+35.000 happy customers
Emna Everard is a real wonder woman of the modern-day. At just 26, she’s launched her e-commerce platform Kazidomi and is already managing a team of 25.
In this interview, she tells us more about the challenges she faced in this incredible adventure.
Introduce yourself in a few words and tell us how did you end up creating Kazidomi?
My name is Emna and I’m 26. I started with Kazidomi back when I was still a student. Kazidomi has always been a childhood dream. Both my parents are doctors and already at 12 I kept repeating : “My dream is to open a shop where there’s no need to look at the labels, where all products are good and healthy and where we don’t have to worry about what we are buying”. Then I’ve started studying Business and became progressively interested in digital and e-commerce, which led to the idea of creating a webshop rather than a physical shop.
Describe the concept of Kazidomi in a few words.
Kazidomi is an e-commerce platform selling healthy products everywhere in Europe: natural cosmetics, organic food, dietary supplements and hygiene products at an affordable price. Those affordable prices are possible due to a subscription system that gives access to discounts for the end user. This subscription system is very beneficial since it not only allows to retain customers but also creates a sense of community on our website and social networks. Today, more than two and a half years after the initial launch, Kazidomi became one of the leading healthy products online shops in Europe.
How did you get the idea of this platform and your desire for a healthier consumption pattern?
The idea was born after noticing that many groups were offering products with harmful components and that many people couldn’t distinguish what is healthy from what is not. I was lucky to have parents that were doctors and to get a healthy diet since I’m a child: at home, there was no coke nor sweets. Thus the idea was to create a platform deleting all those products not meeting minimum requirements in terms of natural health and this in order to help many people.
Which values do you aim to highlight trough Kazidomi?
The value I’m looking to bring to the fore through Kazidomi is above all transparency! After this, there is also fun whether you experience it as a client through the platform or as a member of our team. With e-commerce, lack of direct contact with clients can sometimes be frustrating. It is therefore important for us to create this community aspect on the platform. For example, we’ve placed some jokes through the ordering process for the client.
What are you most proud of so far?
What I’m most proud of is my team. I’m only 26 and having given 25 people a permanent job is one of my biggest pride.
"In the beginning, you’re trapped in a sort of vicious cycle since you don’t necessarily have the resources and you don’t know exactly where to start from but you have to push on and enhance each aspect gradually"
Emna Everard
What is the biggest difficulty you’ve gone through and how did you overcome it?
The early stages can sometimes feel like an insurmountable hill because we think we’ll have thousands of customers during the first months while in reality there are no money, no orders, no clients. In the beginning, you’re trapped in a sort of vicious cycle since you don’t necessarily have the resources and you don’t know exactly where to start from. But you have to push on and enhance each aspect gradually. Then, thanks to investors, we’ve been able to hire, invest in new marketing campaigns and work on communication.
Based on your experience, what are the most precious advices you would have liked to receive before jumping into this adventure?
There are many… I think it would have helped me to hear: “Emna, you need to try hard to do things and you need to do it faster”. We’ve been quite fast but we could have been more if, from the beginning, we would have built a team and raised money. The first year, we were working in the shadow and had few responses. Today, I believe we’ve lost one year because we had many ideas but no money. To me, once you have your idea, you need to go for it making sure to avoid as many mistakes as you can. You need to find the right balance between investing in the right things and move forward.
Any particular experience to share with those who would like to take the plunge as you did?
It may seem a bit cliché but to me building a network helps a lot. You need to meet people, subscribe to entrepreneurial clubs but also add people you don’t know on networks such as LinkedIn to share experience. Sometimes, this can help to really strive forward.
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