FloClaire LLC
Natural Skin Care Product Distributor Off to a Great Start
Small Business Development Center (SBDC) helps Entrepreneur Build Successful Business
Entrepreneur Tim Chulu always knew he had a great product, but the rapid success of the natural skin care line sold through his De Forest-based business, FloClaire LLC, was a bit of a surprise even for him. With sales climbing from $7,000 to well over $200,000 in just six years, FloClaire is off to a great start thanks in part to the assistance Chulu received from the UW-Madison Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
“Without the SBDC, I don’t think I could have achieved what I have,” Chulu says.
Growth and Jobs
As the exclusive North American distributor of the O’tentika and Hypercreme product line, FloClaire is projecting more than $500,000 in sales this year and will expand into new markets. In October, the company will launch a new line with improved packaging and even more natural, organic ingredients.
To keep up with his growing business, Chulu hired two employees earlier this year and recently added a third employee who will handle sales as FloClaire expands its reach.
Safe, Natural, Alternative Products
Chulu began selling O’tentika and Hypercreme skin care products from his home in 2003. Produced in Switzerland, these products are a safe, effective alternative to products currently on the market that contain ingredients known to have harmful effects. O’tentika and Hypercreme products are made with mulberry extract and other natural ingredients used to reduce the over production of melanin that can lead to hyper pigmentation in skin of African, Latino and Asian women and men.
After four years of steady growth, Chulu knew he could build a successful business around these products.
SBDC Help - From Business Plan to Growth
“From everything I read about starting a company, most important is the business plan,” notes Chulu, who first took a two-hour introductory class on writing a business plan from the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corp. (WWBIC).
Chulu then enrolled in the Entrepreneurial Training Program at UW-Madison SBDC which consists of small business fundamentals, instruction on developing a business plan and individual mentoring.
“It was a very intense class. They walk you through it, and help you write a business plan. It was very instrumental in helping me to see where I was going,” recalls Chulu. “The business plan wasn’t just a tool for getting a loan. It turned out to be a tool for me to visualize what I was getting into and to prepare for the problems that were coming.”
SBDC business counselor, Linda Davis, provided the assistance Chulu needed to draft his business plan. Davis also directed him to WWBIC for a $25,000 loan and later a $60,000 loan to purchase inventory and grow his business. Chulu continues to utilize the business expertise of Davis and the SBDC as he hires employees and seeks additional sources of funding.
“Linda Davis has been completely instrumental to my success. I call her my business consultant. She is amazing,” says Chulu. “And for the SBDC to make her available to me for free … I don’t know what to say.”
“My goal is to grow the market,” adds Chulu. “My vision is to eventually have my own skin care and cosmetic line.”
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