KIKA OSUNDE - THE FEMMENTREPRENEUR YOU NEED TO KNOW! (AKA KIKA GOOD HAIR

Take a look at Kika Osunde’s Instagram feed “Kikagoodhair” its quite clear her fashion sense is fabulous, her caramel complexion, and most of all Kika’s tresses of silky, bristle top hair be it in pixie, bangs, bob, or that which is always coiled with soft curls and waves in a top-knot when its laid over her shoulder. Who is this exceptionally beautiful female entrepreneur with a joyous personality?

1. Tell me about yourself?

Born and raised in London, England known as Kika Osunde, the youngest of an eccentric family of 4. I am also the other half of the quality conscious hair extension brand ‘Good Hair’. My friends call me Kiks, Keeks and Ronks. Fun, warm, fashionable and vibrant are the best words that describes me. I love to travel, experiment with fashion and make up; I also enjoy watching romcoms (over and over again), documentaries and hanging out with my close family and friends.

I moved to Birmingham to attend University where I met my business partner Chioma who was studying Law. I graduated with a 2:1 degree in Business and Marketing. I have always had a keen interest in running a business and also love all things glitz and glamor, so it wasn’t long before we decided to combine these two passions and start a business.

2. Why and how did you go into the hair business and what are the struggles you encountered and how did you overcome them?

The most fortunate thing for me was that hair was already a way of life, rather than just a business idea. I used to experiment with so many different hairstyles, colors and looks that I quickly became an expert in weaves and wigs. Chioma and I had similar interests in fashion, hair and make-up. The common denominator for the both of us, was how empowered and how happy we felt in relation to our whole appearance. We would commonly be asked “your hair is so nice! where can I get it hair from?”. It only made sense to provide a product that reflected our passion but on an international scale. We started selling hair to close friends and family. As the business grew we developed it into a full fledged brand. Turning our hobby into a brand was the fun part, we took a lot of time to develop and create the brand. Firstly, we designed the logo to evoke the sense of glamour and luxury we wanted the brand to stand for. From the italic style of the font to the colors chosen (white and gold), everything was selected to build the brand personality. We started to think strategically about how to take Good Hair from just a brand to more of an overall experience, we invested money into sleek high-end packaging to create a luxury experience – which has now become the core of the Good Hair philosophy. Then through social media and self -promotion, it became an international hit among women looking for great quality, fabulous hair.

The key to our success at the time was social media. Facebook, in particular, played a huge part as we reached a following of over 135,000 fans in just 2 years.  It was a great platform to promote the hair, ourselves and provide direct personal contact to our clients. This allowed them to feel valued and make the brand feel more accessible and approachable. This wasn’t an easy journey as we had to constantly work around the clock to engage clients all over the world which started to take a toll on my health. I started getting lumps all on my body from stress, from lack of sleep and exhaustion. I struggled with having a good work life balance whilst keeping the Facebook page exciting with new feeds and updates– it took a lot of time and energy as it was just the two of us at the time. Learning that every business has opening hours, I was able to strike a good work life balance which was my only challenge at the time.

3. How lucrative is it?

As you may know, the human hair industry is a coveted commodity with widespread usage, so it is a very lucrative business. The black hair market was recently estimated to be worth $500billion, so it’s been easy to sustain and drive the business in such a lucrative industry.

We always feel the need to evolve and expand but uncompromising its level of quality which is reflective in our price bands. With the likes of our e-store www.goodhairltd.com and our Lagos boutique, sales continue to do well. We have launched a successful new product every year in order to remain as the number 1 brand for luxury hair extensions. We have loyal clients that stretch from Australia to South Africa that we ship hair to. We’re so grateful and thankful for Gods continuous blessings.

We also measure success through other means, via a personal sense of satisfaction, by donating custom made wigs for people who have lost their hair due to alopecia or cancer.

4. How long have you been in the business?

We founded Good Hair Ltd in 2009. The business grew rapidly between years 2010-2012 through word of mouth and great recommendations. We’ve been in business for 8 years and counting thank God.

Over the years we have realized the most important thing is to keep customers at the forefront of the business, by keeping a personalized touch to the business whether it’s through our online store – www.goodhairltd.com and our Lagos Boutique where we have over 20 members of staff.

5. What is your area of specialization and what keeps your customers coming back?

We truly believe our area of specialization lies in luxury which for us is certainly uncompromising. We travel directly to our manufacturers all around world to hand select our raw virgin hair extensions. Even though we’re best known for selling amazing quality and long lasting hair extensions and custom made lace wigs. We’re also renowned for our professional coloring and styling services. We’d like to say we actually specialize in making women be the best versions of themselves by enhancing their natural beauty. We’re very good at helping women get “their groove back” and giving them confidence they’ve lost or in some cases, confidence which they didn’t even know they had.

