After spending a few years formulating products for the cosmetic and food Industry, Alison co-founded Kaya with a strong wish to bring tailor made wellbeing products with a blend of adaptogens and CBD to shake things up in the wellness industry.
Can you tell us a little about your background and the company?
Alison has a PhD in Pharmacy and co founded Kaya in late 2019
How did the idea come to you for the company?
We all live stressful lives. Kaya was born out of a desire to help people overcome stress and its consequences in their daily lives by bringing natural, efficient, and science backed wellness products to the market
How did you achieve awareness?
We first launched at a Tradeshow in London just before Covid, and then worked on getting our brand out to key Influencers, magazines and retailers
How have you been able to gain funding and grow
As a team strong of 5 founders, we managed to get funding from investors of previous ventures as well as attract investment from specialist US funds. As of now, Kaya has raised £3Million
What are the key successes?
In addition to the UK, we launched different countries across Europe and managed becoming the number 1 CBD brand in France (50 Paris based staff) and a big player in countries such as Italy and Germany
What were/are the challenges and how have you overcome these?
When it comes to CBD, everything is trickier. It affects everything from advertising to payment providers, even opening a bank account is a hurdle. We were able to overcome these by being really strong on the regulatory side as well as innovative in terms of ways of reaching out to customers. One of our biggest strengths is also our product portfolio which really stands out from the competition thanks to our in-house formulations.
What are your plans now/for the future?
We plan on putting more effort in the UK, especially with big retails listings coming in the next few weeks, keep your eyes open for some big news !
What would you like to share with others to encourage them to start their own entrepreneurship journey?
I believe everyone has an entrepreneurial potential within them, it all comes down to investing in yourself and doing what’s important to you as a human being to have a positive impact in this modern world.
Can you share your top 5-10 tips for entrepreneurial success?
Focus ! While you often need to switch between different roles and tasks as an entrepreneur, try to focus on what works for the business and maye priority based decisions when it comes to time management.
Cash. Pay attention to your bank account, and make sure you have sufficient cash to cover the next few months if something goes wrong in terms of revenue for your business
HR. Put some time into recruiting the right people. Buy experience rather than go for junior profiles, it’ll largely pay off. That also implies to spend some time defining the role you’re recruiting for
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback/advice on your product from the people who are supposed to buy it/use it. It’s the most valuable thing you’ll get.
Take time for yourself. Having your own business is stressful and can get consuming, don’t forget to take time for yourself. You’ll be better at your job if you do so.
What is your favourite inspirational /motivational quote?
Robert H. Schuller: “Tough times never last, but tough people do.”
What are your social handles and website links so our readers can connect with you?
@kaya_co_uk
@kaya.io_
www.kaya.co.uk
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