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FRANCE
Drive along any mountain road in the Mediterranean basin and you will be totally unaware of a rare commodity in your environment. The seeds of the prickly pear cactus, very common in these areas, are a source of oil used by women worldwide in their quest for radiant skin.
The entrepreneur and cosmetologist responsible discovery of the beauty potential of this seed is the CEO of the Sandy Society company, Sandy Boget. "Ever since I was a child, I’ve been passionate about the field of cosmetics," she told us. Together, the Enterprise Europe Network and Sandy have turned her childhood dream into a reality.
Laboratory findings proof of the beautifying effect
"In September 2021, I began the development project with a laboratory in Haute-Savoie, France," she recalled. The brand Sand Rarity is a collection of a range of treatments with a rare and vital ingredient resulting from these lab tests: organic prickly pear seed oil. Her company Sandy Society was created in December 2021 to market the cosmetic products.
Her laboratory tests showed that the oil is richer in vitamin E than any other vegetable oil so will maintain the tone and suppleness of the skin. Moreover, with its high omega-6 content, the oil regenerates and moisturises. Anti-ageing sterols combat those free radicals responsible for wrinkling and sagging.
Armed with the perfect beautician’s product, Sandy still needed help to realise her ambitious goal – to distribute the brand in targeted, prestigious outlets in France and develop internationally. Aware of the range of services offered by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) of Haute-Savoie, she met an international adviser who introduced her to experts on regulation and standards within the Enterprise Europe Network programme. She knew little about the international angle from a legal and regulatory perspective so she was keen to enrol for advice and guidance.
The synergy of Enterprise Europe Network and entrepreneurial spirit
During Spring 2022, true to her long-term business visions, she contacted Enterprise Europe Network at the Chamber of CCI of Haute Savoie, for information on international development. After a complete assessment of the SME needs by Zoé Secheresse, legal adviser, she set up a detailed action plan with different services to support her in her client journey to grow and develop internationally in compliance with regulations and standards.
Sandy Society met several Network advisers in CCI Haute-Savoie, experts in different fields to support her in all the steps of her development. As her legal adviser, Zoé Sécheresse provided support on contracts, sales conditions and export regulation. In addition, Genevieve Bouchet, international regulation adviser, gave support to Sandy Society regarding product compliance, international formalities and standards to access new markets.
Zoé Sécheresse recalled: "Sandy Boget has contacted the CCI and EEN advisers and has been working with them since Spring 2022, shortly after her company was created, but well before her products were put on the market. In fact, the Sandy Society had not yet generated any sales, nor did it have any employees, as the Sand Rarity brand had not yet been launched. Sandy was in fact preparing all the marketing procedures for the launch," Zoé continued.
"Sandy Society has received considerable help and support at several stages of the business development," reported Zoé. Of primary importance, Network advisers have supported the business by answering questions relating to the different needs of the company, such as on the compliance of the products, labelling regulations throughout the EU and in third countries, origin of the products, customs fees, international invoicing, commercial agreements, existing customs agreements.
"Sandy has had several appointments to assist her in the drafting of her international business to consumer terms of sales and her distribution agreement as well as the reading of her logistical services agreement," recalled Zoé.
The results of working with the Network speak for themselves. "This enabled me to better prepare my negotiations, particularly at the international trade shows I attended to meet buyers," Sandy explained. As she found out, the administrative procedures were still lengthy but once she was able to tackle these with help from the Network, she made considerable headway with potential customers abroad. Just recently, she has been informed that some very good targeted international buyers are planning to launch the brand in the coming months.
Sandy Society was also able to put online, for the launch of its brand, an e-commerce site to sell its range of products. Less than a year after the launch, the Sandy Society company is currently developing in Switzerland and plans to rapidly deploy in certain Nordic countries. To do so, she was able to participate, in March 2023, in the international Cosmoprof exhibition in Bologna, Italy.
At the end of the first quarter of 2024 the company has already achieved one full financial year for sales during the year 2023, and progress is very positive. The brand is present with some 30 partners, including department stores, 4 and 5 star hotels and spas, niche perfumeries, concept stores and e-commerce sites, so the range has a niche and prestige position in the market.
Partners are spread across France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria, with new export plans for 2024. Sandy works with three interns, a designer, sales animator and sales assistant, and two international sales agents.
A radiant future for luxury skincare products
Sandy finishes this Success Story with her dream, part of which has come true: "My vision is to develop the range to create a complete skincare line of organic prickly pear seed oil products, always with an eco-responsible approach with Ecocert certification, 99 % of ingredients of natural origin and vegan. I want the brand to be present in every region of the world, with partners who always reflect our spirit of prestige and naturalness. The Network support I received was an essential lever for the projection of my brand on the export market. Indeed, in my opinion, the international market is a determining factor in the development of a cosmetics company."
Zoé concluded: "It is always difficult for a very young SME to grasp and master all the regulatory and legal issues, especially in the context of a project to launch an export operation in its first months of activity. A mistake may be to think that it is as easy to launch internationally as it is to launch domestically. Good preparation and appropriate support are certainly the key to success!"