Business by the way - Agnieszka Niedziałek from napieknewlosy.pl

She wanted to help her friends care for their hair, and ended up with a successful business and plans for overseas expansion. Agnieszka Niedziałek blogger wwwłosy.pl and owner of e-store napieknewlosy.pl proves that even if you don't plan to succeed in business, responding to needs and taking advantage of opportunities that arise can lead you to the top.

Where did this particular idea come from?

It all started with a fanpage with short hair care tips - infographics and instructions. However, after the first positive reactions, it turned out that it was difficult for readers to care for their hair based only on the description, so a youtube channel was created. Later there were questions about the products, which gave impetus to the creation of the napieknewlosy.pl store.

How long has your store been in operation? And what was your next steps from idea to implementation?

The company started about a year and a half ago in my room - at 9m2. Shampoos were falling on my head as I sat at my desk. Soon it was necessary to expand the space - to 25m2 of the stationary store, but within a year it turned out that this too was not enough. Now it is 130m2 and exclusively an online store.

According to data from the Shoper platform, 12.7 percent of stores using the Shoper software operate in the "health and beauty" category. Often their history stems precisely from an interest in cosmetics or a passion for beauty care. Expert knowledge and a blog are a good basis for competing with large drugstores for the attention of online customers. In addition to this, you also need to make sure you have clear product cards, an orderly product list and good resolution photos. In the case of napieknewslosy.pl, the assortment is also very niche, which certainly helps to create a unique brand, comments Lukasz Kozlowski, Customer Success at the Shoper platform.

How did your idea change? Were there changes, new ideas and solutions in the process of being translated into a business model?

Readers of the blog increasingly asked where to buy specific products that I showed on the blog. Sometimes this was due to cooperation with a specific cosmetics company, and sometimes it was due to their lack of market discernment. At the same time, I noticed that Polish companies are insufficiently aware of the content created through such cooperation, and there is a lack of dialogue with customers. So I decided that instead of working for someone as an influencer, I could set up store myself and recommend my products.

The dynamic growth of the store forced us to look for new solutions - at one point, despite the growth of the company, we still lacked hands to pack products. So I decided to share some of the activities. A Shoper consultant helped me create a wholesale, B2B platform. Everything tailored to my needs. I really appreciate being able to hand over some of the technical stuff. I care about simply having a working product.

What were the challenges along the way?

An e-commerce owner faces different kinds of tasks than an influencer. Certainly, all organizational activities within the store - customer service, accounting, sales, etc. - were a challenge. In the beginning, without a lot of capital, it is impossible to delegate tasks, so everything is on the head of the creator. There are already many online stores in the cosmetics industry, so it is crucial to stand out - for example, by the owner's actions, so that the store has a "human face". The blog gave me the basics - understanding the audience, allowed me to reach a virtually unlimited number of people, to become recognizable.

E-commerce in Poland

76 percent of those surveyed in a report by the Shoper E-commerce invest in yourself platform noted that sales are most influenced by store promotion and brand recognition. E-commerce owners usually try to conduct marketing activities on their own, nearly 70 percent of respondents said. Entrepreneurs are aware that business requires keeping a finger on the pulse, with 93 percent planning various types of changes from technology to graphics to logistics.

At what point is the project at the moment? What is the idea for development - what is in the plans.

The plans are big. I want to launch my line of cosmetics, and this requires a lot of work and money. In addition, overseas expansion and implementation of an English-language version of the store. There is also the question of personal care products, but I will introduce such products no sooner than in a year or two. Right now it would be fragmentation. The store is a springboard for me to create my own line of products.

Who helped you with the idea?

Certainly, the support of the family was of great importance, and during subsequent moves - a "delivery" seicento (laughs). On the technical side - great understanding of my needs in the Shoper consultant. Simplicity was important for me - everything could be done on my own, after a few changes the store looked better. It was also important to save time - the store was created in one day and is very easy to use for employees. Anyone is able to grasp it. The advantage, of course, is the multitude of options, which helped me grow my business - first into a retail store, then a wholesaler. Currently, an advantage is the inclusion of translation capabilities to move into foreign markets. All connections with other services (parcel machines, couriers), free add-ons work great.

How is the project funded?

All the time I reinvest the surplus funds in the development of the store. My philosophy when it comes to business - first two years of work for free, so that later I can profit from it. In my case, the source of income is also hair care knowledge - traffic from the blog translates into orders in the store.

What did doing this project give you? So privately? What could you advise other women who are just starting their business.

For bloggers - build a community. Don't spam groups with links to your site. Good content will always defend itself. Use every break for social media, respond to every comment and message. If it's beyond your capabilities then do Q&A (questions and answers) so you don't lose touch with your audience. This is important and you can't delegate it right away.

If you are launching a product, then match it to your target market. For example - if I run a hair care blog then I set up a hair care store.

Don't grind - I get questions about body care products, but I'm not getting into it right away. I think I will introduce such products no sooner than in a year or two. It has to be thought out.And don't start with your own book. She can be the culmination of the content available on the Internet. But you have to earn it first.

Changes, changes, changes

More than ⅔ of owners in 2018 want to introduce a new service or product to their e-store, and 13 percent plan to expand overseas sales.

3 things that you think should not be forgotten when starting your company and implementing your business idea.

It is impossible to be a random person off the street who will say to himself "oh now I'm going to sell" and immediately have profits from it. You have to spend time, money and build trust.

Delegating tasks is essential - if you can, you should do it. In particular, it's a good idea to delegate things that are annoying so that the other activities can be full of good energy. For example, complaints, writing back emails. If you aspire to be an expert yourself, it is better to publish advice than to deal with customer contact. I refer inquiries about the store to the store. This leaves me time for what gives me the most pleasure - recording and editing on youtube. I try to develop the store every day. This is my task.

What do you consider to be your success today?

Gathering a crowd of devoted fans, giving knowledge to their customers and developing the store. I'm glad that someone will improve something in their appearance and life thanks to the knowledge collected on the blog and the products available in the store.