Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jonathan Elbaz, Co-Founder of bäz, located in Beverly Hills, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I started a D2C dental products business called bäz. Our customers are wellness-focused individuals who care about quality, sustainability and support local businesses. We typically find that mothers tend to gravitate towards our products (especially those who have kids that are going through orthodontic treatment). Our customer is the person who has some sort of morning routine (could be a skincare routine, haircare routine, meditation, etc.)
Tell us about yourself
Years ago, I was inspired by the D2C titans Warby Parker and Dollar Shave Club. I thought there was room for a premium, innovative D2C dental products company. As I was doing research and due diligence, I started seeing published medical articles that link oral care to systemic health problems (i.e., heart problems, dementia, cancer, and more) -- this was a wakeup call that oral care is, in fact, an important part in all of our lives.
As far as what keeps me going, I always appreciate hearing from customers who use my products and telling me how transformational the improvement in their oral health has been since incorporating our products into their routine. I've heard from people who no longer need expensive surgeries -- all from just using the Gumline Cleaner regularly. When I started hearing stories like these, it just made the work I've been doing even more meaningful.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Our biggest accomplishment was being named one of the top-selling oral care products at Erewhon within a month of appearing on their shelves. It is already an impressive achievement that our Gumline Cleaner is on their shelves, considering how popular that market has become and how competitive the personal care space is.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
There are a million things you can do, but prioritizing where you spend your time and money is crucially important.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Starting a business requires time, patience, discipline, money, and competence. Make sure you have a LOT of each of these things.
- Oftentimes, things won't work out the way you planned for them to -- be able to pivot immediately. Also, it'll most likely behoove you to test different approaches, don't be "set in stone" when it comes to one idea/strategy.
- Be endlessly curious and hungry for knowledge. When working with (or screening) specialists that focus on one aspect of a business (i.e., social media marketing), it is helpful if you have a good understanding of what they're talking about.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.bazdental.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bazdental
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bazdental/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bazdental/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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