Grandma’s Mixes
Perfect Blend
Zaima Saif Nasser Al Salami’s success stems from the fact that she focused diligently on launching her own enterprise, tapping into her own practical experience
“Necessity is the mother of invention” was the driving concept behind this business. This entrepreneur took inspiration from the early onset of grey hair in most of her family, and so dedicated her efforts to develop a product which would serve as a solution. Despite having a Master’s Degree in IT from the University of Queensland, Australia and holding a key position in the public sector, she chose to give that up and make her debut in the world of business. She then focused diligently on launching her own enterprise, tapping into her own practical experience.
Recounting the initial steps of her new business “Grandma’s Mixes”, Zaima Saif Al Salami notes, “Members of my family have a genetic trait that leads to white hair from an early age, and this requires them to frequently use hair dyes. I found that these modern dyes can contain very high levels of chemical ingredients, which have negative effect on the hair. I was inspired by the old ways, when our grandparents used natural henna instead of hair dyes. Experimenting, and to achieve better results, I mixed other natural products with the henna to help retain the colour for a longer period of time. My earlier knowledge and experience, initially in chemistry at the Sultan Qaboos University, and later as a lab technician at the College of Applied Sciences in Rustaq, were fundamental in helping me determine the appropriate products and their different uses”. At the beginning, Zaima only provided her mixes as gifts to her relatives and friends. She eventually considered using this hobby as an additional source of income. “In 2014, I decided to move forward and launch my product; I relied first on Facebook and Instagram to showcase it. The demand was only average to start, but this increased gradually over of time. In 2015, I joined Zubair SEC to discuss ideas that I could implement to grow my business. I was successful in raising the interest of the advisors and they encouraged me to develop my product by providing me with strategic business and marketing advisory services”, says Zaima. In 2017, Zaima applied for the Direct Support Programme, counting on the uniqueness of her business model, the growing demand for her natural hair colour products, and her active participation as a member of the Centre. These were the key standout attributes that saw Zaima gain a position among the ten Programme members for the year 2017.
Zaima notes, “I constantly attended various advisory sessions, capacity building workshops and functionalities that were held by the Centre, ever since I first joined. I built new relationships and increased my knowledge from the ideas given to me by the advisors. I subsequently joined the Direct Support Programme and worked with them on transferring my small business activity into an enterprise and to develop my own product brand to get it registered at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. I gave it the name ‘Grandma’s Mixes’, which is a nod to the heritage and history of our grandparents”.
“I am incredibly thankful to Zubair SEC for the support they offered me and I will always be grateful to them for being a source of financial and advisory support”, she adds.
Among the many advantages that Zaima has received from the Programme, the most important to her has been the growth of her scientific knowledge. Zubair SEC sent her to the Institute of Natural and Modern Cosmetech in India to attend a certified training programme on the best manufacturing practices for the production of henna hair colouring products. This institute is considered a pioneer in the field of cosmetics training and research, in Faridabad in India.
Zaima worked on improving her mixes by adding a range of herbs and was successful in producing the natural hair dye in seven different colours. The colours included blond red, brownish-red, chestnut, chocolate, copper, and black; all of which are made from Iranian henna known as ‘Kathm’. Additionally, she also produced several other products to treat hair problems like hair fall and dandruff, and others which strengthen hair and boost growth. Presently, Zaima seeks to extend the shelf life of her products so that she can look to export her products range to the region.
With the strategic support of Zubair SEC, Zaima Saif Nasser Al Salami, has launched her production unit in Barka, along with a new range of henna-based hair colour and hair care products.
Al Salami added: “With the complete support of Zubair SEC, I launched my production unit in November 2019 in Wilayat Barka. It is the foundation for an integrated production line with semiautomatic technology. Within the factory, there is a material blender and a packaging machine that can produce in two different sizes; we have initially started with 300gm units, and the machines’ capacity caters for 500kg of production daily, which allows us to scale up our sales and receive larger orders. In addition to this, Zubair SEC has also facilitated the process of testing our products in an official laboratory to insure product safety and effectiveness, which facilitated later the obtaining of the needed ministerial permissions for taking the products to market. With Zubair SEC advisors, we worked on improving the brand and enhance the packaging process, packaging design, and pricing strategy. My products now are sold in different pharmacies and beauty centres. The next step for me would be exporting to countries in the Gulf and East Asia”.