Meet Erim Kaur, founder of ByErim

I’m Erim, I’m 27 and I’m the founder of luxury hair and beard care brand ByErim. We’re best known for our viral hair and beard oil that has sold out time and time again since we launched in 2019, and we’re now a multi million pound business. I started the business after saving £10k of my own money from working in nightclubs and that gave me the initial funds to create ByErim on my own and build it to what it is today. I work as an influencer alongside my business and balancing the two can be tricky as I often get pulled in multiple directions.

Like any entrepreneur's journey, it hasn’t been easy and building ByErim to the multi million pound business it is now has been against all odds. It was incredibly hard work at the start, and it still is, and running a business means you don’t switch off as it’s something you’re always building and strategising for.

There’s always a lightbulb moment before the beginning of a new venture. What was that moment for you?

ByErim was launched as hair oiling has always been a regular part of my routine, and I often joke I don’t have blood running through my veins I have ByErim hair oil! I’d spent years crafting and finding the perfect balance of ingredients and I wanted to be able to share the recipe that helped me transform my hair. As someone who has suffered with alopecia before, and who craved that strong and healthy hair we see everywhere, I knew how it felt to be scouring for that solution. The hair oil I had been used to making with my grandmother and the women in my family really helped me and I’ve been using this recipe since I was 14, so I couldn’t live without it. I created ByErim so that I could share that recipe with others - that was my ‘lightbulb’ moment, and the driving force behind ByErim being created.

Do you have a morning routine or ritual to get your day started on the right foot?

I take things slowly in the morning, particularly as being a night owl I’m often still working and accomplishing things into the early hours; I’ll often have gone to bed at 3am. The work intensity might trail off at that time but my mind is usually still fizzing with ideas and this is when I will usually brainstorm new ideas for the business so it’s how I work best. I typically wake up at around 10-11am, and I usually take a shower, pray, enjoy breakfast and catch up on emails. It’s my way of setting my day up and getting in a positive mindset.

What keeps you motivated as an entrepreneur when you hit bumps in the road?

I think taking a deep breath and a step back to look at everything we’ve created. ByErim is still a relatively new brand and only launched in 2019 so to have hit multi million status already is a huge achievement and when things are tough it can be easy to lose sight of that. I also turn to social media for inspiration quite a lot so will usually take time to scroll and let my brain come up with new ideas, ways to keep us going and get over any hurdles we’re facing.

How well versed were you in the planning and strategic growth of your business? Did this come easy to you?

I created my business from scratch and I wouldn’t say I was an expert in knowing how to build a business but I knew there was a demand and a need for a product like ours, and that’s what has seen us be so successful. The brand has continued to grow and grow and we have a great product, which means when people buy our product they are usually customers for life, and will repeat purchase. It’s had its ups and downs as a business, and we have always found ways to think through problems and solve them to keep the business growing. For me though, what I love to see is the feedback from people who use our hair oil and see results from it. It’s also not just women who have benefitted, but we have men using it for beard care too and find it really helps.

What does your business offer its target audience?

Not only is ByErim a luxury hair and beard oil, we also offer a really strong community that I don’t think people are aware of from the outset. The community of customers and followers is like an extended support family; they offer advice, share their amazing before and after results and it’s something I think is hugely important and unique to ByErim. Myself and my team are also really big on supporting our ByErim community too - we share daily app affirmations (appfirmations) for free, offer free wallpapers, post regular blogs on the site, and we’re open to all questions from customers no matter how big or small!

What’s the most common problem your customers approach you with?

We get a lot of people suffering with hair loss, lacklustre hair and scalp issues and as someone who has suffered with this myself, I completely empathise. It’s not just a bad hair day, it can really affect your self confidence and make you want to hide away!We’ve seen amazing results from those using our hair oil so we do hope we can help those that need it.

How do you set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry?

There will always be similar businesses to you when you’re an entrepreneur and ByErim is no different. I think our USP though is the quality of our ingredients and how that perfect recipe balances to give people the healthy, shiny hair they’re seeking. In addition, the community that I mentioned before is also a real point of difference and we have worked really hard to create our ByErim family. The oil is also Vegan Society and Leaping Bunny certified, the bottle is made of 100% recyclable glass, the sticker is printed on water-soluble paper, the packaging it comes in is both recycled and recyclable, and the warehouse we work with is the first carbon neutral warehouse in the UK.

What plans do you have for ByErim over the next two years?

ByErim is growing rapidly and I don’t think this will stop! We are investing and expanding the product range, with a shampoo and conditioner launching in the coming months. We’ve been working on the formula for over a year and have innovated the way ingredients are looked at - we’re hugely excited about it launching!

What would be your top marketing tip, to grow a business that is niche?

Listen and grow from your audience. Our customers have become our community and we use them to tell us what they want next and what they would like to see from us - from helping me decide packaging for upcoming product launches to flagging typos on the site - they are always part of my business. My win is our win.

Is it still possible to build a strong and successful business without social media. If yes or no, why?

It might be because I work as an influencer alongside ByErim but I rely heavily on social media for my success in business and ByErim uses it as a two-way communication tool. We listen to our community through our social media and can address their concerns, their questions and we also listen to their needs. Our new product line is based on what we have heard them asking for and what they need in their hair care journey.If a business isn’t using social media then it’s not only losing its appeal to a younger audience - TikTok, in particular, is really important for this audience - but it’s also closing the door on thousands and thousands of potential customers.