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Beards, bikes and balms: Who says it’s a man’s world?

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Monique Fleming, founder of Bonafide Beards, together with her bearded husband, Joe. (Picture: Supplied)
Monique Fleming, founder of Bonafide Beards, together with her bearded husband, Joe. (Picture: Supplied)

In 2014, after searching in vain for a product for her bearded husband, Monique Fleming did what any self-respecting partner would do. She came up with a home remedy of sorts for her hubby’s freshly growing beard.

Where she differs from the rest of us, however, is that her “homegrown” product soon became a fully-fledged movement to “Bring back the Beard” – and spawned a feverishly busy retail operation in Parktown North, Johannesburg.

What did you do prior to starting your own business?

I worked in the corporate sector for many years before I took the entrepreneurial plunge nine years ago to follow my soul’s dream. I began a small business doing hair extensions. I realised then that I would always work for myself.

Where did the idea come from?

At the same time that the hair extension industry took a turn for the worse (due to quality reasons) and I was left between a rock and an empty bank balance, my husband Joe started growing his beard. It was dry, itchy and scratchy, and he needed something to relieve the symptoms of a freshly growing beard.

Necessity is the mother of all inventions they say, and I needed to invent something to help save his beard, as we couldn’t find any products specifically tailored to treat a man’s beard in this country and shaving was not an option for either of us – #ilovefacialhair.

What motivated you to turn it into a business?

After producing a small batch of beard balm for him as a gift, which he absolutely adored, I decided to take my last R1 300 and produce a batch of samples for the bearded man in SA. There was clearly a huge gap in the market for hairy men who needed the products – or in some cases didn’t know they needed the products yet. And so my business was born.

How did you make your first sale?

I created a Facebook and Instagram page that caught on like wildfire, and before I knew it I was inundated with messages of men wanting to purchase my wares. 

When did you officially start operating?

I spent the first three months (from June 2014) spreading the word on social media, selling at local markets, stopping every single bearded man I encountered – but more importantly, we worked at building our online store, which officially launched 1 September 2014 (the day we recognise as our birthday).

How did you get funding to get started?

As mentioned my initial investment was R1 300, which I used to buy materials and ingredients to make my first batch of products. Each time I sold anything I simply used the money to purchase more stock. Fortunately, I had a little money saved up that I used to pay for Facebook advertising, as well as to pay for stalls at flea markets to create awareness for the brand and to help through the initial “dry” stages.

What have been the three biggest difficulties you’ve had to overcome?

- Finding superior quality ingredients that lived up to my high standards.
- Proving myself as a woman in a male-dominated industry.
- Getting out of my own way.

What is it like being a woman selling a men’s product range?

I really have a fun time doing it! I get a kick out of educating men about their beards and some of them are pleasantly surprised when they realise I know more about their beards and grooming than they do. I’ve subsequently been nicknamed the “bearded lady” – which I’m cool with. 

Why have you focused on creating a ‘lifestyle brand’ as opposed to a cosmetic brand?

We consider Bonafide Beards to be a lifestyle brand rather than a cosmetic brand because we incorporate everything my husband and I love into our business – beards, bikes, cars, beer, travel, movies, food, friends and family.

As a young dynamic company we are always looking for ways to offer our customers more – and not just bearded customers. We don’t discriminate against those who are unable to grow a beard and offer ranges for men who shave too –  Bonafide Faces. And our latest range about to be launched – Bonafide Bodies.

Joe runs a subdivision of the company called “Bonafide Moto Co” that focuses on the lifestyle part of our brand. He is also an integral part of the business and works on our marketing, media and graphics content and deals with the IT side of things.

Any marketing advice for fellow small-business owners?

Stop shouting at your customers! We are bombarded with thousands of adverts a day that shout at us rather than grab our attention, yet when creating campaigns we sometimes do the same thing – shout. It’s about attracting your customer rather than persuading your customer.

Biggest lesson learnt?

That my business is dynamic and ever-changing. And that I have to adapt to those changes.

How tough is competition in your sector, and what differentiates your product from others?

Being a female-run business is definitely one of my differentiators as I am able to speak to a larger audience of women and men. Women make up 45% of our sales to date, buying for the significant hairy man in their life.

We see ourselves and our customers as a “family” rather than a “brotherhood”. I keep the focus on Bonafide Beards rather than worry about what others in the industry are doing. I also make sure that we never waver on providing the most outstanding customer experience and only supply superior quality products. 

How many people do you currently employ?

Two staff members at Bonafide Beards and there are three barbers at the shop. 

How important is the online portion of the business right now in terms of sales?

It initially was the most important portion and used to make up the majority of our sales, but since opening up our barber shop and having more retailers selling our products the ratio has shifted. Many of our online sales are made up from our customers who don’t live near a store selling our product. 

What is the best business advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t wait! If you’re not embarrassed about the first product you launched, then you waited too long.

Also, ask for help.

What was unexpected?

The sudden exponential growth of the business caught me completely off-guard – it was stressful and exhilarating all at the same time.

How do you stay motivated?

That’s a tough one to answer because sometimes it can get quite tough to stay motivated. Fortunately I have an incredible support structure in the shape of my assistant Cindy and my husband Joe who know how to light a firecracker under my ass from time to time when I need it.

It also helps that we have been blessed with the most amazing customers who (with emails, reviews and messages) continuously remind me that I do what I do because it changes their beards as well as their partners’ experience of their beards.

What are your non-work habits that help you with your work/life balance?

Taking breaks in the great outdoors regularly, riding my motorbike, spending quality time with family and friends. And the odd gym workout helps too.

What is your three-year goal for your company?

I am continually working on expanding our ranges – Beards, Bodies & Faces – and our goal is to open another barber shop.

This article originally appeared in the 30 March edition of finweek. Buy and download the magazine here.

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