Growing a small business is hard work, but Angela Ivana and Jaleesa Jaikaran are up for the challenge.
In 2015, Ms. Ivana and Ms. Jaikaran founded CosmoSafe, a company that combines hygiene, public safety and cosmetics. CosmoSafe aims to educate makeup artists through a hygiene and quality-improvement certification program, which covers techniques and products that promote infection control and public health. The professional development program also includes a comprehensive overview of beauty science and beauty business tips.
The two entrepreneurs spoke with Becker's ASC Review about what it's like to start their own business, the lessons they've learned over the past year and the importance of quality and infection control in the cosmetics industry. Here's what they had to share:
1. Identify industry challenges. "People within an industry know what's happening and what the challenges are," Ms. Jaikaran says. "When you see a problem in your industry, don't just talk about it, become a leader and make a change."
At present, education in the makeup industry focuses on artistic technique — not hygiene and infection control. "We saw a need to address the public health and public safety concerns that were growing in the beauty industry," Ms. Ivana says. "We dug deeper, and we realized there were no holistic education opportunities for makeup artists and a lack of industry-wide standards."
2. Take cues from other fields. Ms. Ivana and Ms. Jaikaran noticed that other health-related fields used certification and credentialing programs to ensure quality, and decided to build off the idea. "We want to see everyone grow and succeed in their careers," Ms. Jaikaran says. "But we don't see that happening if everyone's not on the same page."
They developed a new hygiene-focused certification program for the cosmetics industry, in an effort to educate makeup artists beyond what they would learn to receive a license. "We took the time to review different education techniques," Ms. Ivana says. "We saw how certification has worked in so many professional industries, and taught ourselves about certification, credentialing and licensing."
3. Seek out opportunities. The CosmoSafe founders have entered local and national competitions, both to acquire funding and to establish themselves in the market. "We're grateful for companies that take the time to support us with guidance and funding while we're still building our business," Ms. Ivana says.
Earlier this year, CosmoSafe was named one of the six finalists for "Miller Lite Tap the Future," a competition in which entrepreneurs present business plans to a panel of MillerCoors executives. As national finalists, Ms. Ivana and Ms. Jaikaran were awarded $20,000.
"We're really excited about the path that we've chosen," Ms. Ivana says.
