Shahnaz Hussain - A Beautiful Success Story

"My Mantra to success -It is important to have a dream with that there must a total faith & confidence in one's own abilities"

I studied cosmetic chemistry and cosmetology for ten years at leading beauty schools of the West. During my training in London, I came across instances that caused me to wonder if I had chosen the right career. There was a newspaper report of a London model who became blind after using a certain mascara. She later committed suicide. These tragic incidents changed the course of my life and career. I was determined to find a natural alternative. I started my first herbal clinic in my own home in 1971, based on the Ayurvedic system and adopted the principle of "Care and Cure"

What was the first big challenge that you had to face? How did you overcome it?

When I started, herbal beauty care, as we know it today, was non-existent. So, I faced the challenge of establishing a new concept and making it a practical reality. I had to make people aware of the dangers of chemical treatments and the benefits of natural care. So, apart from incorporating the concept in my treatments and formulations, I also made it a point to hold seminars and address press conferences, write regular beauty columns and propagated my ideas at a personal level. Very early in my career, I made it a point to reply personally to letters seeking solutions for skin and hair problems. Three decades later, I still maintain this practice, this personal touch. In my regular columns I still provide home remedies as solutions for beauty problems. In the minds of the readers, this has continued to reinforce my philosophy that "nature is the best cosmetologist."

I devised my own clinical treatments, not only for general care, but also for the treatment of specific skin and hair problems. I had no manufacturing unit at that time. I formulated the products myself, for use in clinical treatments and had to put in a great deal of work in terms of R&D. My products grew out of clinical usage, based on client feedback. My philosophy and faith in Ayurveda have not only influenced minds and markets, but have become an integral part of the brand image.

Why did you choose not to do traditional advertising? Without these, how did you build the brand?

In order to implement the idea of total beauty, with an emphasis on the good health of the skin and hair, I established customized beauty care, based on individual needs and problems. The idea was to make the beauty-care experience a truly rewarding one and establish a relationship of trust with the client. The Shahnaz Herbal system surpassed existing salon care by providing individual consultation and treatments. I incorporated a clinical system at a client card and prescriptive level, with diagnosis and clinical analysis of the skin and scalp condition. Shahnaz Herbal salons still follow this system.

Clients are given advise on diet and nutrition, depending on their particular problem. They are also referred for pathological tests, if necessary. Clients with specific problems like hair loss, alopecia, skin sensitivity, pigmentation, scars, premature ageing, etc., are put on courses of treatments, with constant monitoring and advice on all aspects. The clients are prescribed products for home care, according to individual needs. Instead of commercial advertising, I relied on word of mouth and on the premise that a satisfied client is the best advertisement. In fact, this method contributed to lending exclusivity to the Shahnaz Husain brand.

Our unique franchise system is at the core of the brand and its success. Very early in my career, I began to encourage ordinary housewives to open salons in their own homes, so that they could achieve financial independence and yet, be close at hand to attend to home and family. I trained them and offered them the Shahnaz Herbal franchise. I also adopted a highly successful method to promote the new franchise salons, by making it a point to attend the openings.

I inaugurated the openings, gave free consultations and addressed press conferences, speaking on the benefits of Ayurvedic beauty care. It was all based on personal interaction, where I met people, listened to their problems and provided beauty solutions. Thus, I was answering a human need. My presence at the openings evoked much media coverage and a fantastic response.

This method proved so successful that soon I was attending two openings on the same day, flying to two or three different cities on the same day. Later, I adopted it for the openings of my franchise clinics and all other ventures around the world. I also adopted it for the opening of Shahnaz Ayurveda on Harley Street in London, in July 2007. The pace is hectic, but it has become a distinctive style and very much a part of the brand image. Unknowingly and unconsciously, in spreading Ayurveda across the globe, a brand was born.

It is not a silly question, because it reflects current trends. Ours is a premium brand which basically targets women. But, the last few years have seen a growth in the male grooming products market and in male salon services. The total Indian market for male grooming products is estimated to be growing at the rate of 10% to 12%. We are one of the earliest players in men’s skin and hair care. In 1993, we launched our Man Power range of products and opened Shahnaz Herbal salon for men. Today, around 25% to 30% of our total salon clientele is male. The worldwide interest in the Indian discliplines of Yoga, Meditation and Ayurveda has also driven the growth in demand for our products among foreigners. The global extension of our salons, spas and shops is indicative of the increasing popularity of Ayurvedic beauty care among foreigners.

