Startup Story
Vivian Savia is the founder and CEO of a natural skincare brand, Nature's Bar in Nigeria, which has been in operation since 2017. It currently creates job opportunities within her environment while partnering with local suppliers of raw materials and supplies. She is a chartered accountant with an MA in International Business Management from Middlesex University, London, and B.Sc. in Accounting from Imo State University. As a chartered accountant by profession, her basic skills and experience were in accounting, grants management, retail marketing, financial management, donor reporting, procurement, and communication within the banking and non-profit sector.
LoA spoke to Vivian Savia about her passion for natural skincare and her passion and determination to build an ethical, earth-friendly brand.
What does your company do?
Nature’s Bar Company is an indigenous skincare company that was birthed out of a desire to produce a natural skincare range free from the numerous harsh chemicals present in skincare products. The company is dedicated to crafting high-quality skincare products that will nourish the skin while being earth-friendly using ingredients that are naturally sourced, sustainably produced, cruelty-free, and ethically traded.
“To me, excellence means going the extra mile and this is something that the average person is not willing to do. So, if you can go the extra mile in your field, you are bound to be distinguished and to be successful.”
What inspired you to start your company?
I had no prior exposure to skincare manufacturing and sales and also never believed that I could own and run a business successfully. However, I had a mindset shift in 2015 and I began to see the possibility of creating and selling natural skincare as a way to maximize my creative abilities and contribute to society positively. Fueled by the burning desire to make a positive impact within society by owning a creative business, I began to read as many books as possible relating to business and becoming an entrepreneur.
By divine intervention, I came across a beautifully packaged soap that smelled so good I couldn’t resist buying a few. I went on to conduct research about the soap brand and the soap-making process and consequently, I was introduced to the world of natural handcrafted soaps and essential oils and thus the idea of Nature’s Bar as a business was born. Nature’s Bar Company was thus birthed out of a desire to produce a natural skincare range free from the numerous harsh chemicals present in skincare products while educating friends and family on the adverse effects these chemicals have on us, our children, and the environment.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Our unique selling proposition (USP) is that we offer naturally handcrafted skincare products that are free of detergents, synthetic fragrances, synthetic colors, artificial preservatives, artificial foam boosters, alcohol, petroleum products, synthetic additives, and GMOs. This results in the richest, natural, non-toxic, and most wholesome skincare products available at an affordable price within the growing billion-dollar skincare market.
“As they say, success is predictable so if you put in the work the law of seed, time, and harvest is guaranteed to work in your favor.”
Tell us a little about your team
Our team is made up of Miss Vivian (Founder) who trained in cold processed soap making at the Little Soap School, in Cotswold and Formula Botanica London and has always had a passion for beauty and skincare. She has been involved in product formulation and development since 2015. She developed bookkeeping, social media marketing, inventory management, quality control, branding, and product packaging skills in the course of running the business. She is a Chartered Accountant (ICAN) and chartered Manager (CMI) with over 10 years of experience in the banking and non-profit sector and experience in marketing, grants management, capacity building, communication, and teamwork.
Mrs. Joy is our Business Manager who oversees the store operations and is responsible for customer relationship development and management, sourcing of raw materials, and logistics management. She has hands-on experience with selling, customer service, and managing marketing campaign designs.
Miss Jessica is our Social Media content manager with experience in photography and social media management. She has excellent customer service skills and is an excellent communicator.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I started my career over 13 years ago in the banking sector before moving to the development sector where I am responsible for the financial management systems and processes within an international language technology organization. As of seven years ago, I had no desire or plans to dabble in business not to speak of establishing one. However, in 2015 I had a mindset shift after listening to Myles and reading the Richest Man in Babylon. While on holiday, I came across a beautiful fragrant bar of soap, and a God idea flowed.
Initially, I made products during the weekends and after work hours during weekdays as a means of maximizing my free hours after work. At some point when the business started expanding, I had to consider if I should continue with the business and drop my career or vice versa or most importantly how to set up the business in such a way that it would run without me being involved on a daily basis. I had an epiphany when I was reminded of the ancient story of Isaac who dug up ALL the wells and so if he could, so could I with the help of God. I was advised by a member of the Board of Nature’s Bar to structure the business professionally and put together a team that can run effectively without me being involved in the day-to-day operations. As a result, I have had to build a close-knit team and get out of the way of the business to allow the team to carry out the vision while outsourcing other professional functions such as auditing, HR, and logistics.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
Looking ahead to the future, the greatest risk or challenge in our industry or market that we can foresee is an increase in exchange rate fluctuations and further devaluation of the Naira. This is a major risk as it eats into the profits of the company. We are preparing our business for this risk/challenge by seeking ways to sell our products in foreign countries and international platforms such as Amazon to earn in foreign currency.
“Master your area of specialty or field of business. Be the best that you can be in what you do and inevitably you will rise to the top.”
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
On the flip side, it has been an advantage to me as it has touched me, got me thinking in ways to solve problems, think out of the box. You realize after a while that your vision may be fixed but the methods of achieving the goals should be flexible to be able to survive in the Nigerian business landscape.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
My first piece of advice is, if you can think about it, you can achieve it. The greatest battle is in your mind. Having only one stream of income is risky, it is almost a death sentence in this economy. I would suggest to a woman that is thinking of starting a business to actually start, start small, start with anything you have, but most importantly: Start.
Secondly, is to keep improving yourself and make use of resources out there that can help you. I always advise women to invest in themselves, most especially their minds. Improve your vocabulary, your way of thinking, and your knowledge of various topics. Master your area of specialty or field of business. Be the best that you can be in what you do and inevitably you will rise to the top. When you serve your craft or skill with excellence, you will invariably rise to the top like yeast.
For me, I am constantly seeking out ways to improve my skillset, knowledge, and abilities, through constant learning, reading books, and getting into rooms filled with great minds even if I have to pay for it. As they say, success is predictable so if you put in the work the law of seed, time, and harvest is guaranteed to work in your favor.
In addition, any woman who learns to practice excellence can succeed. I love speaking about excellence because I have understood how it distinguishes you from the crowd. To me, excellence means going the extra mile and this is something that the average person is not willing to do. So, if you can go the extra mile in your field, you are bound to be distinguished and to be successful.
Contact or follow Nature’s Bar Company
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM |EMAIL viviansavia@yahoo.com
Why LoA loves it…
Taking the leap of faith into the world of entrepreneurship and brand building always takes courage and a large amount of self-belief. It also requires a passion for continual learning, hard work and confidence. Vivian Savia has all of these traits in large quantities, together with a passion for the products her business produces. She is building a natural skincare brand that is leveraging her passion and her knowledge of what customers want and need. She is also creating jobs and opportunities for her team to grow on her business journey. We look forward to seeing Nature’s Bar Company going from strength to strength over the coming months and years. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa