With only two months to go, the countdown to the first physical edition of Beauty Bulb Live London has officially begun. And when the event opens its doors at the Business Design Centre on 7 October 2026, British entrepreneur Faye Speedie will have spent countless hours championing a passion that has driven her for more than a decade: connecting beauty brands with major retail buyers.

“We want people to leave our show feeling connected to our beauty community, and we are building something long term with this event. Our support doesn’t end once the show closes,” says Faye.

She began her career as a Sales Producer at QVC before spending seven years at TangleTeezer, the innovative hairbrush brand founded by former hairstylist Shaun Pulfrey. Despite being rejected on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, the brand went on to become a global success, with Faye serving as Global Sales Director and playing a key role in its international expansion.

Since launching Beauty Bulb, Faye and her expert team have helped drive sales growth for more than 850 beauty brands across every sales channel in the global beauty industry.

Euronewsweek caught up with Faye Speedie to discuss what sets Beauty Bulb Live London apart from other beauty events and platforms, the challenges of building a business, and her advice for aspiring beauty entrepreneurs.

What inspired you to create Beauty Bulb Live London?

Daily requests from brands and retailers for an in-person show, combined with the success of our third virtual trade show earlier this year, made this the right time to launch our UK trade show. Alongside the growth of our network and our team, it felt like the natural next step and the UK needs a show like ours.

We wanted to create a no-nonsense space where people can connect in a meaningful way. It’s time for the traditional trade show model to get a reboot.

And what makes it different from other beauty events or platforms?

It’s brand-equal and people-first, and we do all of the heavy lifting. We put people and their products front and centre, rather than those with the biggest budgets.

We want people to leave our show feeling connected to our beauty community, and we are building something that lasts beyond the event itself. Our support doesn’t end when the show closes. Exhibitors remain on our digital platform, where they’ll continue to be promoted to our entire sales channel network for three months after the event.

We are also handling all the logistics while being mindful of efficiency and sustainability. We want to simplify the traditional trade show model while giving our partners impact and results. Our show is also run by our brilliant team who are all beauty industry experts.

Whether you’re an emerging brand, an established business, an industry expert or simply someone who wants to learn and connect, you’re very welcome at our show.

What have been the biggest challenges you have faced as a founder?

I speak to lots of Founders, and we often say that being a Founder is like playing ‘whack-a-mole’!

I prioritise as best I can and always trust my instincts. We’ve built an agile business with a fantastic team that can adapt quickly when change comes. There isn’t a rulebook for getting everything right all the time, and balancing competing priorities is always a challenge for me but that’s all part of running a business.

Learning not to put too much pressure on myself is a challenge, and that one is still a work in progress.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to build a successful business in the beauty industry?

Never be afraid to fail. Some of the things that didn’t work out for us taught us the biggest lessons and ultimately showed us the right path. I am extremely grateful for all of the redirections.

Hire people you genuinely connect with, rather than focusing solely on CVs. Spirit, drive and a team’s energy will be the biggest factor in driving your business forwards.

Lastly, there will be tough days, so have trusted and wise people in your circle. It’s special to have people around you who can see potential but who can also tell it to you straight.

Figuring out how to choose your business’s headcount is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make as a business leader or an entrepreneur. It’s a topic that rarely gets proper coverage in the business press. Talking about how many people a company should employ is almost considered taboo, even in 2026, but of course it’s a critical decision for most companies.

Wages are the biggest cost and biggest opportunity. Knowing how many people to hire and where to put them in your organisation is critical.

Map your goals

When it comes to choosing your business’ headcount, goals matter a lot. If you’re looking at expanding a company and establishing a global operation, proper goal setting is essential. You need people in place now who have the capacity to build the systems that you rely on in the future.

Meanwhile, if you have a small local operation, you probably only need to hire people who perform the tasks that your customers demand. For instance, if you run a hair salon, you only need the number of stylists that your customers can keep occupied.

