Born in South East London to a Sierra Leonean
mother and Nigerian father Princess Onitilo has always had a calling of
excellence in her life. Having graduated with honours from Warwick University
with a degree in Law and Sociology the future seemed set for Princess but her
entrepreneurial spirit has led her down a different path with the launch of
Tress Free, The UK's first multicultural hair & beauty booking website. Read her inspirational interview here and be inspired!
Please tell us
what is a typical business day for you?
I don’t have a
typical business day because I am currently running my business alongside full
time employment. I spent most of my time working around my work obligations,
but for the business I spend most of my
time liaising with my web developers, partner stylists and developing marketing
strategies.
What made you
start the business and how did you get started?
The idea to start
the business came after I was let down last minute by a hairdresser. I didn’t
bother looking for an alternative hairdresser for the same day because I knew
it would require a lot of energy – either phoning different hairdressers I know
hoping they may be free, or phoning friends to get contact details of their
hairdresser. It was at that point that I thought to myself that the process of
finding a decent hair stylist in London should be a lot easier than it
currently is. The idea of Tress Free is to provide convenience as well as
giving the customer the opportunity to view images of the hairdressers work to
judge for themselves whether booking an appointment will be worth it.
What would you say
has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to date?
I don’t think I
have reached a point where I feel like I can cite accomplishments in regards to
the business. I think the best thing so far has been the launch. The fact that
I brought an idea into fruition is my first accomplishment and I look forward
to experiencing the greatest accomplishment in the future.
What has been your
biggest challenge in business so far?
My biggest
challenge has been trying to get more stylists signed up to Tress Free. The
more stylists that are signed up, the more choice a customer using the website
will have. I appreciate that this is a temporary challenge as it is a new
business, but with time and more publicity this challenge will become a thing
of the past.
What are your
future plans for the business?
For now the plan
is to build the Tress Free brand in the UK, making it the go to platform for Afro-Caribbean hair and beauty needs. There after I would like to roll it out
into Europe and hopefully Africa as well.
If you had to
do it all over again, what would you do differently?
I would definitely
spend more time researching the market and the feasibility of the business
model. I would also spend more time planning. I often get carried away with
ideas and rush to the finish line without taking a step back to plan and think.
Why is it so
important to inspire young women in particular to follow their dreams?
I think it is
important because empowered women have the capacity to impact and go on to
inspire generations. Women should not be made to feel that their achievements
should be inhibited because they are female or because of the expectations
society places on us.
What advice would
you give to somebody who wants to start a business in your industry?
The hair and
beauty industry (particularly the Afro-Caribbean market) is highly fragmented
and seeking to penetrate a market that is so big and often difficult to
understand is not easy. There will be
set backs but I believe your perseverance will set you apart.
What or who
inspires you in business and why?
Tech entrepreneurs
such as Mark Zuckerberg and Evan Spiegel inspire me. Building a technology
based business is difficult because you are selling concepts and ideas rather
than tangible things hoping that people will buy into your idea. The starting
journeys for such companies were not easy but they had a dream and passion for
what they are doing and stuck at it. I am inspired by them and this the
attitude I have when it comes to my business.
What is your favourite inspirational quote?
My
inspirational quotes are scriptures from the bible. One that is a constant
inspiration for me is:
'I can do all
things in Christ who strengthens me' Philippians 4:13
Find Tress Free: http://www.tressfree.com/
Twitter/Instagram @tressfree
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tressfreee
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