Take a look at Kika Osunde’s Instagram feed “Kikagoodhair” its quite clear her fashion sense is fabulous, her caramel complexion, and most of all Kika’s tresses of silky, bristle top hair be it in pixie, bangs, bob, or that which is always coiled with soft curls and waves in a top-knot when its laid over her shoulder. Who is this exceptionally beautiful female entrepreneur with a joyous personality?
1.Tell me about yourself?
Born and raised in London, England known as Kika Osunde, the youngest of an eccentric family of 4. I am also the other half of the quality conscious hair extension brand ‘Good Hair’. My friends call me Kiks, Keeks and Ronks. Fun, warm, fashionable and vibrant are the best words that describes me. I love to travel, experiment with fashion and make up; I also enjoy watching romcoms (over and over again), documentaries and hanging out with my close family and friends.
I moved to Birmingham to attend University where I met my business partner Chioma who was studying Law. I graduated with a 2:1 degree in Business and Marketing. I have always had a keen interest in running a business and also love all things glitz and glamor, so it wasn’t long before we decided to combine these two passions and start a business.
2. Why and how did you go into the hair business and what are the struggles you encountered and how did you overcome them?
The most fortunate thing for me was that hair was already a way of life, rather than just a business idea. I used to experiment with so many different hairstyles, colors and looks that I quickly became an expert in weaves and wigs. Chioma and I had similar interests in fashion, hair and make-up. The common denominator for the both of us, was how empowered and how happy we felt in relation to our whole appearance. We would commonly be asked “your hair is so nice! where can I get it hair from?”. It only made sense to provide a product that reflected our passion but on an international scale. We started selling hair to close friends and family. As the business grew we developed it into a full fledged brand. Turning our hobby into a brand was the fun part, we took a lot of time to develop and create the brand. Firstly, we designed the logo to evoke the sense of glamour and luxury we wanted the brand to stand for. From the italic style of the font to the colors chosen (white and gold), everything was selected to build the brand personality. We started to think strategically about how to take Good Hair from just a brand to more of an overall experience, we invested money into sleek high-end packaging to create a luxury experience – which has now become the core of the Good Hair philosophy. Then through social media and self -promotion, it became an international hit among women looking for great quality, fabulous hair.
The key to our success at the time was social media. Facebook, in particular, played a huge part as we reached a following of over 135,000 fans in just 2 years. It was a great platform to promote the hair, ourselves and provide direct personal contact to our clients. This allowed them to feel valued and make the brand feel more accessible and approachable. This wasn’t an easy journey as we had to constantly work around the clock to engage clients all over the world which started to take a toll on my health. I started getting lumps all on my body from stress, from lack of sleep and exhaustion. I struggled with having a good work life balance whilst keeping the Facebook page exciting with new feeds and updates– it took a lot of time and energy as it was just the two of us at the time. Learning that every business has opening hours, I was able to strike a good work life balance which was my only challenge at the time.
3. How lucrative is it?
As you may know, the human hair industry is a coveted commodity with widespread usage, so it is a very lucrative business. The black hair market was recently estimated to be worth $500billion, so it’s been easy to sustain and drive the business in such a lucrative industry.
We always feel the need to evolve and expand but uncompromising its level of quality which is reflective in our price bands. With the likes of our e-store www.goodhairltd.com and our Lagos boutique, sales continue to do well. We have launched a successful new product every year in order to remain as the number 1 brand for luxury hair extensions. We have loyal clients that stretch from Australia to South Africa that we ship hair to. We’re so grateful and thankful for Gods continuous blessings.
We also measure success through other means, via a personal sense of satisfaction, by donating custom made wigs for people who have lost their hair due to alopecia or cancer.
4. How long have you been in the business?
We founded Good Hair Ltd in 2009. The business grew rapidly between years 2010-2012 through word of mouth and great recommendations. We’ve been in business for 8 years and counting thank God.
Over the years we have realized the most important thing is to keep customers at the forefront of the business, by keeping a personalized touch to the business whether it’s through our online store – www.goodhairltd.com and our Lagos Boutique where we have over 20 members of staff.
5. What is your area of specialization and what keeps your customers coming back?
We truly believe our area of specialization lies in luxury which for us is certainly uncompromising. We travel directly to our manufacturers all around world to hand select our raw virgin hair extensions. Even though we’re best known for selling amazing quality and long lasting hair extensions and custom made lace wigs. We’re also renowned for our professional coloring and styling services. We’d like to say we actually specialize in making women be the best versions of themselves by enhancing their natural beauty. We’re very good at helping women get “their groove back” and giving them confidence they’ve lost or in some cases, confidence which they didn’t even know they had.
Our brand not alone represents luxury but signifies integrity. As we feel that the client is always at the forefront of our brand we like to refer to them as ‘Good Hair Dolls’ allowing them to feel as if they are part of one exclusive community. Our aim is to continue to evolve, and offer no alternative for women feeling great about their hair.
6. What are your responsibilities as a business owner?
As a business owner I have to ensure that the business is running smoothly both in London and Lagos. I’m responsible for the e commerce website being not only user friendly but a trusted and safe website where our clients feel comfortable shopping online. I also have to ensure that the staff at our Lagos Boutique are up to date with the latest hair trends. So I’m constantly training them so we stay ahead of the game. I look for people eager to learn when hiring so this part is usually a walk in the park. I also have to work closely with our manufacturing team to ensure we produce the best of the best.
7. If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?
My one piece of advice would be to go into business with what you’re passionate about so it doesn’t ever feel like work.
8. If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
I wouldn’t change a thing as it’s what’s shaped me into the business woman I am today. The challenges faced were all worth it as Good Hair has become an established, globally recognized brand.
9.Who has been your inspiration?
My mother is my biggest supporter and has inspired me to be the ambitious, tenacious devotee of Good Hair. She taught me good work ethic and how to be a go getter!
Contact Details:
Email: info@goodhairltd.com
London Tel: +447904034911
Lagos Tel: +2347013555555
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @goodhairltd
Snapchat: @kikagoodhair
Personal Instagram: @kikagoodhair
Due to Kika’s busy schedule she will not be mentoring at the moment, she is one of the most down to earth person i ever met. But if you can or follow her on any of her social media she always takes free time off and opens her snap chat messages and respond to peoples questions. Be sure to follow her on social media for this kind of opportunities to channel your questions. Thank you for the read and stay tuned for next week’s female entrepreneur .
Femmetrepreneur 