Are you a natural creative? Do you have a product idea that’s been brewing in the back of your mind for some time now, but you haven’t taken action yet out of fear? No worries sis —help is at hand.

While the process of launching your own product line might seem a little intimidating, there are ways to move forward on your path to entrepreneurship to help grant you a smoother ride to success.

Karen Mitchell, founder of True Indian Hair, recently spoke to Black Enterprise, offering powerful tips on how to launch a successful product line. When it comes to starting a personal business, Mitchell knows a thing or two — her brand True Indian Hair offers high-quality virgin hair extensions and wigs that have been worn by celebrities such as Lil’ Kim and Rihanna.

Photo: Essence / True Indian Hair

However, Mitchell’s latest venture expands beyond her successful hair extension brand into the hair care world. Her new line of products, True Hair Care: Moisture Rich, aims to help women with hair extensions and natural hair take better care of their tresses.

So take note, ladies! As Black Enterprise reports, here are three tips from Mitchell that will help land you on the path to success with your creative venture.

1. Listen To Your Customers

The first thing Mitchell mentions in the interview is the need to listen to your customer base and get to know their needs.

“I had a customer complain that the hair [she purchased] tangled,” Mitchell said to Black Enterprise. “All hair tangles, but if you’re not using the right products, you won’t get the life out of the hair [that you should.] I saw that my clients were using other shampoos and conditioners, and while that’s fine, some products don’t work well with virgin hair.”

This is a much better approach than following trends, because while trends may bring you some success in the short-term, securing valuable data from your customer base about their needs gives you high-level data about what products will be successful long term.

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Now y’all know how much we love our #curlygirls. That’s why this #hairinspo is giving us so much life right now. If you would like to achieve a style like this please inquire about our #afrokinkycurly texture. . . . #truebeauty #virginhair #truebeauty #vixencollection ##weavehairstyles #hairextensions #hairstylists #hairstyles #instamood #instagood #hairlove #virginhair #beauty #style #lace #wig #indianwavy #indianhair #hairporn #frontals #malaysianhair #hairenvy #celebrity #securethelace #protectivestyles #hairinspo

A post shared by True Hair Company (Est. 2004) (@trueindianhair) on Dec 26, 2018 at 9:03am PST

2. Quality Is Key

While it may be tempting to go cheap in the beginning, skimping on quality is a big no-no when it comes to developing your product line, according to Mitchell. When launching her hair-care brand, Mitchell took her time researching labs, formulas and doing tests to make sure that everything she put out was top-notch.

“For a product to make money, it has to perform. It has to be good … I had to be really confident in that,” Mitchell shared with Black Enterprise.

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Our CEO slaying at the #trueindianhair #Manhattan location like the #truebeauty she is. She’s rocking some #indianstraight bundles like a pro , with our #vixencollection blondes making a cameo in the back. ❤️ . . . #truebeauty #virginhair #truebeauty #vixencollection ##weavehairstyles #hairextensions #hairstylists #hairstyles #instamood #instagood #hairlove #virginhair #beauty #style #lace #wig #indianwavy #indianhair #hairporn #frontals #malaysianhair #hairenvy #celebrity #securethelace #protectivestyles #hairinspo

A post shared by True Hair Company (Est. 2004) (@trueindianhair) on Dec 20, 2018 at 12:16pm PST

3. build your brand name

Marketing is the last step in making sure that your products land in the right hands. In Mitchell’s case, already having a customer base with her weave line may have helped boost her in this regard, however, the marketing basics are essentially the same for everyone: connect with professionals in your network and get the word out about your product.

“The feedback has been amazing. A lot of the stylists have said the product is great. If your product is great, and your marketing is great, you will do well,” Mitchell revealed to Black Enterprise.

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Yesterday was simply beautiful. Thank you to all the #truebeauties who came out to the launch of #TrueHairCare. Thank you to our amazing panel speakers @janelasealysmith @troystylez @qlovebug @bymarcellocosta @tish_ferguson and the amazing @zandileblay for moderating and opening up our minds to talk about what hair really means to us. Huge thank you to our wine sponsor #Vogawine @vogaitalia and @ladyalsion and @thebrooklynbank

A post shared by True Hair Company (Est. 2004) (@trueindianhair) on Nov 26, 2018 at 9:11am PST

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