Inspirational Female Founder Spotlight: Erim Kaur

Erim Kaur is the largest Sikh influencer in the United Kingdom with 246k avid and engaged followers who adore her way of trying to share information that unfortunately wasn’t available to her growing up as a young woman, such as beauty hacks, fashion tips and even advice on behaviour and modesty, as well as proudly representing her Sikh heritage.  Additionally,  Erim uses her platform to be a role model for young women who, like herself, grew up without a mother or sisters.

Can you tell us a little about your background and the company?

I’m Erim Kaur and I created ByErim in 2019, after I worked hard to save tips from nightclub shifts.

After saving £10,000 I started the business and I was blown away by the response as bottles sold out again and again. That’s still something that excites me, as it proves we’ve found a demand and are helping people get the healthy and strong hair they want.

ByErim not only sells a hair oil that is perfect for men and women but we promote and focus on healthy haircare. As well as our oil, we also sell a vegan hairbrush with boar bristles that can help hair growth and promote circulation as well as oil distribution along the hair shaft.

How did the idea come to you for the company?

I ideated the idea for ByErim in january 2019, and launched it by the end of that year. I have always used hair oil to look after my hair and my scalp, and it was something I wanted to share with the world – particularly as it can create the strong, healthy and shiny hair that so many of us want.

I used the recipe I had grown up with, that was crafted over time with my grandmother and I can now use high quality ingredients that are essential for hair growth and health. Since launching the brand has become a huge hit with consumers and is now one of the top 5 fastest-selling hair oils in the UK.

How did you achieve awareness?

Raising awareness of the business has happened through regularly engaging and sharing our journey and content with our audience. The followers I have and ByErim has have been integral, and their feedback and support has been a huge part of our success.

How have you been able to gain funding and grow?

ByErim was funded by myself and started with £10k that I had saved through working in nightclubs myself. I’m always so proud that we have never had to seek external funding or investment, but have been able to have rapid growth and become successful without it.

For me, I was the driving force behind ByErim and I’m still involved in every part of the business – which might not have been the case if we had sought investors to start our journey.

What are the key successes?

We have been a viral success since launch, with the brand continuing to grow and grow. As a small business it now has a multi million pound turnover – which in just a few short years of business is amazing.

Whilst not necessarily a monetary success, one of the things that I love to see is the community that ByErim has built. We are inundated with stories from women who have seen the benefits of using our hair oil as well as men who have been using it on their beards and seen how well it works.

What were/are the challenges and how have you overcome these?

Like any business, we face challenges. Growing at such a rapid speed came with challenges including working with the right suppliers and ensuring our business remained profitable whilst meeting the influx of demand we have had since launching.

What are your plans now/for the future?

I am heavily focused on growing ByErim and seeing it continue to be a multi-million pound business that creates a community.

For myself, I am planning to study trichology this year to help grow the expertise we have in the business.

What would you like to share with others to encourage them to start their own entrepreneurship journey?

My advice would be to visualise where you want your business to go, and think of the highest goal it can reach. Starting from that point and working backwards can help you to make your plan for success.

Can you share your top tips for entrepreneurial success?

Firstly, I would advise people to believe in themselves and their journey. I had little belief in myself at the start of my business, but I found that my confidence grew as ByErim went from strength to strength.

Also, working with people that can lift you up and support you is essential. Surrounding yourself with those that see and believe in you can help make your entrepreneurial journey happen.

Who are the 5 people who inspire you the most and why?

My mother is one of the people who inspires me, and my memories of her when I was young are still ones that I cherish today.

Also my grandmother, as she was someone that used to make hair oil with me at a young age and the recipe we have today for ByErim comes from one that we created and crafted together.

Another person who inspires me everyday is my dad. After my mother he died, he raised me and my brother and has continued to be a mother figure in my life as well as supporting me.

What are your favourite inspirational /motivational quotes?

One of my favourite quotes would be that “everything in life is a test”.
The good or bad things that you are receiving is as a result of past karma, so you need to make sure that you’re handling every single test that you find yourself coming across with ultimate grace because you’ll be rewarded.

What are your Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn social handles and also website links so our readers can connect with you?

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/erim/?hl=en and https://www.instagram.com/byerim/?hl=en

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ByErimLuxuryOil/

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/byerim/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/erimkaur

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/ErimKaur

TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@officialbyerim

Website – https://www.byerim.com/