Besides for bringing respectability to the business of beauty, what you would like to be remembered for?

I would like to be remembered for promoting the Indian herbal heritage with a crusader’s zeal and taking it across the globe. I have always believed that India has much to offer the rest of the world and now it is my belief that India can lead the billion-dollar international cosmetic industry within the next decade, in terms of Ayurvedic beauty care.

You use exotic ingredients - diamond ash and gold through pearl powder to forest products and flowers. How do you arrive at the formulations? Where do you source the ingredients from? How much time does it take to get a product from concept to market?

R&D has always been high priority with two R&D units. To ensure purity of raw materials, we set up a herb and flower farm near Delhi, so that we could exercise quality control right from the raw material stage. We use natural composts and fertilizers to ensure this. Also, we ourselves carry out extraction of essential oils and preparation of extracts like infusions, decoctions, tinctures, cold extracts, distillates, juices, essences, powders, syrups, etc., in keeping with the Ayurvedic system. To make sure that we are getting genuine and high grade herbs and extracts, stringent quality control tests are conducted for various dilutions used in the formulations. Both intensive and extensive research is done under varying conditions of climate, percentage of vital ingredients used, nature of preservatives and storage conditions. We follow the Ayurvedic system and prescriptions to arrive at formulations, combining them with the latest techniques. Some of our products have been in research for several years. For example, the 24 Carat Gold Range was in research for more than 12 years.

How do you decide on which product to launch when? How do you decide on a name?

Sometimes, we try to coincide a launch with a foreign tour, so that it is launched in the international market first. Our Flower Power range was launched in Paris, at the Galeries Lafayette, by Dame Barbara Cartland. It is an exclusive range based on floral extracts and we decided to launch it in Paris, the cosmetic capital of the world. Similarly, we launched our Diamond Collection in the U.K. and later introduced it in India. It coincided with the opening of two salons and a beauty training school in London. We also formulated and launched our Sun Range of sun-block products for the Australian market, since such products are in demand in the Australian market. Our different ranges are based on specific extracts, so the names are given accordingly, like Flower Power, Neem, Oxygen, Pearl Concepts, 24 Carat Gold, Astro-Gem Therapy, or Diamond Collection. We also have ranges with a specific purpose, or based on a particular extraction process, like Sun Range, Fitness Fiesta or Aromatherapy Bar of essential oils.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in going beyond the Indian shores?

Entering the international market was my biggest challenge. It was not easy, without the required resources. I participated in the Festival of India in London in 1980 and was given a counter in the Perfumery section at Selfridges, London. I was rubbing shoulders with the biggest international brand names. In the hysterical international cosmetic industry, where billions of dollars are spent on advertising and packaging, selling youth and dreams in bottled jars and in the face of fierce competition, I stuck to my guns and solo "India & Ayurvedic" image. I stood alone at the counter and sold my country’s 5000 year old ancient heritage in a jar. I allowed my products to speak for themselves. To everyone’s surprise we sold out our consignment in 3 days, breaking the store’s cosmetic sales records. The next day, there was a headline in a London daily, "Herbal hell breaks loose at Selfridges!" And we had arrived. I was offered a permanent counter.

Then we went on to Harrods in London, Galeries Lafayette in Paris, Bloomingdales in New York, La Rinascente in Milan, the Seibu chain in Japan and El Certe Inglis in Spain, breaking cosmetic sales records.

When I participated in the Festival of India in Paris and wanted a permanent counter at Galeries Lafayette, I was informed that in order to have a permanent counter, we had to achieve a certain sales figure. I found we were running short of the sales target and knew that I had to think of an ingenious idea to push the sales up. Nothing was going to deter me from missing the opportunity to get a permanent counter at the Paris store. I called my office in Delhi and asked my secretary to fly to Paris with four Kashmiri carpets. I offered a carpet as a gift for purchases of 20,000 francs and above. The resulting stampede was something the store had never witnessed. I actually sold products much more than the targeted amount, earning us a permanent counter at Galeries Lafayette, the world’s most prestigious cosmetic store.

There is no difference in products for the international and domestic markets. For the Shahnaz Herbal range, we have different packaging for the international market. We do provide options in some formulations in the label itself. We also have highly evolved customer information systems, where we provide product-related information, answering queries. At our counters, we also have trained Beauty Advisors to guide customers and provide information.

Why did you choose to go with a franchising model? Did you experiment with any other models before settling on the franchising model?

