At Knots Box Beauty’s Rodney Bay store, a customer and a sales rep chat like old friends as they discuss beauty products, even though they just met. It’s a busy Saturday afternoon, and people are coming and going nonstop.
Knots Box Beauty is now one of the country’s most successful locally owned beauty suppliers. The business has captured the attention of many, remained trendy while growing its own product line, and provides sought-after in-house beauty services.
St. Lucia Times visited the northern store and spoke with founder Natalie Girard. Her story shows there are many lessons to learn about entrepreneurship in the Caribbean.
Here is what we learned.
Treating people well can be a business-saving asset
Girard says quality customer service was something she built into the business from the very start six years ago. It was not as an afterthought, but an essential saving grace that kept the business afloat when it could easily have collapsed in its early days.
It was 2020 when Girard finally felt ready to transition out of her job as a sales rep at her sister’s business, Fashion Bloc. For three years before that, she had also been selling virgin hair extensions (extensions made with human hair) independently on the side. It was a venture that traced back to a childhood fascination with hair, a time when her mother struggled to keep Girard’s 4C hair styled to her liking. Over time, hair became one of her passions and eventually the catalyst for her journey through entrepreneurship.
“I wasn’t thinking about competition or dominating the markets or anything of that sort to that extent at the time. I really just thought to myself, okay, wow, maybe your quality can be really good that you can get some clients, and that’s how I decided to go into it. So first, my sister loaned me the money for me to start my business. That’s how I started Knotsbox.
“The money went into buying my first batch of hair, but that very first batch, it was a really, really bad batch. Imagine taking the step to invest in something and being so passionate about it and believing in yourself that you’re going to do a fantastic job and your business is going to grow, only for you to realise that you didn’t do the proper research on the hair and the batch was not great.”
Girard quickly learned how important good customer service is. It was the first of many key lessons she would need.
“It wasn’t a very easy process at all. For me, it was a matter of dealing with the situation, staying positive and just going back to the drawing board.
“My customer service is what saved me. I would constantly reach out to the clients, check up on them, see how they feel about the hair. Most of them said that the quality wasn’t great. Some of them only wore it once and they never wore it again. But quite a number of clients did say that, as much as they did not like the quality of the hair, they really loved my customer service and my personality, and once I get it right, they have no issue coming back to me.”
The learning curve extends beyond the product
“Growing that business has been such a roller coaster. I had a lot of lows; I had some highs, but I had a lot of lows. I just focused on the highs. At the time, I was trying to get myself to a place where I stayed positive, and I focused on the goal. So, I did not invite any negative energy into my space. I stayed quiet. It was almost like I felt the need to not divulge too much while I tried to figure out how I was going to grow myself.”
The lows came in different forms, including financial ones.
“I found myself going back to the drawing board a lot. As a matter of fact, I was much younger when I started, and I was not financially educated either. I made a lot of financial mistakes, and then I found myself right where I started with nothing. So I initially had to go and get a second job in insurance. I worked at an insurance company for a little over a year, and the goal was to save as much money as I could. I was testing hair from multiple different suppliers at the time, which was a bit expensive, but I had a bigger dream. I tested hair until I was able to save enough money to put towards a bigger loan at a financial institution that went towards getting my own place, setting up my business and getting stock.”
Innovation means understanding trends – and not settling for less
Girard says a genuine desire to keep customers satisfied, particularly when things go awry, has helped nurture Knots Box Beauty into the well-known brand it is today.
However, speaking to the founder, a knowledge of trends and how to navigate them is another essential part of her success.
“Clients can be very influenced by what they see on social media, so whatever is trending is most likely what they’re going to be requesting. They would come to the stores and ask if Knots Box has it. Sometimes we do, or we have something similar, because we really pay attention to what the beauty trends are.”
Over time, the business has diversified, offering a range of hair, skincare, dental care, intimate care, makeup and styling products. It has also created its own haircare line as a staple and one of its most recognisable features.
“…I was just so passionate about this thing. I remember telling myself, you know what, if you’re going to be selling hair, maybe you can open or start your own haircare line. So, I started doing work towards that, trying to come up with various formulas, trying to create a concept that would be great for natural hair and also virgin hair extensions, something that kids would be able to use as well. That journey took me three years because I found myself going back and forth. I really wanted to find something that worked, that was good. I had friends and loved ones telling me, just launch the product line as is; it’s good enough, and I was like, ‘good enough is not good enough for me’. I want the product line to be great. I want for when it hits the market that people are going to enjoy the product, so I took my time with it, and I did not regret it.”
Grow your business, but stay true to your roots
Knots Box Beauty has since expanded to two branches, one at J.Q. Rodney Bay Mall and another on Coral Street in Castries, with products sold in 13 Massy Stores, Glass Supermarket and CPJ, with additional retail locations expected to come on board. Girard says her sights are also set on developing a skincare line.
Yet, despite the strides her business has made thus far, she reminds us what matters most.
“We really do care about our customers’ feedback. If there’s one thing, I really take the experience into consideration and try to lead with empathy… Our customers really need to know that we actually care for their experience, especially if they’re purchasing the products. We’re very grateful for them purchasing the products and, you know, supporting the brand.”
