Harmony Redmond, creator of Essential Harmony Natural Beauty, started her journey with handmade organic skincare eight years ago as a personal quest to make products suitable for her own eczema!
Essential Harmony bloomed into business in 2016, starting as a small community-based handmade business, but her online website is now available to the world. She also loves to work with her customers to create tailored orders for all their skincare needs!
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
I guess for me it was a little bit of an accident! It started because I had pretty bad eczema growing up—I was intolerant to all the nasties & chemicals, which meant using expensive organic products or I could learn how to make my own! And so my journey in to the world of natural beauty began!
Tell us about your business.
Essential Harmony Natural Beauty is handmade, organic skin care for even the most sensitive skin. I use plants to heal and nourish! I’m all about using what nature provides.
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
Yes yes yes! I’m running a “winter is coming” promo offering all my amazing customers 25% off until winter solstice using the code word that’s in my Insta bio.
Where is your business based?
My kitchen! Which is based in the Byron Bay hinterlands, a.k.a. Paradise. Though I might be biased, haha!
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
For me it was a very gradual process. It started as a passion that slowly and naturally grew into a business. I’d been making my own products for years; then one day a couple friends started using my products. The next day the word was out, and orders came in.
My little community is responsible, really they gave me the encouragement to get the ball rolling! Essential Harmony grew quickly, soon I was doing markets and had a website. As it grew so did my passion!
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
Social media of course plays a huge role! My Instagram account is an amazing tool! And you can have a bit of fun with it; I really enjoy taking photos. Word of mouth has also played a huge role for me. Lots of my customers hear about me through their friends, which is always super lovely!
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Time! Time management, really! The balance between my day job managing a health food store and building my dream job! It’s been difficult at times to find the right balance.
How did you overcome these challenges?
The best remedy is to make time! I draw a bath, put a face mask on, have a cup of tea, and just stop. After a moment of relaxation you’ll be ready for what ever comes next.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
I have the best support network ever! I have friends that come help me pack orders and family here to support!
My amazing mother. She recently ran all my order packing and shipping while I was overseas! I couldn’t do it without her!
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
I use all organic ingredients, but because most of mine are local and I work with the farmers and suppliers in my community, I can have a better price point for my customers as well as supporting locals in my area! I also make all my products by hand so I can work with my customers for their skin needs.
What is the best advice you have received recently?
Simplicity is key. This is so relevant for me. I always seem to over-complicate things, so when I stop and clear away the clutter, right back to basics is when I find my way!
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
Be yourself! Do something that is important to you or that you’re passionate about! Something that allows you to be you, because you’re unique. And that’s awesome!
What are your favorite business tools/resources and why?
Adobe Illustrator is great for all your graphic and logo design needs! Snapseed is a really simple editing app to perfect your photos for Instagram—my personal favorite social media platform!
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
Well, most of the recent books I’ve read have been specifically related to skincare or herbal medicine! I’m currently re-reading a book called The Essential Oil Pharmacy; it’s a great book on essential oils!
What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
Every day’s a learning experience. Since starting my business, I’ve decided that I want to delve deeper into the world of plant medicine and have decided to study naturopathy, which I’m so excited about!
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
I’m running my first stall at a multi-day festival, which is so exciting! Currently, I’m putting together an advertisement for the festival guide and running social media campaigns to promote! I’m also redesigning and building my new stall.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Instagram @essentialharmony_naturalbeauty
Facebook @essentialharmonynaturalbeauty
Website www.essentialharmonynaturalbeauty.com
Email essentialharmonynaturalbeauty@gmail.com