Our brand not alone represents luxury but signifies integrity. As we feel that the client is always at the forefront of our brand we like to refer to them as ‘Good Hair Dolls’ allowing them to feel as if they are part of one exclusive community. Our aim is to continue to evolve, and offer no alternative for women feeling great about their hair.

6. What are your responsibilities as a business owner?

As a business owner I have to ensure that the business is running smoothly both in London and Lagos. I’m responsible for the e commerce website being not only user friendly but a trusted and safe website where our clients feel comfortable shopping online. I also have to ensure that the staff at our Lagos Boutique are up to date with the latest hair trends. So I’m constantly training them so we stay ahead of the game. I look for people eager to learn when hiring so this part is usually a walk in the park. I also have to work closely with our manufacturing team to ensure we produce the best of the best.

7. If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

My one piece of advice would be to go into business with what you’re passionate about so it doesn’t ever feel like work.

8. If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?

I wouldn’t change a thing as it’s what’s shaped me into the business woman I am today. The challenges faced were all worth it as Good Hair has become an established, globally recognized brand.

9.Who has been your inspiration?

My mother is my biggest supporter and has inspired me to be the ambitious, tenacious devotee of Good Hair. She taught me good work ethic and how to be a go getter!

Contact Details:

Email: info@goodhairltd.com

London Tel: +447904034911

Lagos Tel: +2347013555555

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @goodhairltd

Snapchat: @kikagoodhair

Personal Instagram: @kikagoodhair

Website: https://www.goodhairltd.com

Due to Kika’s busy schedule she will not be mentoring at the moment, she is one of the most down to earth person i ever met. But if you can or follow her on any of her social media she always takes free time off and opens her snap chat messages and respond to peoples questions. Be sure to follow her on social media for this kind of opportunities to channel your questions. Thank you for the read and stay tuned for next week’s female entrepreneur .

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT KIKA OSUNDE?

It is highly unlikely that there is any Lagosian in the dark about the delectable light-skinned Kika Osunde, but in case you just crawled out from under a rock, don’t worry we’ve got you!

1.       Kika Osunde is a 30 year old British Nigerian who grew up in an “eccentric family of four” (her words!) in London.

2.       Kika moved to Birmingham to attend university and this is where she met her close friend, Chioma Ikokwu, who ended up becoming her business partner.

3.       Kika Osunde is not just a fine face but a classic example of beauty and brains. She has proven this over and again both with her second class upper degree in Business Administration and Marketing and also in her razor sharp business acumen.

4.       Kika Osunde is very much into taking care of and enhancing her looks, and she is very passionate about helping other women do likewise.

5.       In 2009, Kika Osunde teamed up with Chioma Ikokwu and they found the hair and beauty company Good Hair Limited in London.

6.       Good Hair Limited was conceptualized in Chioma and Kika’s dorm room in the University of Birmingham and their very first office was in their kitchen in London.

7.       In the very early days of Good Hair Limited, all of the tasks were divided between just Kika Osunde and her business partner Chioma Ikokwu. Kika was responsible for maintaining their Facebook page among other marketing responsibilities.

8.       Her company Good Hair Limited whose first boutique salon is situated in London soon opened shop in Lagos, Nigeria and also launched an online shop at www.goodhairltd.com.

9.       Kika Osunde’s Good Hair Limited has grown massively from that humble start in the kitchen to a widely recognized international brand with patronage from the likes of Toke Makinwa, Naomi Campbell, Rihanna, Genevieve Nnaji, Kelly Rowland and other celebrities.

10.   Kika Osunde along with her friend and business partner, Chioma Ikokwu recently moved their Lagos operations to the ultra-modern and exquisitely designed Good Hair Space Mall in Lekki phase 1. The mall contains a hair boutique, a lash spa, a nail bar and a restaurant and terrace lounge among other beauty and hospitality services.

11.   Kika Osunde might be most known for good hair products but she also leads in other spheres as well most notably, her top notch sense of style and fashion. She pulls off the latest trends and styles with effortless grace. She is always classily dressed whether in corporate wears, casual dresses, traditional styles or jeans and denim.

12.   She is a style icon with quite a huge social following. Her allure and ever exciting fashion sense has attracted over 50, 000 followers to her Instagram page.

13.   Kika Osunde recently caused a positive ruckus and turned heads at the Arise Fashion Week in Lagos where supermodel Naomi Campbell was also in attendance.

