With the help of the LHV micro loan, we purchased the equipment needed to provide the service, which has helped us increase sales and accelerate the overall growth of the business.

What value did completing the LHV Business Customer Development Programme add to your business?

I have learnt to listen more carefully and understand the strengths and weaknesses of both my business and myself. Speaking with an outside observer about the pains and joys of your business can help you to take a step back and see the situation from a different perspective. This process provided me with a more objective view of the state of my business. Occasionally you need someone to reflect your thoughts back to you and tell you that yesterday was the ideal time to start.

After coaching, I made a series of important decisions that have contributed enormously to the growth of the business. At the same time, coaching helped us to prioritise our activities and tasks. It saved us time and energy.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are considering taking a micro-loan?

Debt does belong to a stranger, but if a stranger can help you grow so that everyone wins, then forget any Soviet-era dogma, summon up the courage and take a step forward!