Hoelson sisters, Carol Anne and Helen with Rosemary Ndlakuhlola of Food Lover’s Market.
After 20 years of running an informal business, a Port Elizabeth business owner finally registered her business thanks to assistance from the South African Chemical Technology Incubator (Chemin).
Now she plans to reap the benefits of a more structured approach.
What is your name and your business name?
Helen Hoelson. The name of the business is Hoelson Sisters (Pty) Ltd and we manufacture facial oils.
How long have you participated in the incubator programme and when will you exit?
I joined as a virtual business two years ago after making facial products for more than 20 years.
I approached Chemin and was assisted in getting my product tested. I was then able to get my product into stores and pharmacies.
How much did your turnover and profitability grow after joining?
My business is growing slowly, but surely. (My products) have grown from being stocked in one pharmacy to 10 pharmacies currently. Our product is also stocked in nine Food Lover’s Market stores in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Uitenhage and George.
What are the best benefits you got from the programme?
Getting the business registered so that Chemin could assist with facilitating testing of the product which was another benefit.
What would you suggest to be added or changed to make the programme better?
I battle with accounting and bookkeeping. It would be great if they could offer this service.