In as much as cosmetics are widely used in Kenya, they are still perceived as a western concept with no original African brands. So it comes with great surprise to learn of Suzie Wokabi who is making strides, not just in the fashion industry but with cosmetics and with her own line of products too.
She is an exceptional woman in her early thirties who dares to venture into uncharted waters. She not only radiates beauty but creates it too. Suzie is the owner of Suzie Beauty, a company that provides professional make-up services, and is preparing to launch her own line of high quality but affordable cosmetic products into the Kenyan market, sometime this year. She intends to compete with established brands from the US, Sweden and other fashion capitals of the world.
I was fortunate enough to have a chat with her earlier on in the week on her professional work, her journey as an entrepreneur with a unique brand of products and her life in general.

Professional Background

Suzie’s background is in International Relations, which is a far cry from her current area of expertise in the fashion industry. As she was completing her undergraduate studies at the USIU-San Diego, she knew that diplomacy was not meant for her. On graduating, her sister, who lived in New York, asked her to move there where she mentored Suzie as she ventured into the fashion industry.
While in New York, Suzie worked with top names in the cosmetics industry, such as MAC and Clinique, as an administrator, store manager and makeup artist. She trained on the job and joined a school where she learnt and earned a professional certification in make-up.

Starting up

Funding the Venture and other Business Operations

Suzie is still searching for funders. Most of the operations and cost of production of the samples have been covered from hers, and her husband’s own pockets and the other arm of her business as a make-up artist. She is only interested in local funders, all of whom are not in the least bit related to the fashion industries. She believes banks are not a good source for obtaining starting capital from, especially in her line of business and her safest bet is now on angel investors.

Business Operations
Suzie is the only one involved in product development as she believes she has to leave her touch on her products especially seeing as it is her name that will be endorsed on the tubs and products. However, for her make-up jobs, Suzie works with three trained artists whom she hired straight from beauty school. “Forget all you have been told!” was the first thing she told them. She trained them all from scratch as she tried to align their skills with her vision.
Marketing Strategies
She gets some of her clients and local celebrities to sample her products. She also tests it on herselfat home, clients and her friends. Asked if the home testing it didn’t bother her husband, she admits she has turned their bathroom into a chemist but he doesn’t mind it. She has received positive feedback so far, which convinces her she is on the right track.
Once her products are launched, she plans to use e-commerce to market them as well as have them stocked in select supermarkets, beauty stores and pharmacies. Further, her employees will use Suzie Beauty by SNW exclusively in their assignments.

Affordable is a very relative term. How affordable is Affordable? What demographic is she targeting?
Suzie’s target consumers are middle class and upper middle class women. She has designed products full of colour and yet with sensitivity and solutions to the needs of African skin. In relation to current high end products in the market of the same caliber as hers, she definitely believes her pricing will be quite pocket friendly.

The future

Once Suzie Beauty line of cosmetics is launched, Suzie is confident that she will gain returns and break even as soon as the first year in the market.
With regard to growth prospects of her company, she hopes to build an international brand that will not only be sold in East Africa but over and beyond the Sahara, and hopefully worldwide. She stands to face stiff competition in the market especially from established brands such as Oriflame, Sleek and the like.
However, she believes that her strongest selling points lie in the fact that her products are of the highest quality having been made specifically to cater for the needs of Kenyan women and with view of such things as geographical and climatic factors, and their effects on African skin, things not taken into account by other producers. Further, it will be the first local brand which cements her meticulous approach to the needs of Kenyan women. Lastly, she will be definitely more affordable than these other brands.

On what Suzie wishes she knew when she was starting out:

“I wish I had started out earlier,” Suzie regrets.
She also believes that her limited knowledge in financial management may have cost her some golden opportunities in terms of potential investors, more so for the fact that she openly told them so. However, she is now approaching investors from her strong points. She is selling her knowledge of her products, her attention to detail and her awareness to what she wants.
Suzie is happily married and with a son of 14 months. She attributes her greatest support system to her husband, who has helped finance her ventures and travelled with her during the months of research and product development. She also sees her family almost daily and she calls them out too for being very supportive and keeping her grounded.
Suzie defines success as the point at which Suzie Beauty will be running itself as a fully African brand with international market. She will know she has made it when she can take one day off each week, one week off each month, one month off each year and can afford to vacation in Belize without worrying if her company could collapse while she is away.
Further she hopes to move the manufacturing operations to Kenya with time.

Any exit plans?

“Death is the end” .

Parting Shot

Suzie believes that there are great prospects for the fashion industry in Kenya which she says is still infantile and with great potential. She notes that the industry had moved in leaps and bounds from where it was 10 years ago and that there is always a fashion event or other every other weekend. There are so many opportunities locally for young people to take up in fashion and make-up.
To upcoming entrepreneurs, Suzie had only three words, “Just do it!”
Taking the leap and leaving formal employment to become an entrepreneur is scary, but the risk is worth it.

You can check out her portfolio, read more on her work, her products and other beauty tips at:
http://www.suziebeauty.com/ and http://blog.suziebeauty.com/

Article by Leo Mutuku

Leo Mutuku is a final year Actuarial Science student at University of Nairobi with a bias towards quantitative research, enterprise risk management and investments. She is working towards being qualified as a Certified Enterprise Risk Analyst.She is also crazy about sports (hockey, soccer, motorsports and swimming), fashion and the culinary arts. She blogs at uncreditedpolymath.wordpress.com and tweets via @C_Leo_patra.