From capital and technical assistance to business training and new opportunities, Ikram Najid’s journey shows what long-term small business support can look like.
For Ikram Najid, founder of In Beauty LLC, business growth hasn’t come from one opportunity or one big moment.
It has happened in stages.
As her Northern Liberties beauty business has grown, so have its needs—from accessing capital and strengthening business operations to investing in new equipment, building her team, expanding her knowledge, and finding new ways to position In Beauty for the future.
Along the way, Entrepreneur Works has had the opportunity to support Ikram at multiple stages of that journey, connecting her with small business financing, grant opportunities, technical assistance, specialized training, and opportunities to strengthen and showcase her business.
Today, In Beauty is continuing to grow not only as a Philadelphia salon, but as a brand.
And Ikram’s journey demonstrates why supporting small businesses often requires more than a single transaction.
Building a Beauty Business in Philadelphia
Located in Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties neighborhood, In Beauty specializes in lash, eyebrow, and waxing services.
Under Ikram’s leadership, the business has grown its customer base and team while developing a brand centered on quality service, community, and creating opportunities for others.
That community commitment extends beyond In Beauty’s clients. Ikram has provided internship opportunities through YouthBuild Charter, creating opportunities for young people to gain hands-on experience and mentorship.
Her work and the reputation of the business she has built—has also received recognition across Philadelphia.
In 2024, In Beauty was named Philadelphia Family’s LOVE Award winner for Best Salon, with the publication highlighting the salon’s services as well as its commitment to diversity, community involvement, and youth opportunities.
That same year, In Beauty earned Bronze in the Waxing category of Philly Favorites, further recognizing the reputation Ikram and her team were building in Philadelphia’s beauty industry.
And in 2026, Ikram was recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal as a Diversity in Business honoree, marking another milestone in her growth as a Philadelphia entrepreneur and business leader.
But recognition is only the visible part of the story.
Behind those milestones is the ongoing work of building a business—and making the right investments at the right time.
Accessing Capital and Building a Longer-Term Relationship
As In Beauty continued to grow, Ikram connected with Entrepreneur Works for small business financing and grant opportunities that could help her invest in the next stage of the business.
What began with access to capital developed into a much broader relationship.
Over the last several years, Ikram has returned to Entrepreneur Works at different stages of In Beauty’s growth, accessing multiple rounds of financing and grant support while also working with Entrepreneur Works staff and consultants through technical assistance.
Those resources have helped support investments in areas such as equipment, inventory, technology, marketing, and improvements to the salon’s service spaces and booking systems as demand for In Beauty has grown.
More recently, financing has helped position In Beauty to respond to that increasing demand after adding new members to its team.
The goal has evolved along with the business: build greater capacity, strengthen the brand, reach more customers, and create opportunities for continued sustainable growth.
Growing the Entrepreneur Alongside the Business
Capital, however, has been only one part of Ikram’s relationship with Entrepreneur Works.
As In Beauty grew, Ikram continued investing in her own development as an entrepreneur.
In 2025, she joined the third cohort of the Beauty Salon & Barbershop Entrepreneur Accelerator, a 10-week program developed by Entrepreneur Works, VestedIn, and Black Squirrel.
The accelerator was created specifically for entrepreneurs in the beauty and grooming industries, combining business training, technical assistance, mentorship, networking, and industry-specific resources focused on long-term growth and sustainability.
For an entrepreneur already operating a growing salon, the experience offered another kind of investment.
This time, the investment was in capacity, strengthening the knowledge, strategies, and connections behind the business.
Because as a company grows, the entrepreneur leading it has to grow, too.
Pitching, Learning and Continuing to Build
Ikram also stepped forward as a contestant in Entrepreneur Works’ inaugural Growth & Sustainability Pitch Competition.
She didn’t place.
And that is part of her story, too.
Entrepreneurship rarely follows a perfectly straight path. Not every pitch results in a prize, just as not every opportunity produces an immediate win.
