The Lulu & Boo Organics range of handmade skin care products launched less than a year ago has proved so successful that its founder is now developing a range for men.
Claire Edmunds who runs the entire business on her own – from developing, devising and formulating the products to packing and dispatching – has seen demand, turnover and profits grow month on month.
The catalyst for the company’s rapid growth was its outstanding success at the Natural and Organic Products Europe Awards earlier this year. The Awards, run in association with the Soil Association, are acknowledged as the benchmark for excellence.
Despite being a newcomer in this highly competitive industry Lulu & Boo Organics not only won the best organic baby product but two other products were also shortlisted which created quite a stir.
The resulting publicity and promotion raised awareness of the Lulu & Boo Organics brand considerably and Claire, who is based in Cardiff, has since been inundated with orders.
She has invested in new equipment, is currently looking for new stockists and launching a new e-commerce website this week to sell her products on line.
Claire is a trained make-up artist and worked for a model agency and leading cosmetics companies like Este Lauder and Lancôme but changed careers following an illness which increased her interest in alternative therapies and organic food.
She re-trained as an holistic therapist and then undertook a cosmetic chemistry course to learn how to make the various creams and lotions.
Claire benefited from business start up support from the Welsh Assembly Government, delivered by Business in Focus, which helped her develop the foundations for the business. Her company recently won the best New Business Start-Up Award at the South Wales Business Awards.
Ieuan Wyn Jones, Minister for the Economy and Transport, said encouraging and supporting new business start-ups was a priority for the Assembly Government.
“We can provide a wide range of business advice and support for new companies as they have an important role to play in the Welsh economy. It is very pleasing to hear of a new company doing so well in such a short space of time and already working on expanding its portfolio of products. I congratulate Claire on winning these awards and wish her every success.”
Claire has now developed 39 products in the range for women and babies, all are hand made from natural ingredients to her own formulations, with the vast majority Soil Association accredited. She is now busy formulating her new men’s range for launch next year.
The Lulu & Boo range is generating interest from throughout the UK and Claire is getting orders from Europe and in discussions with a company in Barcelona that is interested in her baby care range.
“It’s been an amazing year and the business start up support was very helpful. I had no idea what to expect when I started in business but decided to enter some of my products for awards as I did not have the budget to attend large exhibition and trade shows,” Claire said.
“Winning these awards has been amazing and really helped the business and raised brand recognition far more than I could have hoped for.”
Perhaps the icing on the cake is the invitation to enter ten of her products for the Beauty Bible Awards, which will be announced next year. It is, said Claire, quite an honour particularly for a newcomer.
