Passion for beauty brings bread home

When attending to a client, one can mistakenly think Abel Mutiso is a medical doctor. He is a keen listener and once you explain your beauty and cosmetics problem, he will peruse his huge file and recommend the product you need.

The 25-year-old entrepreneur owns Natural Power Health and Beauty Consultants, a firm that deals with beauty and cosmetics products imported from the USA.

“Sometimes I buy the products wholesale from Supplements Kenya,” he says.

“Ever since I was a young boy, I loved beauty and saved to buy cosmetics in school. When I finished Form Four, my mind was clear — I wanted to be in the industry,” says Mr Mutiso at his Afya Cooperative house office near the Globe roundabout.

After secondary school, he joined Unity School of Hairdressing and Beauty and studied for a diploma course.

“ I did not stay long before I got a job at Dominion Beauty Consultants, a supplier of beauty products and cosmetics,” says Mr Mutiso.

It is from here that he would learn about the problems urban dwellers face.

“Lately, demand has been high for products that address weight gain or loss, and hair growth among women,” he says.

Most clients are aged 30 and above, and for the three years he has been on it, Mr Mutiso has also learnt that men have a problem with libido, erectile failure and premature ejaculations.

Mutiso keeps an updated website on newly-approved beauty products from the USA and a file in his office is almost yellow for regular referrals.

“People mistake me for a young doctor but what we give are remedies. We are fully registered by the government. Clients must beware of people who peddle medicines claiming they can treat their reproductive problems,” he warns.

His products range from Sh2,500 to about Sh7,000.

“I survive on referrals. Cosmetics are sensitive and if a product does not work for someone or has a side effect, be sure you will not get a referral,” says the entrepreneur.

He does not shy from revealing that some beauty products can have side effects while others do not.

"It depends on the problem you give and the advice you get. It is very crucial to deal with a professional,” says Mr Mutiso.

At his office-cum-store, the money team finds several clients waiting their turn to buy the products. Among fast moving items are hair dyes, facial products, baldness creams, stretch mark removers and some that reduce or aid in gaining weight.

A peep into his books of accounts, shows that on average, he earns a profit of about Sh50,000 monthly, which has kept him going.

“I am not very good at being employed and that is why I resigned from my first job after one year,” he says adding, “ I am good at learning things fast.”

He delivers products in his car if a client is in Nairobi while he relies on courier services for those living upcountry.

Demand has been increasing over the years and he plans to open two more branches in Mombasa and Nakuru this year.

“The longer you are in a sub sector, the more you understand what clients are looking for. At least I have known something but I will continue learning,” he says.