Sometimes the value is in putting your business forward, sharpening your message, building connections, learning from the experience—and continuing to build.
That is exactly what Ikram did.
Her participation in the pitch competition became another experience within a much larger entrepreneurial journey. She continued growing In Beauty, remained connected to Entrepreneur Works, and continued pursuing resources that could help move the business forward.
Want Your Chance to Pitch?
Ikram took the opportunity to put her business and vision in front of an audience and now it could be your turn.
Entrepreneur Works’ Growth & Sustainability Pitch Competition returns this fall, with applications opening September 1. Selected entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to share their business story, rally their community, and compete for a chance to win $10,000 to invest in the growth or sustainability of their business.
Ready to take your shot?
→ Apply for the Growth & Sustainability Pitch beginning September 1
Returning for the Next Stage of Growth
By 2026, In Beauty’s needs had changed again.
The salon had added team members. Demand was growing. And Ikram was looking at investments that could help the business serve more customers while strengthening the larger In Beauty brand.
She returned to Entrepreneur Works for another round of financing and support.
The new capital is helping In Beauty invest in updated equipment and inventory, technology and booking systems, improvements to service spaces, and continued marketing to reach new customers.
Those investments are intended to help the salon meet growing demand while building the infrastructure necessary for sustainable expansion.
And there is a larger goal behind that growth.
As In Beauty expands its capacity, the business has the potential to create additional job opportunities while continuing to serve its Philadelphia community.
The financing isn’t simply about purchasing equipment.
It’s about preparing the business for what comes next.
More Than a Small Business Loan
Over the course of her relationship with Entrepreneur Works, Ikram has accessed multiple rounds of small business financing and grant support.
But the dollars tell only part of the story.
Alongside capital have been hours of technical assistance, consultations with Entrepreneur Works staff and business experts, specialized training, accelerator programming, and opportunities to pitch and promote her business.
Together, those resources tell a more complete story about small business development.
Capital can help an entrepreneur execute a plan. Capacity-building can help strengthen the business behind that plan.
And what an entrepreneur needs at one stage may be very different from what they need at the next.
An early investment may help purchase equipment or inventory. Later, the same business may need better technology, more employees, additional marketing, a larger space, or financing structured around a more established operation.
That’s why Entrepreneur Works’ relationship with an entrepreneur doesn’t necessarily end when a loan closes or a program concludes.
For Ikram, it has continued as In Beauty has continued to evolve.
From Local Recognition to Long-Term Business Growth
Today, some of the results of that work are increasingly visible.
In Beauty has earned recognition for its services. Ikram has received recognition for her leadership. The business has expanded its team and continues investing in the systems, equipment, marketing, and infrastructure needed to support increasing demand.
But behind those visible milestones is the work that doesn’t always make it into an award announcement or social media post.
Learning. Planning. Adjusting. Investing. Taking chances. And continuing to show up.
Ikram’s experience also demonstrates something important about business readiness: it isn’t a finish line.
A business can be ready for one opportunity today and encounter an entirely new set of needs as it grows.
Having access to the right combination of capital, expertise, and resources at those different stages can help an entrepreneur navigate what comes next.
What Could Your Next Stage of Growth Look Like?
Your business journey doesn’t have to look like Ikram’s.
You may be preparing to seek your first small business loan in Philadelphia. You may already have an established business and need capital to expand. Or you may need technical assistance, training, or guidance before financing makes sense.
Entrepreneur Works supports Philadelphia-area entrepreneurs at different stages with small business financing, technical assistance, business training, and connections to resources and opportunities designed to help businesses become stronger and more sustainable.
Ready to explore financing?
→ Explore Entrepreneur Works Small Business Loans
Need support strengthening your business?
→ Explore Technical Assistance & Business Support
Because sometimes the next step is capital. Sometimes it’s knowledge. Sometimes it’s a new opportunity.
And sometimes growth comes from having a resource that can continue growing with you.