14.   Also, Good Hair Limited which is run by Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu was the official hair partner of Arise Fashion Week.

15.   Kika Osunde is known as Kiks or Keeks by her close friends, and Kika Good Hair by her customers and fans.

There you have it. We promised to bring you up to speed on the wave making beauty entrepreneur Kika Osunde and that’s exactly what we did. If you would like to keep abreast with this conglomeration of beauty and brains’ activities, head over to Instagram and follow her at @kikagoodhair

WHO IS KIKA OSUNDE?

For those who know, the name Kika Osunde is synonymous with good hair, as the beautiful twenty nine year old is the co-founder of Good Hair Limited. Good Hair Limited is a premium hair and beauty brand which Kika started with her good friend, Chioma Ikokwu in London.

Kika Osunde was born and raised in a family of 4 in the UK. She met her friend and co-founder of Good Hair Limited while they were both students in Birmingham. Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu’s match seemed to be a friendship made in heaven as they both shared a passion for beauty and maintaining good hair anda flawless appearance. When theladies found that they have a lot in common, before you could say ‘lace wig’ Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu had teamed up to found Good Hair Limited. This was in 2010 and Kika was twenty two.

Winning in business never affected other important parts of her life, as Kika Osunde completed studies and obtained a second class-upper-degree in Business and Marketing. Combining her business and marketing education with her love for all things glitz and glamor, Good Hair Limited was the natural result. According to her, other peopleadmiring her impeccable hair pieces brought up the idea to turn what was a lifestyle into a viable business.

The Good Hair Limited co-founded by Kika Osunde has recorded unprecedented success internationally. Their products are patronized and ordered in Nigeria, the UK, other parts of Europe, America, Australia and South Africa. Good Hair Limited’s hair pieces have been spotted on several celebrities including Rihanna, Toke Makinwa and Naomi Campbell. There is no gainsaying that the seeming small venture Kika Osunde started with her friend Chioma Ikokwu so many years ago in London has proven to be a runaway success internationally.

Known as Kiks or Keeks by her close friends or Kika Good Hair by customers and fans, Kika Osunde is not all uptight businesswoman. In Kika’s own words; fun, warm, fashionable and vibrant are the best words to describe her.She is a much seen presence in the society and at industry events along with her friend and business partner, Chioma Ikokwu. Most recently she caused a positive ruckus and turned heads at the Arise Fashion Week and supermodel Naomi Campbell’s book signing in Lagos. Also, Good Hair Limited was the official hair partner of Arise Fashion Week.

Kika Osunde might be known for good hair products as her unofficial nicknameKika Good Hair suggests, but she leads in other spheres as well. Most notable about Kika Osunde is her top notch sense of style and fashion. Kika leads the pack when it come to the latest trends and styles, and how to pull them off with effortless grace. Be it corporate wear, dresses, traditional styles or jeans and denim, Kika Good Hair definitely sets the fashion pace whenever she steps out.

In a time when there is a dearth of worthy role models for young ladies, Kika Osunde is indeed a breath of fresh air. She is an educationally accomplished, socially relevant and undeniablysuccessful business woman with first class beauty and fashion sense to boot. So ladies, if you’re looking for a strong accomplished female to root for, look no further. Put your money on the girl of the moment, Kika Osunde. visit https://www.goodhairltd.com

BEAUTY ROUTINE OF THE STARS: KIKA OSUNDE

At any mention of good hair, the names that immediately come to mind are, Kika Osunde aka Kika Good Hair and Chioma Ikokwu aka Chioma Good Hair. This is so because the beautiful and stylish ladies are the co-founders and co-CEOs of Good Hair Limited, the premium hair and beauty brand. Theirs is an ideal story of beauty and brains, guts and eventually glory. Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu growing Good Hair Limited from its humble beginnings in the UK to the doyen of all discerning women that it is today is no mean feat and they deserve all the celebrity success has accorded them.

Of course, a lot has been written about Good Hair Limited and its founders Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu though today the focus is on the tall, light-skinned and oh so beautiful Kika Osunde.

So many women admire (some even envy!) Kika Osunde’s style, fashion and beauty. So I decided to catch up with her so she can share a sneak preview of her world with us. And of course the surprisingly humble Kika Osunde graciously accepted to field some questions honestly. No, I did not ask her about the boring financial details of Good Hair Limited. It was all about beauty baby. We spoke about her impeccable sense of style and her admirable fashion choices. Also, I could not help swooning over Kika Osunde’s wonderful hair, skin and makeup.

