Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
Hi, my name is Rebecca! I am a budding female entrepreneur and proud founder of Scrunchies CPT. I make a beautiful range of affordable and quality scrunchies for the people of South Africa!
How old is your business now?
My business is just over a year old.
How did you come up with the idea of and name for your business?
Scrunchies CPT was started with the remaining capital of a previous business venture. Initially, the aim was to continue gaining training and experience in running a business, whilst working towards replenishing the capital that was invested in the previous venture. I chose scrunchies as it was an affordable start-up idea. Additionally, I had always wanted to try styling my hair with cute, quality accessories - however, I was not prepared to pay store prices for the quality that was available in general stores. I thought, if this venture is a short-lived adventure, at the very least, I will gain beautiful new accessories from it, as well as expanding my sewing experience! Thankfully, many more people found them to be beautiful. I wanted the name to act as a marketing tool - therefore I chose something that was straightforward. Potential customers can immediately tell what it is that I sell, and where I am based. Plus, I think it has a cute ring to it!
What is that “one thing” that 2020 taught you and that you will be using in the future? How will you be doing business differently?
2020 taught me the value of genuine support, and it has taught me to have confidence in the community. Honestly, I was mindful that my journey with Scrunchies CPT may be short-lived, due to the pandemic circumstances. I was overwhelmed by the number of people who chose to support me during a pandemic - not only in terms of purchases, but by simply sharing my business page, sending kind words of encouragement and praise, and encouraging others to have a look at what I was offering. Receiving the level of support that I did throughout 2020, from complete strangers who didn't owe me anything, was a really beautiful and humbling experience.
On a more technical level, I never would have imagined that I would be affected by a nation-wide elastic shortage. I refused to sacrifice the quality of my scrunchies by choosing a lower quality type of elastic, and I stand by that choice! Moving forward, I will never take the seemingly simple, but essential things for granted, such as a customer tagging a friend on our posts, or having a healthy supply of quality elastic available!
What makes your business unique?
Definitely the quality of our scrunchies, and the attention to detail that is given when making them! I would also say that the attention given to creating a meaningful customer experience is unique, which comes from understanding that a customer is never paying for just the end product - they are paying for options, customer service, ease of communication, ease of delivery/collection service, the packaging and the follow-up. All of these elements present an opportunity to add value to your business offering, and to create added value for your customers/potential customers.
Are you a solo-entrepreneur or how many members does your team currently comprise?
Yes, I am a solo-entrepreneur. Although, successfully running Scrunchies CPT would not be possible without a few key contributors/unofficial team members.
How do you market your business, and which methods have been most successful for you?
I mainly market my business through Instagram - it has been the most successful method so far. In particular, I have found hosting giveaways to be an effective way of introducing new followers and potential customers to my brand. Word of mouth has also been a valuable means of marketing.
What does a typical day look like for you? And how many hours, on average, do you work daily?
Currently, there is no "typical" day. Every day is different. There have been days that end at 2 am, start at 5 am, or start much later! I would like to focus on finding a more structured routine moving forward - without one, it can be a bit challenging to maintain a healthy balance between my business life and personal life.
How has being an entrepreneur affected your life?
I've always known that I wanted to be an entrepreneur in a creative space. It's been extremely refreshing to experience that as a reality and to know, with certainty, that success is possible along the path that I have chosen. That being said, although I have always been a hard worker with a diligent work ethic - being an entrepreneur demands a different type of discipline! Knowing that you're the only person holding yourself accountable for the growth, success and creative development of your business can be daunting, which has highlighted the value of being able to access support within your community - which includes fellow business owners or customers. And very rarely will you instantly reap the rewards of your hard work and efforts - it can require extreme patience and faith that your efforts are always working towards something amazing and worthy in the end!
If you could go back in time and start up your business all over again, what would you do differently?
I wouldn't change anything about my journey. Every moment is either a celebration or teaching. They have all lead to meaningful experiences and lessons, that I wouldn't exchange for anything.
What is one piece of advice you’d like to give to someone just starting out?
Have fun with it! Embrace your journey and the adventure! Trust that you are worthy and able worth to succeed as an entrepreneur. Believe that you are deserving of success, and trust that when things don't go according to plan, they are working towards something greater than you imagined for yourself, in the long run. Nothing is a failure unless you allow it to be - choose, instead, to view challenges and "failures" as opportunities to learn and grow.
Where can we find your business on social media?
Instagram handle: @scrunchies.cpt