Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in skin care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Toni Cuttino, Founder, and CEO of All Shades Skin Care, located in Hopewell, VA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is skincare. Our customers are individuals who have chosen to be proactive with the health of their skin. Our company looks at all aspects of the skin, considering it is the largest organ of the body but the most neglected. Our focus is first healing acne or blemishes that may come about due to age, hormones, foods, air quality, etc. Once we treat the blemishes, then we focus on hyperpigmentation. Once hyperpigmentation has been corrected, then we focus on anti-aging and maintaining the beautiful glow that the customers have worked so hard to achieve. Our products are unique because our formula is medicated ingredients that dermatologists prescribe daily, mixed with natural remedies that have proven to be successful. Our customers are getting the same treatment without office co-pays and expensive prescriptions. I am very proud to say that we have a few dermatologists that are loyal customers. But shhh, that's a secret!!
Tell us about yourself
I suffered many years with my skin. It started when I was a teen. My acne was terrible, and it made me so self-conscious. I spent so much money on cheap products trying to make it better, but it just seems like it got worse. As I got older, I started learning the physiology of my skin and what I could do to help myself and others.
I worked in dermatology for many years. It was truly a passion of mine. As I would sit and talk with patients daily and really break down the skin, its functions, and what products they could use, I kept hearing everyone say, "maybe you should have your own skincare company!" At first, I said absolutely not until the pandemic hit.
At the beginning of the pandemic, our office closed for a little while. I was at home with the rest of the world on a much-needed break! So I thought!! I started thinking more and more about my own skincare line, but the thought really intimidated me because I had no idea of how to start a business, and there was no one I could ask. I had no template. I was the template because no one in my family had ever owned a company; they had all worked for someone else. I started to do a lot of research, but my fear aside, and jumped out the window of the entrepreneurial ship.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
To me, my biggest accomplishment is just starting. The holy spirit that lives within me would not let me just sit and be ordinary. Working day in and day out, not being completely happy. I tried my best to sit around and keep my business in my head as a dream or a thought, but I couldn't. I put some action behind my thought and faith. I actually started. That's huge!!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing about being a business owner is understanding that you should not compare yourself to anyone. If you are constantly looking at what your so-called competition is doing, it will only slow you down and make you doubt what you are doing. Pressure comes when you look at other people in your industry. It's ok to look, learn, and even get inspired to a certain extent but don't focus. Focusing will have you closed in less than three months.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Have a plan. Don't just go out and spend money on something you have not researched or are passionate about. Know your skill set inside out. Take classes to keep your skills sharp and learn new things about what you do. Also, find your way by niching all the way down. That's how you make your own lane.
- Don't think because you have this business that customers are just gonna come. You have to work for them. You have to prove to them that you are the best among everyone else, and it would be a privilege for them to be your customer. (But don't be arrogant about it!)
- Trust in who you are and what God has placed in you. Keep your integrity in tack, so you go to sleep with a clear conscious. Most of all, don't do it for the money; do it for the passion of it, and the money will come.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
No matter where you are in your business, you are still winning because you started!!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.allshadesskincare.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allshadesskincare/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allshadesskincare/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toni-cuttino-3aa2b8203/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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