We did not try any other model before choosing the franchising model. Even the choice of the franchising model was not a conscious decision. A friend from Calcutta brought a big order for products. Since they were prescriptives, I told her they were specialized products and training was needed for their use. She asked me to train her and wanted to open her own salon in Calcutta. That is when we worked out a one-line informal agreement, by which I gave her the right to use the Shahnaz Herbal name and carry out the specialized treatments. This was the beginning of my franchise system. The first Shahnaz Herbal franchise clinic opened in Calcutta in 1979. I attended the opening, gave free consultation and spoke on Ayurvedic beauty care. It received extensive media coverage. Over the years, we have made the Franchise Agreement more comprehensive and added clauses to protect the rights of both franchisor and franchisee. Also, we have made the selection of franchisees much more stringent.

Franchising offered us a distinct advantage in business expansion. We do not invest in the franchise’s enterprise and do not share in its profit or loss. Before we entered the retail market, our franchise salons were the outlets for our products. We spread the message of Ayurvedic beauty care and popularized our specialized salon treatments through the franchise salons. So, we had product outlets, as well as a network of franchise salons in no time. On the other hand, we offer the franchisee strong branding, as well as a successful business model with proven success rate and efficacy. During the last three decades, the brand name has established unquestioned and unwavering brand loyalty. In fact, no other brand has been able to keep the trust and faith of the consumer the way the Shahnaz Husain brand has. Today, the brand is ideally positioned in the market. By assuming total responsibility for research and development of the products, the Shahnaz Husain Group provides a pillar of support to the franchisee. The franchisee also derives the benefit of a professional infrastructure, as well as our wide marketing and distribution network.

What according to you is the next big thing in the business of beauty?

With the wellness concept gaining ground, day spas are poised to become one of the most popular among the personal care services. The Spa business has been looking up, with salons being converted to day spas. You need not travel to the seaside or the mountains. You can enjoy a day at a spa in the midst of the hustle and bustle of city life. A day spa is like an oasis in the midst of city life. Here, the ambience itself would help to evoke a sense of peace, while you give yourself up to the soothing massages and treatments. A day-spa not only means getting the facilities that are provided by exotic locations and pricier destinations, but also do not require the same time commitment. The concept behind the entire idea is to provide an ambience that is close to nature, because Nature gives back to us what we lose in our fast paced urban life.

With the emphasis on youth and the global trend toward fitness and exercise, there seems to be a universal desire to look younger. Therefore, apart from stress reduction and relaxing treatments, anti-ageing treatments are also part of the repertoire offered by day-spas. For example, we have devised treatments like Aromatherapy, Gold, Oxygen, Pearl, Gem and Diamond Facials, which are essentially rejuvenating. They are also luxurious treatments for pampering the skin. If they so wish, at a day spa clients can also avail of all other normal salon services.

What is the biggest challenge you are gearing up for?

We are looking at extending our Spa business globally, through our franchise system. The traditional Ayurvedic treatments are ideally suited to spas and we have already formulated a signature spa collection. We also have plans for the domestic market. With department stores and malls catching on as shopping destinations, the focus is on the "shop in shop" concept. We are planning to introduce a further 250 such outlets in India, with beauty advisors. There will be a focus on smaller stores too and we will be targeting smaller areas, like small towns. We have recently entered the direct selling market with our Veda Dynamics range.

You have often been quoted as saying that there is only one Shahnaz Husain. Also, you are the brand. What happens to the business after you?

My name has become the brand and I am the brand ambassador. To that extent, I am the reality behind the brand name. My children are already involved in the business. I have groomed my two children with meticulous care, so that when the burden finally falls on them, they will hold together with pride and courage, the beautiful world I have created and then left for them to perpetuate. We have the infrastructure and tremendous good will for the brand to go from strength to strength.

To someone starting afresh, what advice would you give?

It is important to have a dream, because that is the starting point, with a burning desire to make the dream come true. An entrepreneur, in the true sense of the word, is someone with independence of spirit. Along with that there must be total faith and confidence in one’s own abilities. Creativity and innovativeness are very important. So is foresight, because one has to think ahead and be able to predict trends. To evaluate the worth of an idea, one has to have a feel of market trends and changing levels of awareness. You may start in a small way, but you have to think "big." You have to think that nothing is beyond you. In fact, in seizing opportunities and looking forward to challenges lies the secret of a successful entrepreneur. I have always believed that nothing is impossible. You can be what you will yourself to be.