Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in cosmetics but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Edwin Ivanauskas, owner of Last Looks FX & Beauty Supply, located in Murray, UT, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Last Looks FX & Beauty Supply is a specialty physical and e-commerce retailer selling makeup and supplies for film professionals who work in the makeup, special FX, hair props, and wardrobe departments. We also cater to a variety of creative individuals who do cosplay, makeup for fun, face and body painters.
Tell us about yourself
My wife, Maika Taylor, and I run the business; she has over a decade of experience as a film and tv makeup artist and hairstylist. My background is more traditional corporate, doing marketing for companies until I left to pursue this business with my wife and partner.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Creating a retail store that's seen as a must-visit for people around our area. We regularly have people visiting us when they happen to be in town because they were told they just HAD TO by a friend or family member. Creating the sort of experience we ourselves would want is very rewarding.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The buck always stops with you, and that goes doubly so for a retail business that has set hours. If no one else can solve a problem or provide cover for a schedule, it's up to you to do it. If you run a business with integrity, every mistake and cost inevitably must be paid for by you, whether it's in time or money.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- It's going to take more time and effort than you can possibly imagine.
- Trust actions, not words. It's tempting to believe the great things some vendors or customers might say, but until you see them put into action, they don't have any meaning.
- Be prepared to do "not your job." If it has to get done, you have to be ready and willing to do it. This means going from dealing with a difficult customer to preparing a shipment to scrub the toilets.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://lastlooksfx.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lastlooksfx
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lastlooksutah/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.
