Couple step out of the hamster wheel to create a growth adventure with DIY nails

Boldness and a passion for nails are the key ingredients behind the success of the webshop Neglefeber.dk, which has taken the Danish market by storm.

Almost two years ago, married couple Signe and Christoffer Hartung Roslyng decided to launch a webshop for nail products. Driven by a desire to escape the 9-to-5 grind and a strong belief in their potential, they began building their business from scratch during the pandemic, with Signe’s extensive passion for nails as their foundation. 

“We were tired of the hamster wheel and dreamed of creating our own business. We ventured into nails because it has always been a major interest of mine. We bought some nail products I would be excited to use myself, set up a website with a webshop to test it out, and the response was beyond our expectations,” says Signe. 

Signe came from a role as a sales manager at a company that provided VAT solutions to larger businesses, while Christoffer worked as a pension advisor. Due to her long-standing interest in nails, Signe had accumulated substantial knowledge in the field, which the couple used to select products and suppliers.

“Our ambition is to make it easier for individuals to access high-quality nail products without excessive chemicals. We made very deliberate choices regarding products and suppliers, and it was clear that we had found a gap in the market. Signe was nearing the end of her pregnancy with our son Noah, and we even had to close the shop for a couple of months because things were moving so quickly,” says Christoffer.

Developing their own brand required bank support

Shortly after reopening the webshop, Signe and Christoffer embarked on developing their own brand and nail product. They aimed to offer their customers a UV-curing gel free from common chemicals found in such products.

To support this endeavour, the couple sought additional financing from kompasbank.

“We had been 100% self-financed up to that point, but we saw a clear need for extra funding to secure our liquidity. Developing a brand involves significant expenditure, and we also wanted to ensure our inventory capacity to keep up with Black Friday and the holiday shopping season,” Christoffer explains. 

“Beyond covering our financial needs, we had a really productive discussion with Patrick, our advisor from kompasbank. He understood our business and asked some highly relevant questions we hadn’t encountered before. He provided concrete advice on how we could elevate our business to the next level and undoubtedly pushed us in the right direction” Christoffer adds. 

Approximately three months after their first meeting, Neglefeber had implemented most of the initiatives Patrick Ørngreen had suggested. 

“I’m very impressed with how quickly Signe and Christoffer executed the strategies we discussed. At the same time, it doesn’t surprise me. They are both extremely dedicated, which made a strong impression on me from our very first meeting,” says Patrick Ørngreen, Business Advisor at kompasbank. 

From webshop to community, employees and international expansion

Today, the couple runs Neglefeber.dk full-time with the support of three employees. Alongside their own brand, they have also created an online community on Facebook with nearly 7.000 members who actively praise the products and exchange nail care tips.

“We’re incredibly pleased to have created a forum with such engaged users who inspire each other daily and actively provide feedback on our ideas and products. It was also thanks to the support from our users that we dared to develop and produce our own UV-curing gel” says Signe.

The newly launched UV-curing gel, free from 21 common chemicals found in similar nail products, has further boosted sales on Neglefeber.dk. The couple dreams of becoming the largest player in the nail product market and is committed to excelling across all parameters. They are currently expanding their team in Denmark and plan to enter additional markets beyond Denmark in the future.