Plant Made
As the world’s top scientists were tearing their hair out trying to curb the coronavirus pandemic last year, Big Yellow customer Ama Amo-Agyei was instead focused on the challenge of putting hair back on people’s heads.
With time on her hands as a consequence of Covid cutting short a career in recruitment, the alopecia sufferer began experimenting with home-made remedies and discovered a follicle-friendly formula that delivered dramatic results.
Fast forward just ten months and Ama’s wellness brand Planted is growing at a phenomenal rate and now boasts a range of natural products that are tackling problems such as balding and patchy beard growth head on.
Such is the demand for the 24-year-old’s hair-restoring treatments that sales are doubling month on month and Ama has had to take additional space at Big Yellow to facilitate the necessary ramp up in production required to satisfy the thousands of orders being placed.
“We do everything at Big Yellow now; from making the products and putting them into jars and bottles to labelling and packing,” said Ama explaining how her company quickly progressed from being a kitchen table venture to full-time operation. “It has been the perfect place to start and the flexibility it gives us is awesome.
“When we need more space it is there – everything is so quick and easy and that is amazing for a business that is unpredictable in scale
Coming to Big Yellow is one of the best things I've done,” she added. “I considered getting a warehouse but in terms of cost and flexibility of lease, you can’t beat Big Yellow. The staff are brilliant and really care about helping out wherever they can.
Caring for customers is also a priority for Planted, with a desire to enrich lives – as well as locks – a key driver for Ama.
“Having had alopecia, I know exactly how it feels to not feel great about yourself,” she said. “I had bald patches at the front of my head and I used to hide behind things like wigs or by wearing certain hairstyles.
“I just wanted to be me and to not have to wear makeup or extensions to feel fine with that. I spent hundreds of pounds on products that didn’t work and I don’t want anyone else to go through what I did; to give up and feel that there is no hope.
“The fact that I created a solution that works for me and is now working for so many others around the world makes me feel so fulfilled.”
While sharing striking before-and-after photos on social media has been pivotal to Planted capturing the attention of customers across the UK and further afield, Ama attributes her own geographical roots with seeding the company’s success.
“I looked at the labels of products I had used before and decided to try to find natural alternatives for the ingredients,” continued the eco-conscious entrepreneur. “As well as using an Indian herb I went back to my African roots and experimented with ingredients that have been used by people for hundreds of years.
“We rely on a lot of artificial things today but I wanted to see if we could go back and use some of the methods that have helped in the past and I guess I made it work.”
And having proven herself adept at identifying invigorating blends, Ama insists that Big Yellow possesses all the necessary ingredients to help other start-ups shine.
“Pretty much anything you need to do, you can do in the stores,” she concluded. “I would definitely recommend Big Yellow to other small businesses.”
For more information, visit www.weareplantmade.com/