Ex-boss’s discriminatory remarks trigger start of his Messian beard care

Although there are no specific laws banning beards in Malaysia, some employers have implemented a “no facial hair” policy within their organization.

Discrimination against bearded men in the workplace has accelerated the launch of a brand that stands for: Beard.On.

Jeremy Devaraju, a former finance manager at a local bank, founded the brand when his superiors told him that his beard “should be.”

Inspired by a single comment

Traditional beliefs suggest that beards are not part of a professional look and in the past, many people were advised to shave before a job interview.

In my personal opinion, this is understandable for men working in the food service industry, where employers want employees to wear clean shaven and mesh to prevent hair loss in food due to hygiene.

But, does it apply to everyone?

Jeremy initially worked at his desk, away from other people. “Honestly, I was surprised because I wasn’t meeting with clients and I only worked with insiders to get my work done,” he revealed. “At first, yes, I felt discriminated, but then I realized they didn’t understand beard culture.”

Like all bearded men, he is always proud of his alluring beard growth. Some may believe that the beard is a symbol of male dominance, sexual masculinity and overall prestige today.

Feeling uncomfortable in his workplace, the finance manager left the bank to start his own business, not only to sell men’s jewelry products, but also to educate people about beard culture.

Taking a business idea route

With a focus on creating beard oils, hair serums and other related products that can promote hair growth, Jeremy wanted to provide high-quality grooming products that actually work.

“We believe [that] Every human being should have access to what he needs to maximize his potential and put his best face forward, ”he imagined.

During the R&D episode, Jeremy got help from his wife. Her sister, a certified beautician, also joined. They consult online tutorials and do extensive testing to reach the best possible formula.

“We use only the highest quality natural ingredients for our products that we export from all over the world,” the entrepreneur explained. “We have been in the market for over five years and we are improving our products [almost] Towards perfection. “

But no great product can conquer the market by itself. They knew that their theories needed to be verified and more market research conducted.

Consumer interviews are widely recognized as one of the most effective ways for businesses to learn what their customers think about their packaging, material choices, and more.

Entrepreneurs can use it to learn more about their customers’ purchasing habits and how they make decisions about what they will buy.

Knowing the significance of this, Jeremy and his team conducted interviews with bearded men to gather feedback and get feedback on whether to move forward with specific plans. And, fortunately, the results were clear: they chose the right course for the market.

Controlled and purposeful growth

Beard.On initially advertised its products on popular local e-commerce giants such as Lazada and Shoppe. “They were the largest online marketplace at the moment, and the cost of entry was nothing,” Jeremy said. “They already have millions of customers, which means we can introduce our products to them.”

They sold approximately 200 to 250 products per month in their early stages, roughly equivalent to RM12K-RM15K in sales. The team established this as their monthly goal to maintain sales volume.

However, since the epidemic hit, the company has been forced to switch to survival mode. “We spend a lot on research and development, marketing and other things. Yes, we are profitable, but still not close to our goal, “the founder shared.

In addition to participating in local e-commerce platforms, Jeremy often collaborates with local celebrities to raise brand and product awareness. In the past, Beard.On has been promoted by stand-up comedians like Traxx FM’s DoubleD and Revelation Daniel and Kevin J., all of whom have their goals aligned with the audience (people growing beards).

Since Beard.On relies heavily on its online presence, husband and wife spend considerable time creating online blogs committed to educational beard-related content. For example, some topics discuss the benefits of beard balm and beard oil, as well as how it can stimulate beard growth.

“We also use our social media platforms to educate society,” Jeremy said.

While acknowledging the value of search engine optimization (SEO), Jeremy understands that blogs can help potential customers find Beard. Easier to manage Google search At the same time, he is constantly looking for ways to improve his search performance.

After launching their website recently last year, they can now confidently deliver their products to other parts of the world.

While the company enables worldwide shipping, Jeremy knows it doesn’t guarantee demand.

Therefore, to increase sales, Beard.On’s team will focus on marketing their products in the South Asia region, ultimately with the goal of creating strong international demand and becoming the market leader in beard grooming products.

• Learn more about beards. Here.
• Read here about other Malaysian wellness startups.

Featured Image Credit: Beard.On