Meet Timiya Abrams of Studio 54 Cosmetics in Fulton County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Timiya Abrams.

Timiya, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Having my very own cosmetic line came about from a marketing project my freshmen year in college. We were assigned to create a business plan and present the business proposal to the class for our final grade. The business had to be something you could see yourself doing in the future; I personally didn’t know what I should do the project on. So, once I decided to create my business plan for a cosmetic line, it was then when I established I really wanted to turn my project into a reality.

Fast forwarding to my junior year in college, from November 2016 up until November 2017, I did extensive research on how to make my own cosmetic products so that I wouldn’t have to work with a manufacturer to produce my products. I began with the trial and error phase of my entrepreneurial journey the summer of 2017, as I initially planned to release my matte lipstick collection, it wasn’t as easy as I thought. Since I couldn’t get my matte lipstick formula to be what I wanted it to be, I put that project on the back burner and quickly transitioned to my “Glam Gloss”. I figured making my lip gloss couldn’t be as hard as the lipstick and I was right. So, I took my knowledge from my research phase and created my vegan and cruelty free lip gloss. Now, fast forwarding to March of 2018, I am approaching my 4 month marker and business is going fine. With me, having being a full time student and also a full time worker, managing the time to dedicate to my business was a struggle but, I made it happen and continued to push for what I want.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road starting my own cosmetic line with no help from anyone. Having to figure out how to make products and knowing what certain ingredients are and how they effect products has been one of my biggest challenges. Another struggle I have faced is that, when I was planning my product labeling and packaging, reaching out to individuals was not a walk in the park. I had to go through the process of people trying to charge for labeling websites as well as telling me they couldn’t help me because they didn’t want to share their information. Aside from the business aspect, I have had to focus on maintaining my Dean’s List status in school as well as working 60 or more hours in a work week. If you’re a student or been a student, you know it is not an easy task to go to school, work and maintain a social life; so try factoring in the idea of running a business.

Lastly, the most important challenge I had to face was “SAVING”, I started my cosmetic line with money I had saved from working in 2017. I knew that I didn’t want to get investments from anyone whether it be a bank loan, money from my parents or anywhere else. This was a hard task for me because when you’re a girl like me you love to shop. So, I had to sacrifice my shopping habits and start being more responsible with the money I was making.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Studio 54 is a cosmetic line that emphasizes glam through the art of makeup. I created Studio 54 Cosmetics to bring out the inner glam in the every day woman. As I mentioned before, the idea of having my own cosmetic line came about from my journey in college. As the owner of Studio 54 Cosmetics, I create luxury cosmetic products each one by one by my hands. I believe the fact that I make all of my products myself is what sets me apart from other cosmetic companies. Over these last couple of months, I have analyzed that my “Glam Gloss” is recognized for the fact that they are light weight, extremely moisturizing, and long lasting, so that is something I stand by when it comes to my products. As a business owner, I am most proud of the fact that I have created an eBook that was inspired from the creation of my own cosmetic line. My eBook provides people with the necessary information to start their own cosmetic line; whether its the route I took to create my own products or even if they want to work with a manufacturer.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Yes, I believe that Atlanta is a great place to start your own cosmetic company. While I was in Miami finishing school, a lot of people asked me why was I moving back home to Atlanta. My response was, there is a really good market in Atlanta for entrepreneurs and it is a great place to network with individuals in multiple industries.

Pricing:

• Glam Gloss $14
• Pixie Dust $6
• Start Your Own Cosmetic Line eBook $100

Contact Info:

• Website: www.studio54cosmetics.com
• Email: studio54cosmetics@hotmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio54cosmetics/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Studio54Cosmetics/

Image Credit:
SRKDesignz

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