Liverpool woman makes dream come true with a converted ambulance

A Liverpool woman is making her dreams come true by converting an ambulance into a mobile hairdressing unit.

Frankii Panchoo, who has worked for Deliveroo for three years, has won a £25,000 investment from the company to launch her own business.

Deliveroo’s Dragon Den-style ‘Big Pitch’ competition saw staff pitch their business ideas to an expert panel including June Angelides MBE, a venture capital investor, Ali Jones, the Chief Customer Officer of Co-Op, and Deliveroo’s Founder and CEO Will Shu.

Four Deliveroo riders received investment, including Frankii, who impressed the judges with her winning business idea of a mobile salon, Hair Anywhere.

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The idea for Hair Anywhere came to Frankii while she was commuting between Glasgow and Liverpool to study.

Frankii returned to Liverpool once a month to continue doing her established clientele’s hair while also building a new clientele in Scotland, which required her to rely on public transport.

The concept for Hair Anywhere will see a decommissioned ambulance become a unisex, one-chair salon that Frankii can take anywhere including festivals, private parties and even corporate events.

The ‘Hair Anywhere’ model aims to bring an innovative solution to the problem faced by many during the pandemic, which has seen many businesses struggling to provide their close contact services.

Frankii’s salon will create a tailored space designed to be COVID-resilient without making it the focus – bringing the focus back to delivering an enjoyable customer experience and high-quality service.

Concept artwork for Hair Anywhere
(Image: handout)

Frankii said: “I was beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to take part in this year’s Big Pitch and pitch my business idea to Will, June and Ali.

“In entering, I really believed my idea had something to offer but hearing the judges’ feedback so positively about how much potential they see in it has taken my confidence to another level.

“I honestly couldn’t believe it when I was awarded £25,000 – I’m still pretty stunned! This investment means I can finally make my big vision a reality.”

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Hair Anywhere will use a converted passenger ambulance as its base, making use of its accessibility ramps, so that people of all abilities have the same great experience without any barriers to access.

Frankii’s business plan also outlines a ‘pay it forward’ scheme, where a percentage of the service prices will go towards providing haircuts for the homeless and refugees.

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