Bulls n Bears Entrepreneurship Zone :: Nuya’s Essence: Tanzanian beauty queen finds her business groove with natural skincare products

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Hellen Dausen wanted to be a professional model and she was serious about
it. After graduating with a BSc. in International Business Administration
and Entrepreneurship from the United States International University-Africa
in Nairobi, she participated in the 2010 Miss Universe Tanzania beauty
pageant and won. As the winner, she received a scholarship to study
performing arts at the New York Film Academy and the opportunity to pursue a
modelling and acting career. But things did not turn out as expected.

“It was hard to get jobs and even harder to sustain myself while living in
Los Angeles,” Dausen recalls. “I later made a bold decision to come back
home with nothing to show for it.” That was in August 2012.

After four months of soul-searching, she found the inspiration that birthed
Nuya’s Essence – an all-natural bath and body care brand based in Zanzibar.


How did this all start?


In early 2013, baobab oil became very popular in Tanzania as a food and
skincare product.

One day it struck Dausen how absurd it was to use the natural oil after
showering with a soap that contained chemical elements. She considered the
possibility of having a baobab soap.

While researching how to make baobab soap, she found out that there were
many natural skincare products that weren’t available in Tanzania. “So many
women wanted these natural skincare products. Some were ordering from abroad
with expensive shipping costs. Some were making it at home (which can
sometimes be time consuming especially for a working woman) while some women
chose to use toxic brands. It was a true eye opener,” Dausen says.

She identified with those women who wanted well-packaged, eco-friendly
products and decided that she wanted to create such a trustworthy brand.
“And honestly, thus far we are that brand to many people – offering
alternative options for safe, eco-friendly, bio-degradable skincare
products.”

Dausen’s research led her to a skincare manufacturer in Malaysia who later
trained her to become a certified organic skincare formulator. Upon her
return to Tanzania, Dausen launched Nuya’s Essence in 2013 in the backyard
of her parents’ home, producing handcrafted natural skincare products from
botanical oils, butters, herbs and spices.


How did the company grow?


In its early years, Nuya’s Essence was financed from Dausen’s personal
savings and an investment by her parents. She re-invested sales proceeds
back into the business. But this wasn’t enough to grow her business as much
as she would have loved to.

There was no money for advertising or too many give-aways. But Dausen made
sure that she created world-class products and gave excellent customer
service, in the hope that early customers would share their testimonies with
others.

Then, in 2016, as the winner of two business plan competitions, she
received funding from the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Foundation and the
Mandela Washington Fellowship. In the same year she was listed as on one of
Forbes Africa’s most promising young entrepreneurs. After the magazine
feature, sales shot up and her client base increased. “That feature really
boosted the Nuya’s Essence brand and increased our credibility.”

Today Dausen has nine full-time and three part-time employees at three
shops – one in Dar es Salaam and two on Zanzibar.

She now envisions franchises all over the world within the next five years.


She must have faced some challenges?


In the beginning, Dausen couldn’t get her brand certified by the regulatory
board in Tanzania. “I have had many disappointments,” she says. She was
urged to close her workshop simply because she didn’t comply with the
standards.

She then moved to Zanzibar where many artisans use spices and herbs to
manufacture cosmetics and food products, and where the authorities
understand the needs of small-scale manufacturers. There she quickly
received the Zanzibar Food and Drugs Board certificate.

Only when Nuya’s Essence opened its Dar es Salaam branch in 2017, Dausen
successfully applied for and received the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority
certificate.


Anything we can learn from her experience?


As a self-starter in the beauty care industry, Dausen says it is best for
budding entrepreneurs to learn by doing. “Look for someone who is ahead of
you and ask them to guide you through the process.” She says this will help
to avoid unnecessary, and often very costly, mistakes. “Make sure you also
have someone to help you with financial education. This will set you up on a
very good platform from the start. Keep the passion burning, read books,
meet people and draw inspiration from everywhere until you find your
purpose.”

Concerning sales, Dausen says word of mouth is the most powerful tool. “I
will encourage other entrepreneurs to maximise it before putting so much
money into marketing and advertising. Nothing can beat an honest testimony
from a customer. Nothing will.”

And in the end? “Be still and live life,” Dausen says.—Howwemadeitinafrica 

 



Hellen Dausen

 

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