Being the perpetually curious person that I am, I had to ask her a few questions about her beauty routine. Here are the highlights;

I just love how fabulous your hair is. Tell me how you take care of your hair, Kika?

K: Hair wise, I have been team natural for quite a long while now even though I did some relaxing not so long ago. I usually avoid shampooing my hair unless I absolutely have to do it, chiefly because of the sulphate in shampoos. I mostly deep condition, then I do protective hairstyles and put on my wig.

How about your glowing skin, what is the famous Kika Good Hair’s special skin routine?

K: Well, there is nothing super special about what I do with my skin. I like natural products and I also do a lot of research, so I know that Vitamin C and lemons are good to make my skin brighter. When I am in Nigeria, I usually tend to get darker because of the sun so I prefer anything that will protect me and accord me an even skin tone. When I am in London, I make my own scrubs with lemon and brown sugar which I use in ex-foliating my skin all over, but I have a friend in Lagos who makes it for me during my stays in Nigeria. My body lotions mostly consist of Vitamin C creams from body shop. I am also a big fan of Shea butter but I don’t use it during the day since it makes me dark. And yeah, I just purchased a skin care line called Murad.

What is the scoop on your preferred makeup and application techniques?

K: I totally love Nars products because they are light, airy and skin friendly. I hate it when my skin is all covered up and giving me that cakey feeling. I like to see all my imperfections and blemishes so that my face will still look like me (smiles). I add on a new makeup product every year, which is not good for the skin by the way, so I am trying to let the skin breathe more nowadays.

As for application techniques, no one has ever taught me makeup so it’s really just practice.

I know I’ve already asked about your hair, but please as a parting shot share just one hair tip for extensions!

K: Okay, let me see… yes, when you’re buying a bundle of hair, the hair should never look identical. If they do, just know that they've been processed and mass produced. Also, wefting of synthetic hair is seamless and perfect but that of human hair is folded over so you can see the tips of the top end. 

BEAUTY REGIMEN: CHIOMA IKOKWU’S ROUTINE

Anyone who has an eye on the beauty industry must have heard about Chioma Ikokwu, the beautiful and sharp witted co-founder of Good Hair Limited. Chioma Good Hair as she is fondly referred to by her customers and fans has been hugely successful in her venture with friend and business partner, Kika Osunde. Together they have grown their hair and beauty company from the obscurity of their dorm room to the international brand of repute that it is today.

Much has been written about the lovely good hair ladies, celebrating and extolling their unprecedented success in business, their relevance in society and the dynamic duo’s svelte sense of fashion and style.

Today I caught up with the flawless and ever smiling Chioma Ikokwu to take a peek into her world. Chioma Good Hair was gracious enough to grant us courteous audience and of course the questions I rattled off were met with graceful and sincere answers. I could not help but admire her great (not just good) hair, her glowing skin and wonderful makeup.

Being the perpetually curious person that I am, I could not help but ask her a few questions about her beauty regime. Here are the excerpts;

Q: I cannot help noticing how fabulous your hair is. How do you take care of it?

C: (chuckles daintily) Oh thank you so much for the compliment. Right now, I have decided to go natural with my hair even though it is not how I usually keep it. Also, I am not so good at the natural hair thing but I make sure to wash and deep condition my hair every two week.

Also, I get a deep scalp treatment every other month. For my natural hair grooming, I like to use Keracare products. Keracare are kind of like my favourite when it comes to maintaining my natural hair but I sometimes also use Syntonics. So yeah, Keracare and Syntonics it is.

Q: How about you skin, what is the famous Chioma Good Hair’s super-secret skin routine?

C: Hahahahahaha, there is actually no secret. Skin wise, black soap is what I use and it is really good especially for those who have oily skin. Vitamin C serum is also a very good product to have because it repairs, moisturizes and protects your skin. I personally use Obagi Vitamin C serum and any natural black soap.

Q: Tell me about your makeup preferences and techniques.

C: Makeup wise, I prefer Nars products and the Nars concealer is absolutely amazing. I favour the Armani foundation. Even though it is not so popular, it is actually very good and brings a very light finish that is not too thick on the skin. The Inglot AMC Eyeliner Gel is probably the best eyeliner ever created. It is really dark, water resistant, and stays on once applied. You literally cannot wipe it off unless you use an oil based remover.

Q: Do you workout? Because you actually look amazing!

C: (Big laugh) You wouldn't believe it, but I really don’t. To be honest, I’m not very healthy. I do not workout but I do try to drink as much water as I can. I however eat healthy most times, and then I don’t eat healthy sometimes (chuckles again). So I will eat a salad but then I would also have deserts because I unabashedly love ice-cream, Yoghurt, cake, chocolate and all that!

