Athenais Beauty

My name is Irina and I launched Athenais Beauty together with my sister this year. I do infectious disease diagnostics for my career and my sister is a senior in college studying computer science. We came up with an idea of launching an ethically-sourced all-natural coconut oil after we tried so many beauty products and were never satisfied with the results for the price we paid. Again and again, various beauty brands promised us great results with their expensive serums and facial masks, but results never followed. After a long journey of being beauty junkies, we decided to do something on our own, something that would work for everybody regardless of skin type and size of a wallet. By going back to roots, we made a choice to launch a coconut oil business. Coconut oil has become a big beauty trend and this trend doesn't seem to go away any time soon. The timing was perfect.

Unfortunately, we made a difficult decision to sell the business due to time constraints. I am very busy due to the recent Ebola outbreak in Africa and my sister is busy working on her career aspirations and finishing strong her final year in college. Our priorities shifted and we can no longer dedicate as much time to Athenais Beauty as we could in the past. Athenais was a big project for us and we hope to find people who will take care of it and assure it grows and prospers!

Me and my partner Jessica

What needs to be done to have the business running:

· As the inventory runs out or approaches critical levels, contact a supplier and request to manufacture more product

· Ensure tracking analytics

· Follow up with customer questions and write emails if needed since customers can sign up for a newsletter

· Marketing typically takes the majority of the time. It includes managing Athenais Facebook page and Instagram (personal page and contacting influencers)

· # of time per customer ratio has never been calculated

· Aim for approximately 5 hours per week minimum and more as the business grows

After its launch a month ago, it is clear that a new owner will have marketing as the main priority since the website is set up and fully functioning. Also, the inventory is ready to be shipped at any time. Athenais definitely has the potential to become a gem in good hands and I hope a new owner will take it to the next level!

· Athenais has a potential to be sold on Amazon, as the oil is compliant with their standards.

· There is no limit how much the business can grow

· Reliable supplier can manufacture, bottle and package as many oils as needed

· Supplier manufactures other types of oils as well, so there is a potential to grow the store from selling only coconut oil to a store where customers can buy any type of oil they need

· Once the business grows, there is a high chance to sign a contract with Sephora or Ulta, which means prestige and worldwide awareness for any beauty brand

· There is always an opportunity to sell the business with profit as it grows