Meet the 21 year Liverpool entrepreneur changing the face of kids parties in the city

Ella Deakin owns both Teepee Sleepee® and Ella Bella’s and has been self-employed since she was just 17

Ella Deakin is the inspirational 21-year-old who owns not one, but two Liverpool businesses; Teepee Sleepee® – Liverpool’s first teepee company that she opened back in 2017, when she was just 17 years old and Ella Bella’s – a beautiful pamper parlour for toddlers to teens and mums are allowed too!

Ella, from Melling in Liverpool, studied at Maghull High School before going on to Sixth Form, where her work ethic and determination first arose – she bagged herself a part-time job as a waitress whilst setting up Teepee Sleepee®, which at the time was Liverpool’s first teepee company.

After a visit to Australia in August 2017, Ella was inspired by her cousin’s teepee party; something she’d never seen here before. Armed with her Grandma’s sewing tips and her dad’s help, she created just four teepee frames and just two themes for her customers to choose from. Whilst she continued to work as a waitress, Ella had a booking every 4-6 weeks and Teepee Sleepee® ticked over.

When Ella left Sixth Form, she’d landed herself a place at the formerly prestigious dance school Elliot Clarke. Unfortunately, just before she was due to start, the school closed down and she was offered an alternative place elsewhere. After a few months, she realised she wasn’t enjoying her time there and decided to leave and go full-time with Teepee Sleepee® – something she realises was a huge risk and commitment to make.

Ella’s grandma soon taught her how to use a sewing machine and before she knew it, she’d created 12 themes to choose from from scratch and now had 30 robust teepee frames.

Ella explained: “I never imagined how much Teepee Sleepee® would grow and that it would be so popular. I recently bought my first van which has made managing multiple bookings so much easier. Over the Easter weekend, I had more than 100 bookings to fulfil and my younger brother helps me with setting up and collection when I’m really busy.”

Her entrepreneurial spirit has been around since she was young.

“At school, I always thought ‘I don’t want to work for someone else’. I used to hate being told what to do and I felt that I could see an easier and better way of doing things which would benefit the business and/or the customer too.”

Ella, a self-confessed beauty lover, used to watch YouTube videos and taught herself how to create impressive hairstyles, wedding hair ups and braids and was even trusted by a family friend to do all four of her bridesmaid’s hair at her wedding.

She started to offer mobile beauty pamper party packages alongside the teepees in 2018 which proved to be really popular, and at the end of 2019, an opportunity arose to open her very own shop and she soon got to work on transforming it to create an impressive pamper parlour, with the help of her dad and uncle.

The parlour was set to open in April 2020, however the pandemic took hold and Ella wasn’t able to open Ella Bella’s until July 2020. Following the opening, Ella has been overwhelmed with the interest in the pamper parlour and has hosted many parties as well as mother and daughter days out; all whilst following the government’s ever-changing guidelines, tier restrictions and lockdowns.

Ella said: “I’m so proud of Ella Bella’s – it was a shell when I first took it on and my dad and uncle listened to all of my wild ideas and brought them to life. It’s a pamper parlour for all, from toddlers to teens and mums are welcome too! I’ve ensured that it would be suitable for everyone with the packages being carefully created to offer a variety of treatments. Ella Bella’s has the wow factor and is complete with a party room, hairdressing station, nail station, pedicure area, pamper beds and an Instagrammable ball pool for pictures, Tik Toks and Boomerangs!”

“Opening during a pandemic has definitely had its challenges but it’s all been worth it and I’m never afraid to take chances and put everything into the businesses to make them work. I’m excited to see Teepee Sleepee® continue to go from strength to strength and to have our lovely guests back through the doors at Ella Bella’s now that we can reopen!”