Analyse your current capacity

The next step is to use workforce planning software to analyze your current capacity. You want to figure out what utilisation level you’re currently running at. If the utilisation level is under 70%, it suggests that your team has excess capacity. If the percentage of an employee’s available time spent on productive tasks is less than 70%, it’s usually not worth hiring. It’s usually better to reallocate workers or focus on driving more business.

If you’re running between 75% and 85% utilisation capacity, many experts view this as a sweet spot in most organisations. Here, you’re getting optimal productivity without burnout. If the utilisation rate is above 90%, you’re in the danger zone. People find it difficult to work at this intensity for long periods of time, so it might be worth outsourcing, hiring contractors, or even adding permanent positions. 

Run the numbers

Once you’ve done that, the next step is to run the numbers. You can do this on a spreadsheet or use a headcount calculator. These usually allow you to choose:

• a revenue target
• the revenue per employee
• the utilisation rate

This provides you with an effective capacity figure expressed in monetary units, like pounds or dollars. Remember that if your revenue per employee drops, your required headcount balloons, and that will affect your profit margins. Calculate both based on revenue per employee first, and then build your headcount model from there.

Identify skills gaps

Finally, focus most of your attention on identifying skills gaps instead of headcount gaps. When it comes to business productivity and effectiveness, it’s often the skills that employees have that matter more than their total headcount, unless the business you’re running is extremely basic.

For example, a headcount gap would be if your current team has the right skills but there is too much volume for them to handle. A good example of this would be a customer at a call centre. Meanwhile, a skills gap would occur if you simply don’t have the ability in your team to deliver the project that you need to push your business forward.

Bread & Jam closed its 10th anniversary festival with a high-energy finale as wine brand 6Percent secured the top spot in the investor-backed Bread Winner competition, powered by Wayflyer. Over two days, earlier this month founders, buyers, investors and industry leaders gathered at London’s Business Design Centre, to watch forty‑two FMCG challenger brands pitch live on stage across multiple categories. A final round that showcased the ambition and innovation driving the UK’s consumer goods sector. During the event, more than 1,300 attendees also had the opportunity to engage in masterclasses, roundtables, buyer feedback sessions and marketplace showcases.

Prize adds up to £95k in funding and support

Founded by husband-and-wife team Russell and Gabriella Lamb, 6Percent was created to offer wine drinkers a lighter alternative without compromising flavour or ritual. Their 6% ABV wines, produced in Bordeaux, aim to deliver body and authenticity while avoiding the heavy after-effects associated with traditional bottles. The brand positions itself as one of the first mid‑strength wine options targeting the UK market.

Sales have grown by more than 120% quarter-on-quarter, with listings at Ocado, upcoming launches across Live Nation festivals this summer, and discussions underway with a major retailer.

“We have always loved the ritual of a great bottle of wine — the way it marks the end of a day and brings people together. But after becoming parents, we found that the fatigue which so often followed the next morning was a cost we could no longer afford,” says co‑founder Russell Lamb, who has a background in business change consulting for retail and finance companies.

Winning the Bread Winner competition brings 6Percent up to £95k in funding and support, including a London billboard campaign, legal and branding services, operational guidance, social media support and a stand at SIAL Paris 2026.

FMCG is a challenging sector

The final decision was made by judges, serial startup entrepreneur Giles Brook, Mark Hockney from Stratus, Peter O’Callaghan from Square Root Holdings, Marie Petrovicka from Delli, and Liam Duggan from Wayflyer.

“Our main purpose is to give challenger brands the tools, knowledge and platform they need to succeed. The energy and passion we see from brand founders is electric but there is no denying that it takes sheer determination, strategic thinking, connections and a colossal amount of hard work to build an FMCG business. I’m continually amazed by the innovation we see from challenger brands, and it’s a privilege to support such a dynamic and inspiring community,” says co-founder of Bread & Jam Festival, Jason Gibb.