A TOUR OF THE GOOD HAIR SPACE MALL

A TOUR OF THE GOOD HAIR SPACE MALL

On the 31^st of December, 2017 Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde, co-owners of Good Hair Limited opened their new Good Hair Space Mall to the Lagos public. Located at #1 Olubunmi Owa street (same turning as Ebeano Supermarket, opposite CBC Towers), Lekki phase 1, the expansion adds a terrace restaurant, state of the art male salon to its bouquet of shops.

The co-owners, Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu say that the vision was to bring premium beauty solutions and luxurious relaxation under one roof in a sort of one-stop-shop. Chioma Ikokwu says the idea is to “offer clients 5-star luxury treatments. Let’s take a tour of the facility, shall we?

Premium Good Hair Salon

According to the owners, Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu, services available at the Premium Good Hair Space include hair extensions & wig sales, weaves, haircuts, hair coloring, natural hair grooming and much more. The salon is a masterclass in elegance, comfort and luxury from the furnishings to the state-of-the-art equipment available to serve customers.

Nail Bar

The nail bar is where you can obtain services on all things nail. Just like the other shops in the Good Hair Space, the furnishing and ambiance of the nail bar is second to none and the pedigree of the staff is top notch. This is a perfect destination to go to when you’re looking for some pampering along with great grooming work on your nails.

Make Up Studio by DDB Studios

For this one, Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde got Good Hair to partner with the Toronto makeup guru, DDB studios to provide cutting edgemakeup services and more right in the courteous and luxurious environment of the Good Hair Space.

Lash Spa by Beauty Bottega

Beauty Bottega are beauty care specialists offering tailored services including lash grooming, semi-permanent eyelash extensions and brow grooming. The ladies at Good Hair Limited thought it great to enter into a strategic partnership with the eye and lash impresarios which brings their lash spa to the Good Hair Space. You can now relax Good Hair Dolls, your brow and lash care is in purrfect hands!

Next by Good Hair

Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde are definitely not leaving out the male folk. That’s why the Good Hair Space also features the male hair grooming shop ‘Next’ where gentlemen can stop by for all their hair grooming needs. It is furnished to give that man cave vibe and exquisite feel of luxurious comfort.

Brass and Copper (Diner/Lounge/Shisha Bar) 

Brass and Copper is a partnership between Good Hair Limited and Casa Lydia and Cocoon. It is a beautiful place with great access to natural lighting. Also the attention to detail by Kika and Chioma Good Hair who made sure the name, Brass and Copper is evident in all the features, knick knacks and furniture. The aesthetics of the place is very commendable. Also worthy of note is the alternative artworks and soft background music which ranges from funky house to soft RnB.

Servings include Chicken Kebab, Hot Chops, Roast potatoes, Steamed rice

This is a full service restaurant located in the Good Hair Space that features a bar and lounge, breakfast, brunch and shisha. It is great for groups and also PoS complaint. The average spend for 2 persons will be approximately N16, 000.

So there you have it, you one-stop-shop for good hair and all things beauty and relaxation. Stop by for a taste of that luxurious feel you can only get at the Good Hair Space.

About Good Hair Limited

Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu established Good Hair Limited in England in 2009. In 2014, Good Hair Limited opened its first retail store in Nigeria. The hair brand also has a thriving online boutique.

Good Hair Limited specializes in pre-customized illusion wigs and hair extensions including raw virgin hair, wigs and silk/lace top closures.

The business has carved an international niche for itself and is regarded as the provider of premium hair and beauty services in Nigeria.

Good Hair Limited is on Facebook and Instagram as @goodhairltd or visit www.goodhairltd.com

FIVE LESSONS FROM CHIOMA IKOKWU’S AND KIKA OSUNDE’S SUCCESS STORY

If you’ve not been in a hole the past couple of years, then you must have heard about the dynamic duo, Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu. Popularly known as Chioma Good Hair and Kika Good Hair, the beautiful ladies are co-founders and co-CEOs of the wildly successful hair, beauty and lifestyle company, Good Hair Limited.

They started Good Hair Limited in England while undergraduates at the University of Birmingham. From the humble beginnings of the Good Hair brand, Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde have grown their business into a successful international brand. Testament to this is the vast patronage of their hair products among celebrities including Rihanna, Kelly Rowland, Genevieve Nnaji and others.

