TALKING BUSINESS
ENTREPRENEUR HAS GONE BACK TO HER ROOTS
For entrepreneur Shalom Lloyd, founding a skincare company wasn’t on her business agenda. But after extensive fertility treatment resulted in the birth of her youngest children, five-year-old twins Joshua and Amara, everything changed. Joshua suffered with extreme eczema and the tiny
newborn would scratch until he bled, much to his mother’s anguish. As a qualified pharmacist, Shalom knew that medicated
ointments and treatments would help but she was reluctant to use such stringent formulas on such delicate skin. The mother-of-five said: “After four rounds of IVF, I’d
already been pumped with so many different chemicals and I had a thing at the back of my mind that these kids should have the best natural start that they can. “Naturally Tribal was really a case of going back
and tapping into my African roots in Nigeria.” Shalom spent months recalling and mixing
raw African ingredients, sent over from Nigeria, with essential oils in her kitchen at home. The 45-year-old said: “I came across
the eureka formula as a complete fluke and three days later the eczema was well managed. The bad mother in me let him flare up a few times to test it and each time it worked.” Naturally Tribal Skincare was born – using
community of Essan. In the factory we are building we are using local tradesmen, which means we are creating employment for local people through our infrastructure development. I’m hoping that by 2020 the factory will be ready. We are preparing, starting to conduct training, so that we are ready to go when the factory is up and running.” In the meantime, the products are made in the UK, by
contract manufacturers - Natural Skincare Solutions, in their facility in Dorset. And currently, an average of 3,000 Naturally Tribal Skincare products are produced each quarter. The contract manufacturing partner is preparing to scale
‘BEING SEEN AND KNOWN AS AN
IMPORTANT TO ME’
Mother Nature’s gifts to create products for the entire family. Today, the majority of the raw ingredients, including shea butter, millet, the African kola nut and bitter Kola are used to create vegan certified and cruelty free skincare products. Most of the ingredients still come from Nigeria and are formulated, tested and manufactured to EU standards here in the United Kingdom. “I’m proud to be African, Nigerian, British,” said Shalom.
“The worlds, my heritage, has collided really well, with Naturally Tribal Skincare. I found a great source for the shea butter in the Kingdom of Essan and that’s when the business went beyond just skincare. It’s about getting our raw ingredients sourced ethically and empowering African women in the process.” The company, based in Stony Stratford, is now building a
factory in the Kingdom of Essan – a district in Niger State, Nigeria – to employ up to 50 local women to manufacture some of the ingredients required for the eight-strong product range. The project is made up of a warehouse, a factory and an admin block with construction being completed by local tradesmen. In March 2019, Shalom flew out to Essan to train up 400
local women in health and safety. She said: “People talk a lot about empowering women, but I sometimes dislike the word ‘empowerment’ being thrown around so much. I love the fact that we are living it, taking action to truly show empowerment. When I go back to Essan it’s all about trade, not aid. “Being seen and known as an ethical brand is very
important to me. I want customers to know that when you purchase any jar of Naturally Tribal Skincare products, you’re helping us to live out our mission by supporting the
12 inbusiness JUNE/JULY 2019
up production to keep up with demand, after several showings on the second largest shopping channel in the UK, TJC, saw 550 units sell in just 90 minutes. The popularity of the products has led to TJC giving Naturally Tribal Skincare primetime slots going forward. The success of the business in its short
ETHICAL BRAND IS VERY
shelf life is evident in the vast number of awards that both Shalom and the products have won in those 24 months – including Female Entrepreneur at the Women Leaders MK Awards and taking the New Business Award title at the recent Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards.
“There’s nothing better than being recognised in your hometown,” said Shalom. “MK is the fastest
growing city in the UK and to be recognised by your peers and the business community is amazing. “The products are getting their own recognition, but I
know I’m the face of the brand. At first, I was nervous about it but as the face of a skincare product, I have to be out there. We can have the best product but if you don’t tell anyone about it, it’s useless. “I’m really proud of Naturally Tribal and where we are
going.” But the journey hasn’t been without its challenges. “Being an entrepreneur is quite lonely,” admits Shalom.
“You need resources behind you. But the people you start with aren’t the ones who necessarily continue the journey with you. You have to be fluid. “People have come and gone in this journey and they’ve
brought value. I try to hold on to people but when I have let them go we’ve had no choice but to move forward.” Finance has also been a challenge as the whole business
is self-funded, bar some help from the Department of International Trade (DIT) and Economic Growth Fund through grants. DIT have been a big part of Naturally Tribal Skincare’s
journey and Shalom was recently invited to join their Exporting Is Great campaign. And despite the current uncertainties surrounding the
UK leaving the European Union, Shalom is confident in the strength of her brand. “When you are flying the British flag, it spells quality,”
she said. “I’m not scared of Brexit. We have The Commonwealth countries out there. Brexit or no Brexit, we will keep trading.”
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