IT was just a normal day at work when Nicole Stanton accidentally poured polyurethane over herself, sparking chemical burns on her chest and a lifelong allergy.
The new allergy meant she had to leave her career as a special FX make-up artist and prop maker – but she now says it’s the best thing that could have happened to her.
Nicole joined forces with her brother, Alex, to sell skincare products on market stallsCredit: Supplied
Nini Organics turned over £1.3 million last year and now has two of the UK’s most prolific entrepreneurs as investorsCredit: BBC
The 35-year-old decided to go into business with her brother Alex Nicolaou, 34, and set up a market stall selling skincare products in 2017.
Nini Organics was started with £1,000 inheritance from their great grandmother, which they spent on ingredients, bottles and some branded signs to take to the markets with them.
The organic brand is now turning over £1.3 million a year – and that’s projected to rocket in the next few years following investment from two of the UK’s most famous entrepreneurs.
In the early days of Nini Organics, Nicole and Alex, from Hertfordshire, made use of “free rent” by running the business out of Nicole’s garden shed.
They also utilised skills from friends and family, to help with website design and branding.
At the same time, Nicole welcomed her firstborn son who was “strapped to her chest” while serving customers at the markets.
“We were at every market going and we absolutely loved it,” she tells Fabulous for our exclusive series, Bossing It.
“We used being on the markets to get feedback from customers and see what they love without having to find a huge amount of investment.
“If you grow slowly and organically, you get a really good feel for your customers and the products they like.”
Their days on market stalls means Nini Organics is “really in tune” with its customers, Nicole adds.
Even though their business turned over £1.3 million last year, the pair still try to attend markets as often as possible, believing that on-the-ground action is pivotal to the brand’s success.
Being in front of their customers has helped them build a loyal customer base that’s 11,000 people strong across the UK.
Nini’s Top 5 Tips to Success
- Markets If you’re selling a product, head to relevant markets to meet potential customers in the flesh. They’ll associate a face with a brand and feel a personal connection to it
- Network Utilise your network to save on setting up costs. For example, ask a techy friend to code a brand website for you
- Customer Service The customer is always right – and any longer than 24 hours to respond to a query is too long
- Don’t Rush Growing your business slowly will help you fully understand your brand identity and what your customers want
- Upskill Yourself Take courses related to your business that will help you become an expert in the field. For example, Alex took a course in product formulation before he started designing the science behind Nini Organics
Nicole and Alex have dreams of being stocked in Space NK and Liberty London – something which feels a lot closer following their success on BBC’s Dragon’s Den.
Nini Cosmetics received offers from dragons Touker Suleyman, Peter Jones and Steven Bartlett.
They handed out a 10% stake each to Peter and Steven after a successful pitch about what makes Nini Organics so special.
“There isn’t a natural and organic skincare brand that’s biotech driven in the UK – it’s just us,” Alex tells Fabulous.
“I think there’s a lot of magic to be said with Nini.
“We want people to enjoy skincare again; it shouldn’t be a drag, it should be this fun and healthy way of using products.”
The messaging of the brand is of particular importance to Alex, who suffered with severe acne as a teenager.
He was prescribed strong medication Roaccutane and, although it cleared up his spots, it left his complexion dry, scarred and extremely sensitive.
This sparked days of research into holistic and organic skincare products he could use to transform his face.
After many years of trialling different formulas, he finally perfected a skincare line that has cleared and strengthened his skin.
Nini Organics sells everything from cleansers and serums, to multi-purpose balms and mists.
Their best-selling £59 Nini Experience offers a trial set of the whole skincare line, including their £69 Crimson Beauty: Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum which was shortlisted for two awards last year alone.
Those with sensitive skin can reach for the £42 Infinity: Multi-Purpose Beauty Balm, which is designed to be reparative.
Nini Organics products are all bio-tech drivenCredit: BBC
Nicole used to sell on markets with her son “strapped” to her chestCredit: Supplied