17 Apr Safésha : Open to Business
NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCT COMPANY SAFÉSHA EXPANDS WITH A LOAN FROM OPEN TO BUSINESS
$10,000 loan helps local company expand into new retail markets
Just a few short years ago, creating a natural skincare product wasn’t in Sylvia Andrews’ plans, but the need for them was definitely on her radar.
In 2007, Andrews was running a commercial cleaning business. Concerned for her own health and that of her customers, she began researching natural and organic cleaning product alternatives. She found a company in Northeast Minneapolis making natural cleaning solutions and liked their products so much she began using them in her home. Soon, she had developed enough expertise that the company invited her to do product demonstrations at local food co-ops.
Her experience sparked a passion for making more safe, healthy product alternatives available to consumers. Leaning on her strong business background and entrepreneurial spirit, Andrews began developing her own natural beauty product.
“I used hand sanitizer, but I didn’t like how they were runny and my hands were always dry,” she said. “I thought, ‘Why not create a product that combines sanitizer and lotion?’”
Andrews spent the next four years researching how to make a natural moisturizing sanitizer. As she developed the product, she reached out to local co-ops and larger health food chains like Whole Foods to ask them about their product requirements.
