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HomeEntrepreneurshipEMMA OMANY: CAREER MARKETER VENTURES INTO BEAUTY BUSINESS

EMMA OMANY: CAREER MARKETER VENTURES INTO BEAUTY BUSINESS

Slowly but surely, Busu Skincare, a small enterprise, is winning customers’ hearts by being innovative

By George Gichuki

One of  the  most  outstanding traits  of  successful   entrepreneurs is  their   ability   to seize and capitalize on the  business opportunities that they spot.  Hawk  eyed, passionate   and  full of energy ,  they  are   keen on growing their enterprises and making a difference in the society. Consequently, they don’t rest on their laurels. In their  quest  to  excel  in  the world  of   business,   they create strong  and   highly visible brands.  A good number these  entrepreneurs   start in a small way, yet by being resilient and focused, they are able scale up their businesses. Emma Omany fits in this category.

Soft spoken, articulate and with a keen eye on details, Emma   topped the She’s Next global advocacy programme in July.  Empowered by Visa, the programme aims to support women owned small businesses through funding, training and mentorship so that they can take their enterprises to new heights.  A chartered marketer by profession, Emma studied tourism management before transitioning to marketing.  Her experience in marketing spans almost two decades in diverse industries like hospitality, logistics and manufacturing.

 Her business is known as Busu Skincare  and it specializes in manufacturing moisturizers. Busu  addresses the need for locally  manufactured emollients that cater for sensitive African skin. By the same token, it incorporates local botanicals and traditional beauty practices from various ethnic groups in Kenya. The value proposition  of this small  enterprise   is the provision of high quality, safe and consistent skincare products. Busu is a Kiwahili name which means kiss. “ Our brand shares a kiss from mother nature and  our African heritage through our wide   range of   moisturizers, “  says Emma.

‘The roots

Emma grew up with a bad case of eczema.  Even as an adult, she still manages this condition. Every cloud a popular adage goes, has a silver lining. She launched  Busu range of products to address that personal challenge. “ The light bulb moment was when my son was diagnosed with the condition when Covid-19 was at its peak,” she recalls. “ This limited our access  to the imported emollient solutions, and consequently, I developed a product to address that,” she adds.

Over time, Emma’s decision to become an entrepreneur has solidified.   Starting in a small way but staying focused on her dream,  her business has carved out a niche by providing  high quality locally manufactured emollient that  addresses  the pain points of availability, affordability and efficacy. Additionally, it has positively impacted on other partners  in its value chain. “ Our vision is to create jobs in our value chain and impact positively on our partners’ lives as we grow our capacity,” she affirms. The business sources its raw materials from  micro and small enterprises that are owned by women across the country.   It  targets health conscious individuals looking for safe nature-based personal care products such as body lotions and creams.

Standing out      

Competition is rife in this business. To address that challenge, Busu Skincare  specializes in the production of   multifunctional products. For instance, its face cream is a combination of a serum and moisturizer. Additionally, these products are specially designed for the African skin using locally available raw materials.  By the same token, the packaging is friendly to the environment.  Busu  uses glass and recycled plastic, as well as reusable ( airless) pump jars. “This business is owned by a woman and  eighty percent of our suppliers are women,” she says adding that this demonstrates that women play a pivotal in nurturing the spirit of entrepreneurship in Kenya.   “   We  cater  for  customers  –  both women  and   men  –  who are keen on accessing  safe skin care products, by   offering   them body creams and butter lotions,” Emma  says. Her firm  also  tailors   products  based   on the tastes  and   preferences   of individual customers. “ We have customers who  prefer products with neither chemicals nor synthetic emollients,” she affirms.

Left to Right: Hon Harriette Chiggai, President’s Adviser on Women Rights, Executive Office of the President, Kenya, Emma Omany, CEO of Busu Naturals, (overall winner of the She’s Next Kenya competition), Chad Pollock, Visa East Africa Vice President and GM, Eva Ngigi, Visa Kenya county manager pose for a photo with a dummy cheque worth Kshs 2.5 million during the She’s Next Kenya competition.

She’s Next

  The overall winner of the inaugural   She’s Next Kenya competition for women entrepreneurs, Emma  says that it was a game changer for her business. “ It has been a life changing moment for us,” she confesses. “ Our business has been propelled to the next level  giving us the capacity to enhance our production and marketing capacity,” she adds.

This superb performance has also given the business a lot of visibility in the media.  In the same breath, its capacity has been enhanced through various   workshops and mentorship initiatives.  “ I have also  grown my network among women entrepreneurs and gained confidence to undertake more challenging business tasks,” Emma adds.

Going forward, the ambitious entrepreneur is planning to expand into three new markets in Africa within the next three years.  As a way of enhancing the growth of small and medium enterprises ( SMEs) in Kenya, she calls upon stakeholders to put in place measures that will make the business environment more conducive.

Emma at a glance

Diary : Wakes at 5.30 am, prepares and takes breakfast before going to work (from Monday to Friday). She spends the weekend with her family.

Favourite cuisine: African dishes

Hobbies : Working out in the gym and reading for leisure

Favourite author : Jeffrey Archer

Dream Car : BMW X6

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