Making profits, the herbal way

In the present times, more and more people prefer the use of herbal cosmetics. Bettys Holistic & Skin Care has originated to cater to this increasing demand of the consumers. In an interview, Betty Nangia, Founder, Bettys Holistic and Skin Care talks about the growth and success of the company.

Abha Garyali (AG): Share with us the inception of ‘Bettys Holistic & Skin Care’

Betty Nangia (BN): With more and more people shunning the chemical products, there is a huge demand for herbal cosmetics. Our sole philosophy is based on the fact that this world needs chemical free cosmetics and we are here for that. We do have plans of coming up with herbal cosmetic manufacturing unit, and the process of negotiations has been initiated for that. Hopefully, we will be able to make some major announcements in few months from now.

AG: How is the concept of Bettys Holistic & Skin Care evolving in India?

BN: The concept is evolving well in India, and I feel proud that our brand has reached overseas just by the word of mouth. I believe that a true brand can only compete globally if it is able to deliver results. We intend to make Bettys a global brand.

AG: What was the idea behind starting Bettys Holistic & Skin Care?  What is its USP?

BN: The idea originated from Indian Vedas. However, irony is that though the genesis of Ayurveda lies in India, more than 85 per cent market of Ayurveda medicines are being produced outside India today. The West has made the best use of our ancient science.

Our USP is that we treat skin ailments without using chemicals. All our products are made of pure herbal.

AG: What can you foretell about the success of the company in India?

BN: I am sure that ‘Bettys Holistic & Skin Care’ will be a global brand in few years from now. We intend to launch a new range of products under the brand name ‘shimmers’.  I am quite confident that in coming years, Betttys would be in the league of the best herbal cosmetic bands. Our intention is to keep it a premium brand and we are in the process of tying up with star rated hotel for this.

AG: What inspired you to take the franchise route for expansion?

BN: The demand for herbal cosmetic is growing at an amazing rate. Demand is superseding the supply at the moment. From business point of view, it is the right time to capture the market. I believe such huge market can only be tapped through franchising.

AG: How many centres do you have at present? What are the future target locations for your expansion?

BN: We intend to have more than 1,000 centres in the next two years throughout the nation. Out of these 1,000, more than fifty per cent would be franchised and rest will be company owned outlets.

AG: What kind of training and support a franchisee would get when partnering with Bettys Holistic & Skin Care?

BN: It is quite important for us that our franchisee understands the technicalities of our trade. We would be providing full back end support to our franchisees in terms of technical know-how, branding, and R& D operations. We want them to be involved with us right from stage A, ie., conceptualising, manufacturing and finally selling the product to end consumer.

AG: What kind of background is necessary for securing a franchise of Bettys Holistic & Skin Care? What is the minimum investment for acquiring a franchise?

BN: Anyone who understands and appreciates herbal cosmetic brand can become our franchisee. For tier I cities, the franchise fee would be approximately Rs 10 lakh and for tier II and III cities it will be of Rs eight lakh and Rs six lakh respectively.

AG: What kind of challenges can be faced while expanding the company through the franchise route?

BN: There can be marketing challenges initially, which we intend to overcome by organising seminars on our products in different cities across India and overseas. Another challenge will be in terms of product awareness. In order to create awareness among the customers, we would let the customers know what all herbs have been used in the product. We would make them realise the difference between pure herbal cosmetics and cosmetics laced with chemicals.