We took some time to reflect on their journey, and came up with some lessons on how Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu have been able to grow such a massive brand from an operation which started in their dorm rooms. Let’s share our findings;

1.       Make a business out of your passion

Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde had always loved amazingly good hair. They used to buy from other vendors and wear them so beautifully that friends and family would ask where they sourced their hair from. This trend continued till they did some research, found suppliers online who were cheaper, and decided to go into business for themselves.

The truth is that the entrepreneurship journey has its up and downs, it is never all rosy especially during the early years. Being passionate about what you do is one sure way to keep faith and keep pushing even when the going gets tough.

This has been true for Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde because just like any new business, they faced several challenges but their genuine love for and interest in good hair and helping women around the world look beautiful kept them going.

2.       Study the market

Chioma and Kika say that the first thing they did post their decision to go into the hair business was to study the market.

You need to know whether the market is suitable for whatever it is that you’re bringing to the table because an idea might be more appealing in some geographical areas and not so much in other areas. Asides from this, you also need to know your ideal customer – will your product or service be appealing to younger or older people?

This can never be overemphasized because wonderful sounding ideas have occurred to people and they rush to implement only to find out that people are not interested in what they are offering.

3.       Never compromise quality

According to Chioma Ikokwu, one of the things that made her look to the internet to source other suppliers (in the days they were yet to start their business) was the fluctuating quality of weaves and extensions she bought from her then suppliers.

Because of this, they decided never to compromise on quality in their own venture with Good Hair Limited. This single decision has paid off handsomely as one of the factors that keep their customers always coming back is Good Hair’s rock solid guarantee of quality.

The business partners, Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde go as far as travelling across the world to meet their respective hair donors and manufacturers just to ensurethat standards are upheld.

4.       Employ the best staff and continuously train them

When Chioma and Kika started out it was just the two of them, but as business grew they had to employ staff to help in various aspects of their operations. They quickly found out that mediocre staff sometimes sabotaged business relationships that had required a great effort to set up.

This time coming from Kika Osunde, she says that one of the greatest challenges Good Hair faced as a business was sourcing the right staff and training them to acquire the necessary skills for the job. Also, especially in Nigeria where staff retention rate is low, you will have to keep employing and training, to keep up with new developments in the industry and to replace other staff that may leave the organization.

5.       Create work-life balance

In the beginning when it was just Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu, Kika Osunde was in charge of maintaining their Facebook page, which was the main channel for advertising and marketing their business. Things got so hectic and she worked overtime so much that her health suffered till she realized that every business must have opening and closing hours.

The lesson here is that if you overwork and neglect your health, soon, you won’t be strong enough to continue growing your business. So, it is extremely necessary to maintain a healthy work-life balance even as you give your ultimate effort to tasks.

Hopefully as you apply these lessons to your own entrepreneurship journey, you’ll experience success similar to that which Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde enjoy with Good Hair Limited.

Good Hair Limited is on Facebook and Instagram as @goodhairltd or visit www.goodhairltd.com

BEAUTY, BRAINS AND GOOD HAIR

WHY CHIOMA IKOKWU AND KIKA OSUNDE ARE THE IT GIRLS!

One thing is certain – Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde are definitely on top of their game. The bosom friends are both co-founders and co-CEOs of the popular luxury hair brand, Good Hair Limited. Despite the odds of doing business in recent times, the Good Hair girls have managed to grow and scale the business to this point where they are the cynosure of all eyes.

Whenever great hair and beauty solutions are mentioned, the first names that come to mind are Kika

Good Hair and Chioma Good Hair, as they are popularly known in reference to their company Good Hair Limited. But it had not always been like that. Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu have not always been in the spotlight. A number of traits, practices and behaviors are responsible for their seemingly meteoric rise. Let’s shine a light on some of them;

Self-awareness
Both Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde have always been careful with their looks from as far back as they can remember. Chioma says she had always loved to look beautiful, experimenting with beauty products right from when she was old enough to know what beauty was. Her partner Kika Osunde also says so of herself. The friends and business partners have always known themselves to be very interested in beauty and they cultivated their passion unapologetically.
Knowing and staying true to themselves indeed paid off handsomely as it is the seed that germinated
into their beautiful reality today.
Insight Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu while students in university, used to get a lot of compliments from friends and family about their hair. Even though they had not yet started their business at the time, they were deluged by enquiries as to where they got their hair extensions and weaves from. Chioma and Kika were always glad to purchase hair on behalf of friends and family till it finally occurred to them that they could make a business out of it.

Market survey
Once Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde made the decision to go into the hair business, the first thing
they did was take a good look at the whole hair industry – suppliers, products, distribution, etc. It was at this point they discovered through Internet research that they could actually procure great hair (better quality than they were getting from their suppliers at the time) and at cheaper rates too.
Since business is basically about sourcing a product or service at low price and selling at a higher price which people are willing to pay for, Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde knew they had a workable idea on their hands.

