It come as no surprise to learn that businesses are constantly reinventing themselves to stay relevant, where “brick-and-mortars” are becoming “click-and-mortars” and fresh strategies are needed to remain valuable. Those who cling stubbornly to routines from the past are quick to go extinct.
A prominent businessman in Singapore, Dr Theyvandran, put it bluntly. “A business cannot stay stagnant. If it stays stagnant, it dies.” Over the course of my research, I have spoken to business owners big and small who promote a strong ethic of adaptation, whether they work as a tattoo artists in Baltimore or bookseller in Brazil.
Nazlin Hilal runs a very small business in Singapore called Doll Me Up Cosmetics, and shows us how even little businesses need to endlessly and energetically rethink their business models to stay fresh and alive in the game.
Even small changes can be meaningful for continuous business growth
Running a business consists of numerous micro but significant developments that gradually propel the journey towards the next stage of growth. This blog intends to uncover these hidden patterns. The curious question lingers: how do entrepreneurs transition from “here” to “there”?
For Nazlin, her journey began when she started freelancing, sharing makeup techniques with private clients. Initially, this was simply a side project she enjoyed. However, she soon noticed a growing demand for her services, leading to contracts from corporate clients who were referred to her by her private customers. Recognizing the need to cater to a wider audience, Nazlin made the decision to formalize her workshops.
Finally, Nazlin took the magnificent and empowering leap to design and produce her own line of cosmetics, despite being a newcomer to industrial manufacturing. Initially, to keep prices as low as possible, the packaging for her makeup products looked bare-boned and uninspiring. However, she eventually enlisted a graphic designer to transform the packaging into a stylish representation of her products, making them more visually appealing and aligned with her brand’s identity.
With each turning point, Nazlin’s confidence grew. She navigated unexpected detours and made strategic decisions that propelled her business forward. Her journey reminds us that it is important to embrace change, seize opportunities, and adapt to new challenges, and each step leads us from “here” to “there”.
Host events like workshops to create opportunities for customers to experience your products firsthand
Over the year, there were many small steps that pivoted her business from one day to the next. One of her strategies was to create a variety of channels to interact with her customers instead of relying on one channel.
I cannot just concentrate on just selling the products. We have to do something in order for the products to sell. That was when we realized that we have to do constant workshops. When students come for the workshop, they use the products on themselves. Because of that, they will buy, because of that, they will say, eh, I like this and I like that. And when they start using, it is a continuous thing. Next time, they come back to get other things. Especially when they use the powder. Powder is something we should normally use, right? Every month, they will always come back for their powder.
Make your offerings customizable to meet the diverse needs and preferences of your customers
After a remarkable 7-year journey, an exciting milestone finally arrived for Nazlin. She bought equipment to create her very own range of lipsticks that she calls Boneca (Portuguese word for doll).
With Boneca, customers can personalize their shades of lipstick, perfectly tailored to their favourite colours and textures. But that’s not all! They can produce small quantities, complete with customized designs on the packaging, making it a unique gift for their loved ones.
With Boneca, every woman can define her own glamorous style, no longer at the mercy of a standard palette. At the Doll Me Up studio, Nazlin shares her creative expertise with customers, ensuring that using Boneca is a delightful experience for all.
Be prudent with business funding: small and steady is okay
But, isn’t it expensive to grow a business? Small business owners often lament that it is hard it is to get a bank loan when starting out. They simply don’t get taken seriously without a credit history.
Nazlin did not even consider taking a bank loan.
For myself and my husband, we try not to take loans and all that. Because of that, we can grow, but slowly. If we took a loan or something, we could probably do a lot more things faster. But because we prefer to keep it safe, that’s why we have to have the savings before we can actually go further.
Balance risk and aspirations to grow cautiously
But, isn’t a business all about taking risks to reach your aspirations?
Of course, in business, you have to take risks, but we try not to push ourselves too far too soon. Sometimes it is very tempting when you see a lot of customers want this and that, so we think, maybe we should do this and that. But we also have to keep in check the cash flow and all these things. We said: Okay, never mind, we do it slowly. We will grow, we can grow, but instead it’s just slightly slower.
Don’t lose sight of your life priorities
Down the road, Nazlin envisions that the spouses and children of her customers will be able to socialize at a Doll Me Up cafe while the mummies take workshops and shop at her studio. As a mother and a wife, Nazlin intuitively recognizes the family responsibilities that her customers handle and, in that spirit, she is determined not to steam-roll her own family life with her business.
I want to grow the business, but maybe at the moment it’s limited by– it’s because my kids are still very young and I want to have more time with them. If I were to embark on that, probably, I would need to be out of the house more often. Maybe that itself is stopping me from doing that at the moment. Me and my husband will say: “Okay, maybe five years later when kids are slightly bigger maybe I can try to do that.”
Nazlin’s vision for Doll Me Up includes the paramount happiness of her children. Businesses are not (and do not have to be) autonomous, disembodied entities that seek world domination at any personal price — at least that’s not the vision behind Doll Me Up. Nazlin’s business is intimately and thoughtfully attuned to the human rhythm of living well, and sustainably.
How does Nazlin balance the expectations of providing spectacular quality to her customers as well as her family at home? She shares with us the little tricks she uses in the next and final chapter of this feature!
Shopkeeper Stories is a photographic documentary of small business owners with their trades around the world, sharing their views on business and life. You can catch all the posts on Facebook and Instagram @ShopkeeperStories. Enjoy!
Chapter 1: Starting a business
Chapter 2: Creating a product and brand
Chapter 4: Growing the business
Shopkeeper Stories 
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