CEO of The UK’s First Melanin-Rich Skincare Retailer Shares Her Top 5 Business Lessons

CEO of The UK’s First Melanin-Rich Skincare Retailer Shares Her Top 5 Business Lessons

CEO and Founder of Rich Skxn, the UK’s first online retailer for melanin-rich skin, shares her top 5 business lessons from her entrepreneurial journey so far as a black female founder in the skincare industry.

1. Don’t think, just start and keep progressing

The key is just to start, fail fast and learn quickly. I had to learn early on that my ideas and plans would eventually evolve, so being flexible is key. Don’t get stuck on your initial business idea as this will develop as you go along. Either your business will change or your customers will want something different. For me, I realised that my customers wanted the same solution but in a different way.

I have learned so many new things about running a business that I was not taught in business school, so I can safely say it’s better to get going than try to get things to be “perfect”. You’ll lose out on so many opportunities to learn something new or attract new opportunities if you don’t just take the plunge.

2. In the beginning, you are the business, so carry it well

Your biggest business asset is you, so look after yourself. People look to me for everything, regardless if I know the answer or not. I am the leader driving the ship but with that comes a lot of responsibility.

There’s that popular saying that goes “work hard, or work smart not hard”. But I’d say work hard AND smart and most importantly work on your mental and physical health.

My version of looking after myself is eating healthy every day, working out weekly, enjoying time with friends and family and maintaining a consistent routine. I also take myself on trips or simply take a day off. It does good for my productivity levels and recharges me with new ideas.

Doing this helps from feeling burnout and overwhelmed by the challenges you will inevitably face as an entrepreneur. Putting myself first has helped strengthen my mind, how I think, how I carry myself, how I speak about my abilities, my vision, my team and business, and most importantly how I execute my plan.

Remember: you attract people and opportunities to your business when you show up as your best self.

3. People will work with you or follow you if they like you and your business mission

Having a clear vision, brand and strong mission statement that can positively affect people’s lives is important for business development – people will want to get on board. Give people a glimpse of what it would be like to work with you by sharing small successes on your social media platforms, website, email, and in real-life conversations. It’s a great way to attract talent, investors, journalists, and new customers.

Taking responsibility for everything that happens, good or bad, in the business has been key to me becoming a great leader and learning fast. This includes actively listening to others, being kind, treating people and their thoughts with respect, and constantly learning new things.

Having a good attitude behind closed doors is also important, it builds good character and makes for a great entrepreneur. Believe in your business, don’t be rigid to change in your industry, adapt quickly, and be a leader in your field. Speak with such confidence and conviction and others will follow.

4. Joining accelerators, and business courses are a great way to upskill, grow confidence and network

You don’t have to be alone in your entrepreneurial journey. There are accelerators, business network groups and incubators that you can join where you can meet other like-minded entrepreneurs.

These cohorts or networks are great for upskilling and you get to learn from industry experts, get advice about different areas of your business and learn how to be successful in your business ventures. This can be a good place to start raising funds for your business too. Having a mentor is very important for the start of your entrepreneurial journey as you won’t know everything. Having someone who has in been in your shoes before to help you is incredibly helpful.

I found a mentor through an accelerator but you can also find one at networking events, on LinkedIn or through someone you know. Mentors can be a game-changer and having one has been integral to my personal and business development.

Networking with people in your industry and fellow entrepreneurs at events, on LinkedIn or online groups and being active in those circles are important to attract opportunities, grow confidence and share and learn.

5. It’s okay to let go – delegate!

In the beginning, I had to do everything in my business and wore all the hats. I was the social media manager, customer service manager, finance manager, e-commerce manager, stock manager etc. It didn’t give me time to work on strategically growing my business as I was getting bogged down by doing multiple smaller tasks.

Being a perfectionist can be hard when you’re a business owner, and trusting other people with your business and vision is even harder. However, the reality is you can’t do it all if you want to grow and elevate, you will need help.I had to learn this rather quickly and since delegating work to freelancers, part-time workers, contractors and the team, I have since been able to work on scaling the business. Now I have the time to think strategically rather than emotionally.

Getting support from a business coach or a mentor is also helpful so you don’t have to do all the thinking sometimes and you can get some inspiration or direction.