Bentley collegiettes™ are known for their drive for success in the business world. While many of us have our eyes on the corporate world, there is a whole other world of entrepreneurs who are hitting the internet for success. Katie Abdou is one such lady.
Craft goddess and baking enthusiast Katie Abdou, 25, of Pembroke, MA launched her online mineral makeup company in June of 2011. Originally, she had planned to make cosmetics for young girls, such as flavored lip gloss and scented nail polish. However, her friend was interested in a similar company, focusing on mineral eye shadow. The two friends combined forces. However, it was not long before differences of opinion got in the way and the company was split, leaving Katie to start from scratch. She took this as an opportunity to form to a company completely in her own vision, expanding her product line beyond simply eye shadow and lip gloss, but to include other cosmetics as well. Thus, Sweet Treats Cosmetics was formed.
STC specializes in mineral makeup, featuring eye shadow, blush, and lip gloss, in a wide variety of colors, or “flavors,” named for all of your favorite desserts. Katie’s playful spirit spills into her product, conjuring up many bold and sparkly varieties. Many of her products are vegan-friendly and all are made with safe ingredients.
What makes mineral makeup safe, you ask?Katie explains, “a huge cover-up was brought to light about [a] company: they had been using non-FDA approved ingredients in their cosmetics—including unsafe dyes that are known to cause blindness. A handful of people were hospitalized, including a little girl whose mother had bought the company’s “Little Girl Play Makeup” set. Numerous scams were brought to light, and I joined a group that dedicated it’s time in helping the Better Business Bureau and the FDA in their investigation against her. As I was doing the research for the investigation, I started to learn different things about making cosmetics and decided to give lip gloss a try for my own fun. I decided, then, that I wanted to start my own company up—a company that would guarantee safe ingredients and better customer service than this one.”
Now in business for over six months, Katie has found herself with a booming business.“It was such a slow start,” she explains, “and then somehow in the fall, my fan base seemed to triple out of nowhere. I have a handful of very loyal customers who I’m happy to now call my friends. They tell everyone they know about my makeup, and share photos of different looks online in different communities. Through them, I have gained many fans.”
In addition to word of mouth, Katie has gained a lot of interest through other independent makeup companies and beauty blogging site. Even more creativity and interest is generated through her regular makeup contests, weekly discount flavors, and holiday sales. Her Facebook is regularly active with fans posting new looks based on the colors they buy.
Katie is always launching new products and flavors in the spirit of her sugar-coated company. “Luckily for me, I have an insatiable sweet tooth and a knack for baking, so coming up with names and colors isn’t hard for me yet,” she explain. “I’m sure down the line I’ll start to run out of desserts and fruits! That’s when I’ll really have to become creative.”
What is down the line for STC?“As weird as it may sound, I try not to think too much about the future because I like to keep my attention on what’s happening right now with my company,” she admits. That’s how I manage to keep things at a pace which I can control. I would like for my brand to someday be offered in select stores where the branding might fit—like Hot Topic, Claire’s, and other alternative or girly boutiques. Or, maybe someday I’ll be successful enough to open up my own shop. Right now, I’m concentrating the most on my website and my Facebook page.”
For collegiettes™ interested in exploring online business, Katie has some advice:
- Be patient. That is my biggest piece of advice. When you’re starting a business, you are going to lose a ton of money in the beginning. It will take months or even years for you to get your business off the ground and start making money instead of just spending it.
- Start slow.Build up your business at a slow, comfortable pace and make sure that if you’re selling physical items, you ALWAYS have them in stock before you offer them up for sale.
- Be polite and honestwith your client base and make sure your customer service is top notch. People who have a great experience are far more likely to tell their friends about you. Word-of-mouth is a huge asset in building a business’ reputation.
- Utilize online networking siteslike Facebook and Google+. Pay attention to blogs that are relevant to your business and get to know your clients. If they feel like you’re their friend and someone they can talk to or ask questions, they’ll always come back.
- Don’t give upafter just a few months. You’re absolutely going to lose money in the beginning, all businesses do in the beginning.