I Could Have Quit On Day One, But Then I Ripped My Sister's Hair Out
Sun Herald
Sunday April 13, 2003
Sue Ismiel turned a hair-removal product she made at her kitchen sink Nad's Natural Hair Removal Gel into a global business.
``I CAN still vividly remember the first day my sister and I went to the Flemington Markets here in Sydney to sell my product.
``I had never sold anything in my life. We got there first thing in the morning, set up the display unit and looked really professional.
``Then we stood there for three frustrating hours and not one person approached us. Not one person even looked at our stall. My sister and I stood there feeling embarrassed, feeling foolish, feeling like failures and thinking we should just pack up and go home.
``So with nothing to lose, I started to demonstrate my product on my sister's arm and straight away I drew a crowd. By the end of the day I'd sold out and I was convinced I could make a business out of it.
``To this day I look back at my first day at the Flemington Markets and think it's strange how close I was to simply packing up my stall and going home.
``That day taught me on the spot that you've got to be creative in marketing your business. What's the point of having a fantastic-looking shop if no customers come through the door to see it?
``You've got to look at all the angles when it comes to getting information out there about your business. You've got to know who your customers are and how to speak to them, how to target them. You've got to be able to present your idea well so people understand your business. I've always worked closely with my customers, always sought their feedback, and it has helped improve my business.
``I also knew where I wanted to take the product, where I wanted to have my product sold and how I would go about it. I knew very little about business and didn't know you should write these things down in a business plan, but I knew every step of the way from day one how I would go about growing my business.
``I had invested my life savings in starting up my business, about $5000. When I went to the market I didn't have a cent on me. By the end of the day I had never seen so much cash before."
© 2003 Sun Herald
