Imbalie Beauty takes its mission of empowerment to the next level
For the past 11 years, the Imbalie Beauty group, under the leadership of CEO Esna Colyn, has focused on empowering therapists with skills and training to empower themselves and the beauty of their customers in all Placecol, Dream Nails and Perfect 10 salons nationwide. But with the recent launch of the Customer Solutions Division in August, the group is now reinforcing the message of empowerment, by taking their new vision to the wider community, in particular to women who have a real passion for beauty and wellness, as well as to individual therapists and salon owners within the group.
Esna and the CSD team recognized that one of the impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown, was that women were juggling many balls, from home-schooling and work to managing the home, and many were retrenched in this time. This initiative affords new opportunities for women to re-invent themselves, re-ignite their passion for beauty and wellness and provide an additional source of revenue, in this tough economic climate.
The Customer Solutions Division is built on three strong principles, namely Personalisation, Serving with Heart and being Solution focused, in order to give customers a ‘Beautiful Experience’. Whilst the division offers skills, in-depth product knowledge, training and guidance for budding entrepreneurs, it is also unique in the market for a variety of reasons. The training for a Customer Solutions Expert is Solutions driven, with a 360-degree holistic approach to beauty and wellness. Apart from the 40 year South African legacy behind the group with regard to the premium salon quality skin care brands, now the basket is also jam-packed with other beauty and wellness brands, through collaboration with ethically minded partners and supporting locally home-grown brands within the industry, where possible. Some of the top brands include Bio Sculpture for nail products, Magnesium Café for wellness, Matsimela for body care and imported brands Bronx and MUD for make-up, to name just a few. The result is that all of these premium brands are conveniently available to customers in the comfort of their own home.
Innovation has always been priority for Imbalie Beauty and the Customer Solutions Division will continue to partner and update their products and brand offering every 4 months, to maintain seasonal variety for the consultants to offer to their customers and for new brands to partner up, assuming that they meet the stringent quality and ethical standards required by the division, including no harmful ingredients and against animal testing.
For someone interested in becoming a CSD expert, the first step is attending a detailed info session for both parties to assess if the fit is right. Once a contract has been signed, the entrepreneur receives detail training which can be completed at their own pace to suit their schedule, through an online digital platform, the iBLOOM Beauty & Wellness Academy. This Academy will enable them to continually enhance their skills, assisting in greater revenue generation, as more modules are added. Upon completion of the training, they can then begin visiting their own client network and begin earning a good commission. There are minimal start-up costs, as unlike with many other companies, the expert is not required to hold any stock, and orders are delivered directly to the customer on their behalf. Additionally, the expert is given a professional glossy online and printed magazine, iBLOOM, developed during lockdown. This beautiful magazine allows the expert to share the seasonal beauty and wellness solutions and they are further supported through regular meetings, and a WhatsApp community group for motivation and business tips from the head of the division, Elize van Geert.
For existing salons and salon owners, this initiative has not only helped salons that were closed by giving therapists a new income opportunity, but many salon owners have jumped at the chance to grow their own teams and thus extend their retail business outside of their salon. Elize van Geert confirms “Conducting business with integrity is of extreme importance and we continue to remain loyal to our existing salons, protecting their territory and encouraging referrals for treatments from members of the division.”
“The Customer Solutions Division gives us the ideal platform to embrace the true spirit of empowerment and change within the beauty and wellness industry in South Africa” says Esna Colyn, CEO of Imbalie Beauty. “I am excited to share that our goal is to nurture and develop a beautiful community of 1000 women over the next three years. This team vision is our way of making a difference to the South African economy through empowerment, renewed hope, confidence and business success for many that may otherwise not have had such an opportunity”.
About Esna Colyn: Esna joined Imbalie Beauty in May 2010 as the CEO of the Group, after many years’ experience in banking, private equity and corporate finance. Our vision of the Imbalie Beauty Group is to be the leading and most desirable beauty and wellness solutions group, nationally and internationally. Our passion at Imbalie Beauty has always been to empower and elevate women in the business of beauty and wellness. Imbalie Beauty is celebrating 40 years in beauty and wellness this year.
