MANILA, Philippines - Posh Nails puts another winning touch to its thriving beauty and pampering business, garnering yet another honor with an Outstanding Achievement in Entrepreneurship for Medium Scale award from the prestigious Agora Awards.
Catherine “Cat†Ilacad, president and CEO of Posh Nails Hand and Foot Spa, joined nine other awardees during a fete hosted at the Manila Peninsula last Oct. 9, which recognized some of the country’s most successful and pioneering brands and the movers and shakers behind them. All nominees underwent rigid deliberation by a panel of judges.
The young entrepreneur said the award is an affirmation of both her team’s collective efforts in the past 11 years and their customers’ unwavering trust in the brand most of whom, she added, have been with them since Posh Nails opened its first branch in Greenhills in 2002.
Eleven years later, Posh Nails has spawned into a 25-strong chain of pink-and-purple nail salons, 18 of which are found in Metro Manila and the rest are located in key provinces across the country including Pampanga, La Union, Batangas, Angeles, Davao, Cebu and Iloilo. Today, it pursues its expansion plans aggressively through franchising.
Seeing how her venture has grown and achieved so much over the years in spite of belonging to an industry cluttered with a similar business concept, Cat can’t help but be emotional about her recent triumph. She is quick to share the accolades to the entire Posh Nails family — from the nail technicians and salon staff to her growing roster of celebrity endorsers that includes Gwen Zamora, Andrea Brillantes, Bea Binene, Barbie Forteza, Sam Pinto, Carla Abellana, Bianca King, Angel Locsin, Nikki Valdez, Cristine Reyes and most recently, Anne Curtis. But most especially, she offers her recent achievement to her father, OctoArts’ top honcho OrlyIlacad, who was the first person to encourage her entrepreneurial idea and still remains to be her biggest mentor and supporter.
The road to success
This is not the first time Posh Nails received an award. Her entrepreneurial spirit was awarded with a citation as 2012’s Fastest-Growing Franchise from Entrepreneur magazine, after being named in the magazine’s Most Promising Brand and Best Homegrown Brand in 2011.
Cat has been slowly but surely building its brand through effective marketing strategies, celebrity collaborations and continuous product research which she used to lever her business and position it as a market leader.
Each year, she goes out of the country to attend beauty conventions and conferences to learn more about the latest technology and trends in hand and foot spa. For instance, its newest service, called Cool Cucumber, is already in the pipeline and will be offered starting Nov. 15.
Another trademark service of Posh Nails is the gel polish in a wide range of shades. The salon carries three of today’s top gel polish brands: Cuccio, Orly and Misa. Also key to Posh Nails’ success, as in any flourishing business that started small, is passion. “If you don’t have it, if you don’t love what you’re doing, it will show in your work, in your end product. If you fail, stand up again. I think a person is being judged and watched for how she succeeds in her endeavor and not on her failure or loss,†Ilacad explains.
As Posh Nails enters its 12th year, it continues to it carries with it the honor and respect of the industry as well as the distinction of being the salon that started it all.
To find your nearest Posh Nails Salon and to know more about their services and promos, visit their Facebook page, follow Posh Nails on Twitter or visit their website, www.poshnails.com.ph. For franchising inquiries, call 373-8766.