CURL CHEMISTRY LIESL KATZEN
Start-up cost: ‘I asked my dad for R5000 and used some of my savings. I started the business with just under R10000.’ Turnover: About R1 million a year.
INthe coloured community, where sleek, pin-straight hair is considered the ideal, Liesl Katzen gets a lot of negative feedback on her naturally curly hair. ‘My gran always tells me that I should do something about my kroes hare,’ she says with a laugh.
Tired of spending hours at the salon having her hair straightened, Liesl started Curl Chemistry as a way to embrace the natural texture of her hair. ‘I was basically looking for products to use on my own hair,’ she says. Liesl, who liked to whip up bath salts and soaps at home, tried her hand at formulating hair products, and soon realised she needed a professional’s help.
‘It was actually a dangerous operation as you could burn yourself with some of the chemicals.’ Thankfully she met a manufacturer who was able to prepare the correct formulation. Liesl tested the products on her own hair for a year before launching Curl Chemistry.
‘Initially I thought it would work for only my hair type, but I realised that many of the products work for everybody – it just depends on how you use them.’
With the formulation perfected, she launched her first product, the Curl Activating Cream, in July 2016. She had only 120 jars of product and nothing else (no website, no customers) except, of course, a drive to make the business a success. And it was!
‘When I began, I didn’t have any intention of getting the business to where it is now. But the demand pushed me.’ Since then, Curl Chemistry has launched several other products, including a sulphatefree shampoo and a deep-conditioning treatment. Liesl says distribution has been her biggest hurdle. ‘Big companies are pumping their products into the market – I literally have to go out and look for salons who will stock my products or individuals who will sell them for me.’ As a business owner and a BComm student, Liesl has a lot on her plate – but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
‘The business can take so much out of you; I wanted to balance it with something else. So when I finish my degree this year, I’ll probably start studying again.’
Her next plan is to create a space where she can really connect with would-be customers.
‘We’d like to start hosting events. You can’t tell people everything over Facebook, so we want to host an event where we talk about the nitty-gritty of going natural. We’ll also be at the Natural Hair Festival at the CTICC at the end of the year.’ And she wants to expand the business.
‘I want to get Curl Chemistry to places like Angola and Ghana. If I can focus on Africa, I’ll
be happy.’ www.curlchemistry.co.za; Facebook and Instagram: @curlchemistry