Today we are introducing you to Jess who is the owner of Yoniology, a small business that sells feminine hygiene products.
Jess had always been interested in owning her own business. It wasn’t until COVID-19 restricted her ability to work that Jess decided to take a look to see whether she has what it takes to be a small business owner. Today, Jess has been a small business owner for nearly a year and she has just released her first eBook, ‘Women and Fertility.’
“Kyle is awesome. He is really good at the book side of things and just common sense when it comes to business. I can be a bit lenient when it is just myself in the business, and he is really good at grounding me and getting me to set goals before making a move.”
Read more about Jess’s business journey so far.
Meet Jess
Since October last year I have been working in the disability sector and before that, I was Uber driving. That had to stop when the pandemic hit. Prior to that, I lived in the US for 5 years and I was doing some work in sales.
I have always wanted to own my own business and I have tried a few times. I guess it was just time for me to try again.
My dad told me about Many Rivers. He lives in the Northern Territory. He is heavily involved with supporting Indigenous businesses in the area and he heard of Many Rivers. He suggested that I reach out to my local coach.
Starting Yoniology
Originally, I was going to sell LED facial lamps but decided against it at the last moment. I have really struggled with menstrual cramps for my whole life, and I would be in bed for three days a month and there was nothing I could do about it. I heard about yoni products about a year prior to starting my business and when I tried them, they changed my life. So I decided to sell these products instead. The DMs that I get from my customers are incredible. So many women suffer in silence and these products are really uplifting and my Instagram is to help women realise that they are not alone and that there are solutions.
Most of my orders come from the US and I have a US distributor that handles my orders. In Australia, there are marketing barriers due to the nature of my products that they don’t have in America. Influencers in Australia are also about three times the price as the ones in America, so this is another barrier. I have found that I need to restructure and really look into my marketing strategy. There are some influencers that are performing high results and others that are just burning through my money. At the moment my business is entirely Instagram based. Down the track, I am looking to hire someone to manage my social media pages and get my products on Pinterest, Facebook and TikTok because I am not active on those platforms yet.
Working with Many Rivers
Kyle is awesome. He is really good at the book side of things and just common sense when it comes to business. I can be a bit lenient when it is just myself in the business, and he is really good at grounding me and getting me to set goals before making a move.
At the moment he is coming out to help me figure out my books and find a way that works for me to manage them now that I have started making sales!
The support with the important paperwork was the most useful assistance because that area is not my strength. I definitely don’t have it mastered yet but with a couple more sessions with Kyle, I should be able to do it by myself.
Biggest Challenge
Marketing has been hard and I had to get used to being in front of the camera and marketing my products myself. These are all things that you learn as you go. I definitely expected to make money quicker than I have so it definitely hasn’t been an easy journey. I am so glad I stuck at it. If you told me that I would be in this position a year ago I probably wouldn’t have gone through with my business. I am so glad I have. Now I have a beautiful brand and we are getting there!
Biggest Success
A customer in America shared how my products helped her fall pregnant. She is an influencer, and I made a lot of money from the sales I received after she shared the story with her followers. I have started getting consistent orders in Australia now too and I really want to work on growing this. My products are amazing and I want to share how I can help people. Last week I released an eBook on my website called ‘Women and Fertility’. I am going to change the format soon so that I can sell it on different platforms.
Future Goals
I am hoping to get my products into some health stores and other stores. This is a little while away because there is a bit of stigma around them. I would have to restructure my prices too because they are quite expensive and I would have to be selling ten times as much as I am now to enable me to do this. Soon I will start writing my next eBook. Eventually, I would like to write a whole series on all the different issues that women face. I might even combine all the eBooks into one book and get it printed.
Thanks Jess
Thanks Jess for sharing the story of Yoniology with us. We can’t wait to support you on this journey to achieving your business goals. Make sure to follow her on Instagram to stay updated with her business journey.
Are you ready to take the first step towards making your business idea a reality? Our Many Rivers business coaches will be with you every step of the way, no matter where your journey takes you.
CLICK HERE to see if Many Rivers is right for you
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