Did you know that the first ever O So Curly product was a custom beanie?
When starting the business I wanted to create a community, brand and a movement! The O So Curly Instagram page was a space for inspiration, I would share images of curly girls of all types, lengths and textures as I remembered how much I benefitted from those kind of images when starting my natural hair journey.
My desire to have a business was stronger than ever when our audience began to grow! At the time beanie hats were trending with slogans galore however I couldn’t find any that said ‘CURLY’! I’m all about filling a gap in the market, so how did I go about it?
Research, research, research, I did not study business or have a clue on how to run/start one but I did see women winning on social media with their clothing lines, hair extensions, accessories and lashes, why couldn’t I?
I took to Google and YouTube day and night researching where to find an affordable place to create a custom product which brought me to the world of Aliexpress/Alibaba a marketplace for manufacturers in China! Now the real work begins, I searched through all of the beanie hat companies, requested samples, created the design on my iPad and made my first order after saving money from my part-time job in retail.
Invest in yourselves! It’s paid off for me. When the beanies arrived I began to take photos, wear it out, gift them to friends, family and influencers. After a few months I gained my first ever sale on Christmas Day! That was all the confirmation I needed to carry on, if I can acquire 1 sale, I can acquire 1000 more.
Fast forward to 4 years later, we no longer sell our CURLY beanie, but have evolved into products that benefit natural curly hair! I designed a satin pillowcase next which is now our best seller.
I hope this inspires you to start that business you’ve always wanted to start.
