Caroline Hill — manager of KubuSpa, Henley

CAROLINE Hill is the manager of KubuSpa in Bell Street, Henley. Married to Peter Hill for 32 years, she has two children Charlee and Megan. She is interested in fitness, hitting the treadmill at about 4.45am every day, and enjoys gardening.

Describe your business

We are an urban day spa offering all aspects of beauty treatments.

How many people does it employ?

Recently we decided to only employ family members and this has been extremely successful and I have stepped into treating more.

What did you do before starting this business?

I was a fitness instructor and owned a gym in Wallingford (The Body Training Studio).

When did you start your business?

In 2017 my daughter Megan, who already worked at KuBu, came home and announced she would lose her job as the business was going downhill fast. My husband was astounded that I wanted to change career. I kept everything as it was and slowly removed what wasn’t working and introduced electrical facial machines, laser hair removal and stayed with the high end brands we still use today.

What was your objective?

To create a space where people could step into and forget the outside world.

Who influenced you?

My role model in this whole process was my daughter, known in Henley as “ Megan magic hands” which won us an award for “Best Spa in the South East”. The Times had planted a secret shopper and we had no idea until our lovely clients saw it published and informed us.

What would you do differently if starting again?

Knowing what I was jumping feet first into might have helped.

How is your business doing?

It is growing each year as we keep up as our industry keeps changing.

Do you compare on a regular basis?

We compare on a yearly basis and that’s when we make our changes.

How do you market your business?

We don’t because we don’t need to. We are known throughout the area for our eye for fine detail.

What’s the most challenging aspect?

I eat, breath and sleep KuBu Spa and we have to know how to stay on top.

Where is your business headed?

We are a small family-run business which we do not wish to expand.

How important are online sales?

We have introduced online vouchers and this has been easy for people to purchase as this can be done while we are closed.

Do you have a work-life balance?

It doesn’t really exist. At the moment I live to work, I’m sure one day it will change.

Do you set any goals at the start of a new financial year?

We don’t set goals as we have achieved and studied hard but our training is continuous as we are currently studying to take on new treatments.

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?

To treat people how you expect to be treated yourself, that’s the best thing my late mother taught me and with this you won’t go far wrong

What advice would you offer to anyone considering starting a business?

Start at the bottom, work hard and be true to yourself and others. Also, be yourself.

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made?

Trusting everyone — be that Rottweiler if you need to be.

How organised are you?

I run my spa like my life, every thing is in order. If I were to say my Christmas cards are already written for this year, this sums me up. When I took KuBu on my priority was to make it clean, I’m often spotted wearing my marigolds when not in treatments.

What are you most looking forward to in 2025?

This year, as every year, I most love working alongside my daughters as we make the perfect team.

How are you planning for retirement?

I thought about this a year or so ago... after three people wanting to buy KuBu, I realised I’m not ready to stop or give up what I love doing. I’m here for a long time yet.

What’s the secret of your success?

The best thing about running my business is certainly not the freedom, as it takes commitment, but what I love is making people feel good about themselves. On our wall outside it says “Step out of this world and into yourself” - such true words. I’m the mother to every single person that enters our haven.

What three qualities are most important to running a profitable business?

Eat — sleep — work, repeat.

How do you dress for work each day?

We all have our KuBu uniform. As we use oils for massage and facial creams and potions, we need clean comfy clothing.

What can’t you be without every day?

My beautiful family — it is my world.

Lunch at your desk or going out?

Lunch? What is this?

What do you read?

I don’t really get time to read, only to sleep.

What change would you most like to see in 2025?

Maybe just a few more hours in a day.

l Interview by Will Hamilton, intermediary and global marketing consultant, Hamilton Associates.