STARTING AND SCALING A PRODUCT BUSINESS IS TOUGH.

 

And unless your surname is Kardashian, there’s no quick-fix solution to shiny overnight success. You know you need support, but in a sea of coaches and promises, how do you know who to trust with your business?

After 20 years in retail, I’m here to give you no-fluff advice and support without the industry gatekeeping.

Whether you’re just starting out or scaling to 7 figures and beyond you’ve come to the right place

 

I’m Nicole,  your ally in building your product business – taking you from overwhelmed to confident, whether you’re just starting your side hustle or scaling to 7 figures.

You need a partner in crime, someone who’s there with you every step of the way cheering you on.

You’re tired of not having a plan and want to finally start taking a salary. Maybe you’re even looking for ways to scale, sell and exit.

Offering no fluff advice and support – ready to hold your hand but sometimes give you a kick up the arse!

I want you and your product business to achieve the full potential you deserve. When you work with me you will have an award-winning global retail expert with over 20 years experience in your back pocket.

Life is short, let’s create the life and business you deserve.

I’m here to help you find focus, own your ideas and swerve the mistakes that could hit your bottom line.

Stopping you from going round in circles and wasting time when you could be moving forwards.

Ultimately, I’m here to help product businesses like yours drive sales and profits.

I launched The Buyer and Retail Coach so that I could use my expertise and experience gained in buying, sourcing & strategy in large organisations – the likes of Primark and M&S – to now help product business founders & SME’s develop their brand and achieve success. From Fashion to Footwear and everything else inbetween I’m here to support you with insights and contacts that you won’t find in google! 

My promise to you

When we work together, you can count on me to…

Empower

I know you can do hard things and you have the strength and potential to take your business to where it needs to go.

I’ll work with you to give you the tools, strategies and support you need to make informed decisions, overcome challenges and achieve your vision. Empowering you with the confidence to take bold action to build your business

Educate

I’m committed to providing you with the knowledge and insights you need to navigate your product business.

No jargon, no fluff. Just practical expert advice so that you gain skills and a greater understanding to make the right decisions for your brand

Motivate & Inspire

We celebrate your success no matter how small. All those “overnight successes” are made of small steps.

I’m in your corner helping you pursue your dreams and passion, your business cheer leader encouraging you through setbacks and success. Helping you to think creatively and stay focused.

Don’t just take my word for it

Here’s what previous clients have to say

 Treen

About treen

Treen is a vegan fashion retailer, offering a selection of style must-haves from a carefully selected group of brands that make a positive difference. Living ethically and sustainably is complicated, and knowing how to make the transition from fast to slow fashion can be a challenge.  Treen was founded in 2018 by Cat Anderson, a fashion graduate with over eight years experience in the retail and fashion industry.

 

 

 

Founder Cat Anderson

 Donna May London

About Donna May London

Donna May London sell practical beauty products that provide simple solutions for everyday beauty related problems. They help to alleviate the stress from the 101 decisions women have to make when choosing their makeup, accessories or beauty products, saving them time and unnecessary expense.

In addition to the products Donna May offer trustworthy insider celebrity makeup tips and tricks, from 25 yrs experience working within the television industry. Their mantra  it shouldn’t cost a fortune to look fabulous – it is simply having the knowledge to know how to use what you have.

Founder Donna May Clitheroe  & Sarah Spence

 

Maverick Soul Interiors

About Maverick Soul

Maverick Soul Interiors is a thoughtfully designed online lighting and home decor destination. They’ve  gone global hunting & styling, so you don’t have to – for an illuminated home that’s as unique & adventurous as you are.
Established in 2023 inspired by the souks of Marrakesh Maverick Soul Interiors was born with the vision to create a free-spirited space bursting with personality.

 

 

 

 

Founder Aoife O Dea

 Clossy

About Clossy

CLOSSY is the creation of Judy Gilroy, a celebrity stylist, TV personality and Mum to Stella.

As a busy working mum, Judy was looking for clever organisational solutions to make her home and life run a little bit smoother. When she couldn’t find what she was looking for she was inspired to create it.

And so Clossy was born.

Clossy is a carefully curated collection of stylish organisational solutions, designed to help you make the most of your space. Whether your home is big, small or even temporary our goal is to help you to calm the everyday chaos.

Founder Judy Gilroy

 

She has vision & long term strategies built into her DNA

 

I worked with Nicole during her time in Primark beauty; she had vision and long term strategies built in to her DNA, she accessed product projects, both scope and efficiencies and brought them to reality quickly.

Majella Tompkins -Senior Director L’oreal

Communication was swift and to the point but detailed, giving us the tools and concepts to move forward confidently

 

Nicole is thorough, professional, inspired and an absolute pleasure to deal with. In four days she wrapped up a diverse project, organised information in a focused and clear manner.

Communication was swift and to the point but detailed, giving us the tools and concepts to move forward confidently. I look forward to working with her again.

Megan Potgieter – Head of Buying, PnP Clothing South Africa

I feel more in control and more focused on what’s important going forward.

