Sharna Kalwy had dreamt of owning her own business since she was 16.
Ten years later, the former fashion blogger’s hair extension business, Hey Stacey, is going from strength to strength, returning $1 million per month in revenue after less than a year of operating.
Her well positioned business took advantage of a distinct gap in the Australian beauty market, offering high-quality human hair extensions that are both ethically sourced and damage free.
“I noticed the fashion company I worked for always struggled to get good quality hair from Australia and always had to source it from America and wait weeks for the package to arrive,” the 26-year old Ms Kalwy said.
“I knew it was possible to make the same quality, if not better, products locally which would cost customers half the price and arrive in half the time.”
With this in mind, Ms Kalwy set out to create a high-quality human hair product which both looked great and was affordable.
The goal now is to grow Hey Stacey over the next five years to see it turn over $100 million per annum in revenue.
The entrepreneur learnt everything there was to know about hair extensions and tested out some the leading products in the market to discover how to set her brand apart. Ms Kalwy also became self-taught in the start-to-finish production process and the ins and outs of running a business which all appears to be working.
In the nine months since the brand’s March 2020 launch, Hey Stacey’s Instagram page, @heystaceyhair, has reached 194,000 followers, while its presence on Facebook has grown to 32,000.
Through a series of giveaways via social media, the brand was able to prove itself among its targeted customer base of both hairdressers and the everyday woman.
“The hardest struggle was growing our social media channels to a point where the brand was instantly trusted because of our large following,” Ms Kalwy said.
“We’ve done far too many giveaways to get it up there, but it was worth it. Getting people to try the hair once is one struggle but eventually, demand keeps ticking over and people come back for more.”
HeyStacey.com offers a range of damage-free, undetectable, and ultra-comfortable hair extension products that are made of 100 percent ethically sourced remy hair, which means all the cuticles face the same directions to ensure the unlimited shine
Several different hair extension products including tapes, weft and ponytail pieces are currently available in a variety shades of natural and vibrant colours. Many can be applied in under 30 minutes..
Prices range from $165 to $600 and the product can be washed dozens of times while still retaining its shine.
All Hey Stacey packaging is also environmentally friendly to minimise the company’s emissions footprint.
It was important for Ms Kalwy that she could make a product that made women feel unapologetically beautiful without the necessary price tag.
“Price doesn’t always equal quality. Our products are the best option on the market and won’t break the bank. Hey Stacey Hair extensions would usually cost thousands of dollars but I want to show that quality can still be accessible,” she said
The company’s warehouse in China was specifically chosen for its consistency in delivering quality. Each bundle is 99 per cent thick through every single strand.
