Interview with Vanita Belani Ambwaney | Venuss Skin and Hair Care
I hope this can inspire you to become a successful entrepreneur too! Why is it important to hear the story of a successful entrepreneur?
Having the vision to become an entrepreneur is great. Making it happen is another story!
In that frame, I had the pleasure to interview Vanita Belani Ambwaney, Founder of Venuss Skin and Hair Care.
1. What is Venuss Skin and Haircare about and how did you come up with the idea of Venuss?
Venuss Skin and Hair care is a range of homemade beauty products that have been successfully growing for the last 4 years. I always wondered how nature can create problems and also cure them on its own. I was my own lab for my products and when I used to experiment on myself, people around used to give positive feedbacks which I didn’t get when I used other products available in the market. Hence I came up with the innovative idea of making natural face packs and hair oils at home at very affordable prices so that it could reach the masses.
2. What’s your source of Motivation?
Coming up with creative ideas to make a new product and the successful outcome of the product with positive feedbacks from my clients motivates me.
3. Why should people choose your products?
Our products are made with natural ingredients. We have products suited for various skin or hair problems. We advise our clients about the kind of problems they face and we offer the products accordingly. And most important we provide trial packs so that the clients can try and then order products as per their choice.
4. What’s your competitive advantage?
We adapt to our customer’s wants and needs. Understanding their needs depending on the issues they are facing and helping them choose the right product. Also, our pricing and packaging are good because products are available in small quantities and at an affordable price and hence a wide variety of products can be tried and tested.
5. What are the risks and problems you face?
As every person’s skin is different, sometimes products do not suit the skin type and don’t work the way it is intended. As we don’t see the skin personally there are chances things may not work but we are always willing to consult with the clients and the product that is best suited to them.
6. What comes first for you money or emotions?
Emotions. A very small story of this I would like to share. A few years back I had come up with Lauki oil. This oil helps to control excessive hair fall but also cures Alopecia. A lady with the same problem approached me but she asked me for a guarantee that her hair will grow back as she had spent a lot on her treatment. I told her that guarantee can’t be given, but if the oil doesn’t give the result, I wouldn’t charge her even a penny. Though she didn’t agree to that and wanted to pay, within 6 months she started seeing the results and her hair grew back.
7. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
My strength is to innovate and have the capacity to make it happen. My weakness lies in the fact that I am impatient and restless. I can’t rest till I make it happen.
8. Have you considered any partnership/alliance?
An alliance may be something I would consider someday down the line as I do want to branch out in different cities. But we have started a small initiative to encourage women sitting at home to come and join hands with Venuss. They help us in marketing from home and earn a good commission.
9. How do you handle the pressure?
Good Pressure – such as having too many orders and meeting their deadlines helps me to stay motivated and productive. I am skilled at balancing and scheduling which helps meeting all deadlines.
10. What are your cash flow projections? When will you break even? How much investment do you need?
As we have established Venuss in Mumbai for a couple of years. We are already making a considerable profit, but I would like to introduce Venuss nationally and would like to make an investment accordingly so that we can reach the market we intend to.
11. Tell me about your accomplishment you are most proud of?
I am proud of how Venuss has grown over the years. From just 2 of us initially, we grew to a family of 50. I have had the chance to give opportunities to women to work from home to earn an extra income.
12. If you sell your company today, what would be your tone of the conversation?
I can’t answer a question which I never thought of.
13. What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Stay positive. Do not let a glitch dampen your spirit. If you encounter an issue, don’t give up. Make every effort to achieve your goal. You won’t know if you were to succeed if you did not make the extra efforts.
