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Idea Overview:
Capitalism doesn’t care about black hair. If it did, it would take advantage of black people’s ability to spend. Our idea, The Florienta App, is an online marketplace for afro-hair services (think Amazon for afro-hair services). We envision more accessible hair-care for black people across the UK. We’re unique because we factor in black people’s reliance on word-of-mouth in their hair-care purchasing decisions. We do this by facilitating community-growth such that users can engage with and seek recommendations from each other. We’re creating an ecosystem: the digitisation of the entire afro hair-care market into one easily-accessible space.
Who might use it/where it might be used?:
The app is designed for all stakeholders in the afro hair-care market. We split the users into two main groups:
- Service-providers - formal salons and barbershops along with freelance barbers and stylists.
- Service-seekers - end-consumers who purchase hair care services.
Since our solution is digital, it can be scaled across different markets where there is a sizable black population but disproportionately low hair-care solutions e.g. South Korea. However, our focus now is the UK, specifically:
- Buckingham
- West Midlands
- East Midlands
- North West
- London
These areas are the most underserved - having a significant black population but few establishments to cater to them.
The Market (B2B, B2C or Both):
Both
Sector the idea belongs to:
Consumer/lifestyle
Is there a similar idea to be found?:
Similar ideas include:
Mane Hook-up:
- Connects end-users to afro hair braiders and natural hair-stylists in NYC and London.
UB Hair:
- Connects end-users in the UK to barbers and stylists.
- Seems geared to all hair types but with a focus on black hair.
- Their website and app seem to be offline. Socials inactive since 2021.
Upgrade Boutique:
- Sells wigs via an online marketplace.
- Also registers stylists onto their platform who sell their wig-installing services.
- USA-based.
Why you think there is a demand for your idea?:
Black women represent 10% of UK hair-care spend despite being 2% of the adult population. Contrastingly, there is a poor supply of black hair-care services with 1% of UK salons catering to afro-hair. Black people are willing to spend but their needs are grossly underserved by formal hair salons.
However, there does exist a more informal, freelance afro hair-care market but it is largely invisible. What we want to do is give this portion of the market more visibility, which will allow them to ascertain the offerings and quality of different service-providers (through ratings and comments left by other users).
Who would be the ideal customers?:
The app is ideal for:
-Afro-hair barbers and stylists (freelance or establishments) who are looking for a way to reach more customers.
- Black customers requiring afro hair-care services and needing ways to easily access the service-providers.
- Brands in the afro hair-care market wanting to advertise through us to a niche audience.
- Afro hair-care influencers wanting to grow their niche following and monetise their content.
What ideas do you have to reach these customers?:
For all customer segments (service-seekers, service-providers, hair-care brands and hair-care influencers)
- Leveraging our networks/word-of-mouth
- Attending hair-care networking events
- Attending Hair-Care Brand PR events
- Organising promotional events to attract all relevant stakeholders
- Using paid online media such as targeted ads.
For service-providers and service-seekers
- Face-to-face marketing
- Social-media marketing via Instagram and TikTok.
- Leveraging University student fairs, student unions and and student ambassadors etc., to reach out to student service-providers and -seekers.
For service-seekers:
- Incentivising hair-care influencers to use our platform in order to attract their audiences to it
For influencers
- Reaching out directly through their social media platforms
How far have you developed this idea?:
Our vision for The Florienta App is an online marketplace and community. Therefore, in October 2023, we launched a social platform as our MVP, which we planned to supplement with a marketplace. However, after some feedback, we decided to replace our current MVP with a directory which we are currently working on. In addition, we have been developing the business model using the business model canvas and the concept using a timeline that shows product development.
What – if any – feedback have you had for this idea so far?:
To find a way to retain users/transactions on our platform. Service-seekers could stop using the platform after finding a service-provider that they like. Service-providers could encourage service-seekers to reach out to them personally to circumvent our fees.
To simplify our MVP into a directory. The initial idea could overwhelm potential service-providers since they may already manage other platforms for their business. It could require more commitment than the platform would be worth since it would need to grow enough for them to obtain customers.
What supporting material – if any - would you like to add to your proposal?:
The first supporting file is a mockup of the MVP we intend to launch: a directory of barbers and stylists skilled in afro hair.
The second supporting file is a video of the current MVP that we have and are intending to replace.
3 comments to “The Florienta App”
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Simon Krystman - December 9, 2024 at 8:06 am
It strikes me that you could utilise influencers for this type of marketplace?
Malindi Mwangi - December 9, 2024 at 5:25 pm
Yes,we think it’s worth exploring because doing Afro hair requires a lot of intricate skill. Black people often turn to tutorials shared by other more skilled individuals in the hair care space to learn these hair care techniques. For a long time now, YouTube has been one of the main resources used by hair influencers to share their knowledge which has enabled them to amass a niche following. Overtime these figures have become trusted influencers in this field.
Malindi Mwangi - December 9, 2024 at 5:27 pm
If we can incentivize them to use our platform, we can capture their audience, who consist of our ideal customers.