Collaboration
Since Kika Osunde was very interested in wigs and lace frontals/closures while Chioma Ikokwu’s
predilection and expertise was more to actual hair extensions, it made perfect sense for them to team
up and complement their knowledge and skills.
According to Chioma Ikokwu, both ladies came up with 600 pounds each for the necessary initial capital.
This made perfect sense given the fact that they were both still students at the time with limited access to funds. Pooling together their skills and resources is one of the factors that took them a step closer to the realization of their dream.

Beauty & Brains, rare picture of Kika and Chioma of Good hair

Started small
Even though a lot of people may not know this, Good Hair Limited was started by Chioma Ikokwu andKika Osunde in their hostel. Yes that’s right, their dorm room in the University of Birmingham! And their first office was located inside their kitchen in London.
The fact is that most glitzy success stories started out in pretty unglamorous circumstances. Waiting for perfect conditions never works out and Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu seemed to be aware of this.

Education
Despite the come up of their promising business venture, Chioma Good Hair and Kika Good Hair never neglected their studies. Rather, they found a way to effectively combine both.
Kika Osunde bagged a degree in Business and Marketing from the University of Birmingham while
Chioma Ikokwu earned herself a BL in Law from the same university. Chioma went ahead to get awarded an LL.M in International and Environmental Law, and International Commercial Arbitration from the University of London. Chioma Good Hair went even a step further to get called to the Nigerian Bar after completing a year of legal studies at the Nigerian Law School.
No doubt their skills in business, marketing, negotiation and contracts have been gained and sharpened by the great education which they've enjoyed. Education as a means of empowerment can never be overemphasized.

Ambition
The first boutique salon Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu opened for Good Hair Limited is located in London, and has been very successful. The business partners however did not stop there, but went
ahead to open up a branch in Lagos along with an online store. According to Chioma Ikokwu, they have plans to open stores in New York, Paris and a second shop in the UK.
Without ambition, they probably would have been content with the first shop they opened in London
and who knows, we probably would never have known them.

Network
It is said that you’re only worth as much as your network, and girl, have Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde built and nurtured theirs. The hair entrepreneurs intentionally court polite society and decision makers in the beauty industry.
This single factor has gone a really long way to endearing them and increasing their relevance.

Quality – or in other words, Good hair!
When asked what the differentiator between Good Hair Limited and other hair businesses is, Chioma
Ikokwu wastes no time in saying, “it’s the quality.” The truth is that there is no substitute to good quality – premium quality always stands out any product or service.

Chioma Ikokwu and Kika Osunde go the extra length by travelling across the world to physically visit their hair donors and manufacturers to ensure the quality of their hair products never fall below par.

This list might not be exhaustive but it gives a snapshot into the inner workings that have contributed to adorning Kika Osunde and Chioma Ikokwu with celebrity status today. You can follow them on
Instagram: @kikagoodhair @chiomagoodhair @goodhairltd or visit the online store at
www.goodhairltd.com

How Kika good hair and Chioma good hair remained number one in the hair business

Kika Osunde also known as kika good hair as we fondly call her is a 28 year old co-founder of Good Hair Limited along side Chioma ikokwu. She is a Nigerian by origin, who was born and raised in London, U.K.

Aside all her glamour and success, she is a very smart, cool, straightforward girl, who isn't afraid to be herself at all times. Kika good hair as we fondly like to call her is one of the few ladies that has be able to turn her passion into a career and so we interviewed her to know how she started the Good hair enterprise.

We asked Kika to share with us a few secrets, as well as tips for potential entrepreneurs drawn from her personal experience, so stick with us till the very end of the interview to find out more...

What inspired your decision to go into the hair business Kika good hair?

Honestly, it trickles down to vanity. I take a lot of pride & joy in my personal appearance especially my hair, and people always stop me and say “Oh, kika nice hair”, “You’ve got really good hair” kika, “You should bring us some hair” or “When will you start selling?” and truthfully that is how I got inspired to start good hair ltd.

Our sources said you were 22 when you started your own business. How did it all happen?

(Laughs a little) It didnt all happen. My business partner Chioma Ikokwu and I, met in Birmingham where we studied. I must say she always had amazing hair. They were so bouncy and everyone would be in awe of her hair. As for me, I had this lace wig thing going on, so we both decided to team up and supply this awesomeness to the rest of the world.

