“I started being an announcer in RTM2 and modelling part-time while working in a bank because I needed money to buy clothes and make-up. I liked looking good and wearing designer clothes, so I had to work hard.
“I began recommending the skincare products I was modelling to family and friends. It got to a stage when they asked me to open a beauty salon so they could buy the products directly from me. I was also inspired by my friends who were doing well in the business,” said the 30-year-old, who holds a secretarial diploma and took beauty courses part-time while working in the bank.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz opened Roslawati's first beauty salon in 1999, and a big photograph of them standing together hangs in her office. A year later, Roslawati opened her second salon.
“It is all about working hard. Running a salon was profitable. But I wanted to start my own product because the profit margin will be higher. I also realised that beauty products can be too expensive for some of my customers. Everybody wants to be beautiful but sometimes my clients can only afford to buy the products for the first round.”
So she packaged her products in smaller quantity, and kept the price reasonable.
It is this pragmatism that seems to steer Roslawati's business philosophy.
“I started small. Even now, I have to be careful of costs. I cannot afford to advertise. The publicity we got has been from write-ups about our workshops,” said the managing director, who is completely hands-on in every aspect of the operations of her company, Le Rose Total Wellness Sdn Bhd.
It is essentially a one-woman show with a few employees to help out at her office in Gombak, which houses her distribution centre and the Le' Rose beauty salon.
Roslawati is, however, usually on the road as she has collaborations with Wanita and Puteri Umno to conduct beauty workshops.
“We have done the workshops in Johor and Pahang, and will start conducting the workshops in Kelantan this week. I enjoy conducting the workshops because the women respond so enthusiastically. It's very interactive, and we teach them about the importance of grooming and carrying themselves well.
“I teach them how to take care of their skin, and how important it is to wash their face. We also give them tips on how to wear their tudung and how to match their accessories. The participants enjoy the workshop; beauty is important to women, even 60-year-old grandmothers like to care for their skin,” said Roslawati, who was in Brunei for two months recently to conduct beauty workshops.
It is a good marketing strategy for Roslawati as she is able to introduce Le' Rose products to a captive audience. Some of the workshop participants also signed up to be her agents.
“I enjoy doing the workshops because I enjoy meeting people. But it is also hard work. We are scheduled to conduct the workshops in 45 parliamentary divisions in Kelantan over the weekends. That means I will not have any free weekends till next year,” she said.
In future, Roslawati hopes to expand her merchandise range to include cosmetics and herbal products.
The above are excerpt from The Star.
Tag: Cosmetic : Beauty
