Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in cosmetics but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Toni Jimenez, Co-Founder of Chica Beauty, located in San Antonio, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Chica Beauty is a cosmetic lifestyle brand inspired by women on the go! We simplify beauty routines by creating high-quality makeup sets that save them time and money. Our customers are students, moms, and girl bosses who love using Chica Beauty sets for their simplicity and high-quality ingredients that embrace their natural beauty by accentuating their features rather than covering them up.
Tell us about yourself
Before Chica Beauty, we noticed something missing in the beauty community. We didn't see any beauty company that was representative of our culture, lifestyle, and values. We know and understand what it's like being a student, girl boss, or mom. This inspired us to create beauty products that simplify one's beauty routine, not make it any more difficult. Every product takes inspiration from our customers' hustle and success. Each makeup set tells a unique story and references our Latina culture. Chica Beauty's Love/Amor set included bold red lipstick and was inspired by our loving grandmother, whose signature look was her bright red lips. Chica Beauty's goal is to simplify our customers' beauty routines by creating sets to work around their life so that they can focus on what matters most.
Chica Beauty is a proud small business, but we continue to think bigger so our makeup sets can positively impact our community even more. As we look toward the future, Chica Beauty is ready to scale out and enter into big-box retail and beauty box subscriptions! We want our products to reach as many people as possible so we can help them feel empowered and confident, and with bigger retail opportunities, this goal can become a reality! Even as we grow, we want to continue sharing our culture and heritage with our Chica Beauty Sisterhood. Storytelling is such an important part of our company, so with all our new products, we want to make sure they have all special meanings with nods to our culture.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
There are many things we have been proud of accomplishing recently, but here are our top three.
- Chica Beauty's strong sales growth and loyal customer base have positioned itself as the next "up and coming" indie beauty brand. Our boutique and online marketplace expansion has increased our sales by 178% over the last six months. Our woman on-the-go messaging has solidified a need for makeup set essentials and the conversion rate is up 121%!
- Chica Beauty was on The Jennifer Hudson Show on December 16th, 2023, to share with Hudson what makes Chica Beauty so unique. We shared our brand story and our new product sets and were recognized by Bank of America and Mastercard for all our community outreach initiatives. This nationally televised show was a huge milestone for us and allowed us to grow our customer base and build brand awareness.
- In January 2023, Chica Beauty won first place for "Best Product" at the National Retail Federation event known as "Retail's Big Show." Only Retailers were allowed to vote for the Best product. The convention brought more than 35,000 attendees and we showcased our products through the Consumer Product Showcase, which offered attendees the chance to browse through breakout products from small businesses of all categories, including beauty, fashion, jewelry, food, and home.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The toughest thing that comes with being a business owner is acquiring new customers and getting them to purchase our products. Sometimes people are apprehensive about buying new skincare and beauty products as it can be an investment. But Chica Beauty prides itself on being a brand that saves you time and money! Chica Beauty's sets are perfect for women of all ages and all skin types, as we are a company that's inclusive to women everywhere!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
When we created this company together, we knew we wanted to make a difference in the lives of real girls and women. That's why we decided to create products that empower women to showcase their true inner beauty and confidence. We believe our products can enhance the lives of our customers, and when you believe in your product and what you're doing, your passion truly shines through.
It's also important to get to know your customers by talking to them, conducting surveys, and asking questions. Listen to their concerns and then deliver products that better their everyday lives. Before Chica Beauty launched its first product, we spent a year asking the target market about their beauty routines and learning what their pain points were. From there, Chica Beauty developed products to meet their needs… Delivering high-quality makeup products sold as sets inspired by their busy lifestyles.
Above all, Chica Beauty believes you must believe in yourself. Having confidence in your skills and trusting in yourself is powerful. It's about finding your inner strength so that you can carry on even when times are tough. As sisterpreneurs, Chica Beauty has faced many challenges and obstacles through the years, but by believing in themselves and what they are doing, they will continue to live by our motto of #getitchica!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://chicabeauty.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chicabeautyusa
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicabeautyusa
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChicaBeautyUSA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chicabeauty
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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