If you’re a life-long lover of beauty but have come up against the struggle of shopping for cruelty-free products on a regular basis, you may have had the idea to open your own business that specialises in providing cruelty-free products all in one location, so people like you don’t have to check every single piece of product packaging before buying. If you are planning to do that, congratulations! You have taken a positive step to move the industry in the right direction. However, you will need more than an innate love of all things beauty and cruelty-free to make your business successful. Below are some key things to consider when starting out on your business venture.
Know your market
This means having a thorough knowledge of both your products and the people you are selling them to. People who shop for cruelty-free products are some of the most discerning buyers in the sales world, so you’ll need to know everything there is to know about each and every one of your products. If you are creating your own merchandise, you will also need to know how yours compare to others in the market and price them accordingly. You will have to do lots of research to become an expert in your chosen field. There is a wealth of difference between being an intelligent customer and being an intelligent retailer.
Know how to run a business
This may seem obvious, but many people underestimate how difficult running a business can be. With 80% of startups failing in the first 18 months it can be tricky to get the necessary traction to maintain stable growth. Making little mistakes as you get to grips with managing a company is okay, but too many could rob your business of the growth it needs to survive its first year. You could search online for courses related to operations management which will help you understand the best practices for running your company effectively. The most important thing is to know your own strengths and weaknesses and understand when to ask for help. If you can sell your products well and are knowledgeable about the manufacturing processes, but are terrible with numbers, it may be worth getting someone else to manage the books, or train yourself to do them better.
Marketing, marketing, marketing
You could have the best products on the market at some of the lowest prices, and excellent customer service to boot. But if no-one knows your company exists, how will you ever turn a profit? You need to make sure that every single person in your target demographic knows about your business and can access your products. Working with some of the best SEO companies can help make sure that your website is found by those looking to shop cruelty-free, and utilising social media, as well as traditional leafleting and newspaper advertising, can help the customers in your local area know about you. Think big, and spread the message of your business far and wide.
There you have it, three things to bear in mind that should help you to ensure that your cruelty-free beauty business thrives in a competitive industry.