Thanks for chatting with us! Tell us about your business. How did it start and why?
It was a couple of years ago that I decided I wanted to have my own business. I didn’t know where to start at all, so I started looking into things that I’m passionate about. I’m very animal conscious, and this is where I realised the idea for vegan cosmetics. I was surprised to learn that a lot of vegan products are still tested on animals, so one of my main aims was to make sure no animals were involved in the entire process.
What started as just skincare has now also turned into hair styling products and beard oils. My website has been up and running now for about eight months.
Pride Cosmetics
So would you classify this as your full time job? Or a side-hustle?
I’m actually a part-time postman. My employer is really supportive and there’s always work wherever I go. As it’s just me who does everything with Pride Cosmetics, having the flexibility to work when I want is great for me. It’s been a busy year but it’s fun and I love doing it.
What would you say has been the most difficult part to learn with starting a business?
For me it’s the technology side of things. I’m a plumber by trade so I’ve never had to sit in front of a computer before. But I knew I had to adapt. I’ve done a lot of courses to improve my skills in this, as well as marketing courses to help learn how to grow my business.
And to finance, how does Mettle help you run your business?
The thing that drew me to Mettle was that it didn’t cost me anything. I didn’t have a huge amount of money to begin with so that really helped me. I also don’t have an accountant, so I have to do my taxes myself. Being able to categorise payments has been fantastic. When a customer pays me I can link it to an invoice and boom!
I try to keep everything organised, and Mettle is just so easy to use. I don’t feel like I need to ask anyone how to use it. That’s why I love it so much.
Pride Cosmetics
If you had three pieces of advice you could give to friends looking to start their own business, what would they be?
I think most importantly, you want a bank account that’s not going to be confusing.
Also, if you want to start a business, if you’re moving forward even with small steps, you’re moving in the right direction. Just keep going and you’ll get to where you want to be.
Finally, be positive. I still have days that suck, but being positive, I’ve found that the big things will fall into place.
What's been your biggest achievement so far?
I find the small things the most rewarding. Someone looking at my website and thinking 'yeah, I like the sound of this' and then buying something is a big deal to me. Knowing that people are buying products that are vegan friendly and animal cruelty free is super important to me. I feel like I’m doing something helpful.
So, what’s your vision? What's the ultimate goal?
My ultimate goal is to grow the brand to a worldwide audience. I’m currently only selling in the UK and have a UK supply chains. I just don’t think you need to involve animals in these processes anymore, so promoting that is very important to me. So I’d love to be a part of what other companies are doing, and spreading the word about vegan and cruelty free products globally.
If you’d like to learn more about Pride Cosmetics, you can find their products over at https://www.pridecosmetics.co.uk/