 

I gained invaluable insights and strategies to improve my business going forward. Nicole helped me to focus on my goals and gave me the confidence to implement specific targets to enhance revenue.

Jacqueline Rooney

Sales are up, orders are up, conversion is up!

 

“The deep-dive into the business, allowed me to really see what was working and what was not. The results from the actions I have taken to date have been hugely successful.”

Elaine – Maypole Lane

I made massive tracks in getting ready to approach wholesalers

 

“During our time working together I rebranded (and renamed) by business, hosted a John Lewis pop-up, created a new website These are all fantastic achievements individually but honestly the thing you helped me most with has been my confidence! I have a great deal of experience in business and have considered myself commercially confident, but honestly building your own brand is a different kettle of fish and your nudges, confidence boosts and words of encouragement have made a monumental difference.”

Sarah – Mora Candles

I feel excited to take on new challenges.

 

“To see the bigger picture, plan and forecast an entire year, change my mindset on marketing output and made me be more confident in what I do and sell.I feel more equipped to take the business further. It was beginning to feel stagnant, my time with Nicole has put coal in the fire and got me excited to take on new challenges.”

Cat Anderson – Treen

I managed to get through more actions in the last two months, than I have in the last year by working with Nicole

 

Nicole gave me the tools and advice I really needed to build my pricing & sales strategy.finalise my launch range and define my longer term range strategy. Savant me time and money in the long run. . I walked away from our day with a whole heap of new, but fundamental actions, a clear critical path, & a superb list of supplier contacts. I left feeling energised and excited about the launch of my business.

Aoife o Dea – Maverick Soul

We wouldn’t be launching our new venture were it not for Nicole

 

We wouldn’t be launching our new venture in the coming months without her and have learnt so much from our sessions with her.

Judy Gilroy Clossy

I want to put Nicole in my pocket and keep her there!!

 

“Nicole, was super approachable, which I find most ‘business’ people aren’t and had a great sense of humour. She was very clear in her explanations and methodical in implementing our 12 month plan.”

Donna May – Donna May London

I feel my vision has a plan and a strategy

 

“Nicole is straigh- talking and knows her industry very well. She takes her time to fully understand how I started my brand and how I can improve. Area by area. This created a collaborative relationship which is so supportive.”

Julie – Little London Lady

Best money I’ve spent

 

It has helped me to really look at my pricing & see how I was completely underselling myself. You also have helped me to be able to know how much stock I need to be ordering without causing myself cash flow issues. She guided me through the areas i needed assistance on that I didn’t even see. Not only saving me money in the short term but giving me the tools & knowledge to have a concrete plan in place going forward. Her expertise is second to none.

Louise Moran – Flourish Emporium

What I have gained from our sessions was worth every penny

 

I can actually see a future for the business, I was stuck in
a pattern of just getting stuff done and not seeing the wood for the trees so I feel I have learnt a new way to look at the business.

Annie Accessories Brand

 

As seen in…

Why Work With Me

After working 20 years in retail as a head of buying, I’ve done it all. From sourcing multiple products from bras to beauty and even Christmas baubles to creating strategy and 3-year plans for retailers like Primark, M&S and Asda, there’s no aspect of the buying, design and sourcing journey I don’t know. You can only imagine the size of my little black book (well books!) and in this case size matters.

Whilst at Primark, I set up the health and beauty department and led the team and strategy that turned it into a multi-million pound department. I know what it takes to build something from scratch and the processes you need to have in place.

And I’ve been consulting and working with product businesses to help them go from idea to exit and everything else in between since 2019.

I coach, mentor and support you through group coaching, tailored 1-1, project management and product sourcing – creating the roadmap and strategies for you to increase your sales and build a profitable product business.

Trusted By…

START, SCALE, SUCCEED PODCAST

Practical and inspiring advice from entrepreneurs and experts.

Sharing the stories of retail entrepreneurs and the advice of experts with their tactics and tips for your brand. 

With Conversations from mindset to marketing and everything else in between with me your host Nicole Higgins 

Free Resources

Nicole Higgins - The Buyer and Retail Coach

BUILD A BUSINESS PLAN

Start or pivot your business with confidence using a business plan.

In this comprehensive interactive guide I talk about the 3’f’s  FOUNDATION, FOCUS & FEASIBILITY taking you from the idea, to the customer to the potential earnings

 

Nicole Higgins - The Buyer and Retail Coach

RETAIL JARGON GLOSSARY

Feeling overwhelmed by retail jargon and terminology?

Our FREE Glossary is here to clear the confusion! Packed with  definitions of essential abbreviations and terms, this resource will empower you to engage in confident conversations within the retail world

 

Nicole Higgins - The Buyer and Retail Coach

YOUR q4 & XMAS CHECKLIST

Over 50% of your yearly sales can come in Q4, 

This FREE checklist takes you through the steps to ensure you are set up for success from reflecting on your previous seasons to your pricing and product strategy.

Retail Strategy & Advice

 

Read my latest insight and tips into the world of retail and e-commerce to help you in your product business