Board Advisory for Fashion and Beauty Businesses

I’m Sonia, a fashion business consultant and the business owner behind Fashion Strategists. I help fashion, beauty and lifestyle businesses make clearer commercial decisions, identify opportunities for growth and build stronger, more profitable businesses. My background spans commercial leadership, buying, sourcing, operations, e-commerce and international growth. I bring these areas together to help business owners understand how their product, pricing, sales channels and operations need to work together. You may have a strong product but be unsure how to approach retailers, find the right suppliers or price your range profitably. Perhaps your business is already trading, but sales have slowed, margins are under pressure or you need an experienced commercial partner to help you decide what comes next. These are the challenges I help founders work through. My key areas of expertise include: • Business strategy and growth: Reviewing where your business is today, identifying what is holding it back and developing a focused action plan that reflects your budget, resources and ambitions. • Wholesale and retail development: Helping brands prepare for wholesale, identify suitable retail partners and strengthen their buyer presentations, product offering and commercial terms. • Pricing and profitability: Reviewing product costs, retail and wholesale pricing, margins and routes to market so you can understand whether an opportunity makes commercial sense. • Buying, product ranges and sourcing: Helping you shape a commercially focused range, assess suppliers and make better decisions around product selection, cost, quality and stock. • E-commerce and marketplaces: Assessing how online sales channels fit your business, which opportunities are worth pursuing and what you need operationally to support them. • International expansion: Supporting brands exploring new markets, particularly the UK and the Gulf region, including the UAE. This includes assessing market fit, pricing, distribution options and potential retail or marketplace partnerships. • Commercial operations: Identifying practical improvements to the processes behind your business, helping you prepare for growth and manage the demands that come with it. As a business owner myself, I understand that advice needs to be realistic. Small businesses have limited time and budgets, and every decision matters. My approach is direct, collaborative and hands-on. I will help you challenge assumptions, prioritise the opportunities that deserve attention and turn your plans into manageable next steps. I work with founders who need support with a specific commercial challenge, as well as businesses looking for ongoing strategic guidance without the commitment of a full-time senior hire. If you are building a fashion, beauty or lifestyle business and need help deciding where to focus, I would be pleased to hear from you. Tell me where your business is today, what you want to achieve and what is getting in the way, and we can discuss the support that would be most useful.