A Twenty-Something’s Guide For Breaking Into The Beauty Business

Entrepreneurship might seem easy in theory, but it’s actually super challenging. The business of beauty goes far beyond its vapid surface; there’s trademarks, website design, tax documents and more.

However, the roadblocks are small in comparison to the end result; making money and–Tiffany Lewars’ case–giving back. She’s the brave soul behind Polly Polish, a nail lacquer line that “paints the world a better place” with vibrant hues at an affordable price.

“I’ve been proudly obsessed with nail polish ever since the 8th grade. In high school I was known for having amazing nails; some of my former classmates still comment on the designs I rocked,” says the budding entrepreneur.

“I wanted to start a nail polish line because of my deep affinity for polish as well as my desire to give back. I came up with the concept of having a beautiful, high-quality line that was philanthropic at its core. As our tagline says, our aim is to paint the world a better place so we donate 20% of sales from every bottle to a specific charitable organization.”

Partly inspired by a nickname given to her as a child and pop culture references, Tiffany’s witty collection embodies femininity, grace and compassion; everything a girly girl wants in her beauty products.

So, how exactly did she set up shop? Keep reading to find out and bookmark her advice for other twenty somethings looking to go into business for themselves.

On the technicalities (paperwork, trademarks, etc.):

“My favorite part about starting the brand was choosing what colors I wanted to include. I teamed up with an awesome beauty company in the U.S. to execute my vision. I chose the bottle shape and cap based on the impression I wanted the brand to make and spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find a typeface that would serve as my logo. The technical process of starting a business was a little intimidating to me at first. I’m more of a creative person so I was not looking forward to ‘setting up shop.’

I used the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s trademark search tool to see if the name was already trademarked. Once the name checked off, I went through Legal Zoom to completely establish the brand. I then established the company as an LLC–because I am the sole owner, that entity was best for my company’s needs. After setting up those components, I needed to file the appropriate documents with the state my company is based in so that the state business bureau would recognize it and I’d be legally allowed to sell my product.”

On setting up the website: 

“Setting up a website was fairly simple because of all the platform options we have available. I bought my domain name from an inexpensive naming site and researched which hosting site would be the best fit for me. I opted for Square Space instead of building a site from the ground up because it’s so simple for someone who isn’t a site designer or coder. I definitely plan to do a complete redesign within the next 2-3 months with the help of an experienced designer.”

On the easiest and hardest parts of being an entrepreneur:

“The easiest part about being an entrepreneur is saying that I’m an entrepreneur. It’s such a gratifying feeling to see your vision come to life and to know that you’re in a minority of people who actually had an idea and made it happen. But it’s hard work! For me, I have to have my hand in every single thing because I don’t have a partner. So marketing, commerce, customer service, inventory, bookkeeping etc. is all me. It’s a lot to keep up with and a little overwhelming at times, but I honestly wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Advice for starting a business:

“Don’t give up! You’ll probably get discouraging responses from people, second guess every decision you make, cry and have days when you feel like giving up, but DON’T DO IT. Passion and perseverance are so important. With passion you can conquer any setback and with perseverance, you’ll never allow yourself to quit. Remind yourself why you wanted to do this in the first place and use that to fuel yourself ahead. This is an amazing time for entrepreneurs so we should seize the moment.”

Shop some of our favorite Polly Polishes on the next page!

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