In Kika very own words “We wanted Good Hair ltd to be ethical, we wanted to provide raw, honest, virgin hair, and we didn’t want to cut corners. We wanted it to be a luxury brand so we wanted to go to different countries to source the hair directly and supply the raw honest hair to ladies that could afford luxury good hair brands.

What are the challenges of owning a luxury hair brand business.

One major challenge is quality control. We try to apply the best quality control tactics, working very closely with our suppliers. We've actually gone out there and met them, and then we wash all the hair pieces when they come in.

Another challenge would be supply and demand. We could run out of stock because the hair does sell out pretty fast and getting stock back in to refill our stock is quite challenging because these hair products are not mass produced, we can't say “yeah! We need another 1000 pieces of this hair” and then get it the following day. We have to wait for donors to actually grow their hair so that's a bit challenging. The market is quite saturated with substandard products but we have maintained our brand as a luxury brand because we haven't cut corners.

You first started with just selling hair but then you opened a salon here in Lagos. What inspired that decision Kika?

It goes without saying that whenever you go buy a hair you ask if they could fix it. For us having an additional salon was a value added services for customers. We needed to add an additional service to the brand because whenever people come to buy hair, they would always ask, “Can you fix it? Or Where can I go to fix it?” and we were just making all these hairstylists loads of money. So we thought, “You know what? We're very particular about the way we want our hair to look once its laid.” So we added this service for our loyal clients and Lagos was a great place to start.

I might be wrong but there is a reason you have remained in the game despite the challenges. Tell me kika, what keeps you going?            

This might be far fetched but I want everyone to look good. That's my main goal. I want every woman to have confidence in herself thus helping them bring out their inner beauty. Also, I honestly believe weave can help save a woman’s marriages but you know what they say “beauty is always in the eye of the beholder”.Good hair ltd will give you a whole makeover, transform you, and that for me is very enough.

Do your stylists come with the same aesthetic tastes as you in terms of how you want the hair to look once it's laid or do you have to show them how it's done?

Well, they come with some knowledge of basic fixing but Chioma and I are very hands on and we put them through extensive training. I know how to make wigs, I know how to colour and cut hair so we show them how to cut bangs, to cut a fringe, how to layer, how to do the symmetrical bob, how to fix the closures, do signature high-top, how to flick and all that

Did you have to go somewhere to learn all this?

[Lol...] No, it’s all self-taught because of vanity.

Do you have any advice for potential entrepreneurs who want to venture into the hair industry?

Follow your dream. Don't talk too much about it because some people will laugh it off. So keep it under wraps for a while and keep pushing through despite ups and downs. As long as you're doing it right, you should ignore anyone that tries to put you off your dreams.

What trends are in for 2016?

Short crops and blunt cuts are in. It could be anything with a blunt edge. Towards the end of 2015, we saw the lobs coming through which stands for the long bob but Rihanna is coming with short bobs that are really bluntly cut so it's now about short, very edgy, blunt cuts from 14", 12", and 10" lengths. “All of this can be gotten from Good hair” - Kika osunde added

Tell us about your personal skin care, hair care and makeup routines

I like natural products and I do a lot of research, so I know Vitamin C and lemons are good to make my skin look brighter. When I’m in Nigeria, I tend to get darker because of the sun, so anything that will protect my skin and give me even skin tone. Also, if I was in London, I would make my own scrubs with Lemon and brown sugar and exfoliate my skin all over but when I’m in Lagos, a friend makes them for me. For my lotions, I use Vitamin C creams from body shop, I'm a big fan of Shea butter but I don't use it during the day because it makes you dark, and then I just purchased a skin care line called Murad.

As for makeup, I like Nars products because it’s quite light, airy and skin friendly. I don't like when my face is all covered, it makes me feel baked and I like to see my imperfections or blemishes so my face still looks like me. Although, every year I add on a new makeup thing which isn't good for the skin, and I’m trying to let it breathe now. No one’s ever taught me makeup so it's really just practice.

Hair-wise, I was team natural for a long time but I relaxed it about a month ago. I don't usually shampoo my hair because of the sulphate in shampoos unless I absolutely have to so I mostly deep condition. Then, I do protective styles and put on my wig.

Image of Co-founders of www.goodhairltd.com

Tips to readers from Kika Good hair

When you're sourcing for good quality hair, first do your research on the hair company. Make sure they source the hair directly so when you're getting a bundle, the hair should never look identical. When they do then you know it’s been processed and mass produced. Also the wefting of synthetic hair is seamless and perfect but that of human hair is folded over so you can see the tips of the top end. And then virgin hair takes color well while mass produced does not.