Madeline Alcott @ Petit Vour created a vegan subscription box. Be bold, be kind!
Petit Vour (pronounced "peh-tee vohr") is a luxury vegan beauty box subscription and e-boutique that showcases the crème de la cruelty-free. Subscribers complete a beauty profile at signup, receive a freshly curated beauty box each month, and earn store credit with every review and purchase. It's the ultimate way to effortlessly discover luxe green beauty! As for my role, I manage all of the moving parts of the business with my partner with a focus on box and shop curations.
Is your background in business? Do you think you can learn entrepreneurship in a classroom or do you believe that you learn by getting your hands dirty?
My background is actually in teaching, but I've always had a knack for projects, which entrepreneurship definitely falls under. To prep for Petit Vour, I read a lot of books and articles on starting a business and asked myself all of the difficult questions one must ask before investing every dime into a potentially failed experiment. I'm sure that a business background would have helped in some ways, but I also think a lot of what makes a business successful is a mix of networking ability, persistence, timing, edge, and stroke of luck.
Why did you decide to go into the beauty space? What made you change your views on the industry?
Beauty was certainly an area that I was interested in and had a bit of consumer experience with, but what it came down to was the actual need for luxury vegan beauty. I myself am vegan so it was an idea that meant a lot to me on a very emotional level. That, plus the fact that there was no destination for luxurious vegan beauty made the decision fairly simple. I wanted to create the space and make vegan beauty something non-vegans could desire. I knew it would be incredibly difficult to do so since I was young and hadn't made a name for myself in the beauty world, but I was determined and made every effort to showcase only the most high-performing, aesthetically pleasing vegan products to our audience. I wanted to raise the bar for vegan beauty and change the way consumers see cruelty-free. Yes, our products are thoughtfully made, but they're also gorgeous and work just as well (if not better) than conventional products.
Do you have ideas for other businesses or would you like to grow this one as big as you possibly can?
I'd like to grow Petit Vour as well as I can. I want to continue tweaking what we've created to provide the ultimate shopping experience, with all of the bells and whistles. We have a few exciting ideas up our sleeve that will reveal themselves (hopefully) not too far down the road.
What steps are crucial to take before starting your own business?
1) Do your research and make sure that your business will be offering something truly unique. ASK YOURSELF: Will people buy my product/service? Who are my competitors? What makes my business special?
2) If you're still feeling pretty good about moving forward, form a team (even if that "team" is just one other person). Lay out your *unique* ideas and start making a business plan.
What part of your personality helped in your journey and what did you have to work on?
I'm a bit of an idealist and I think that helped get the show on the road. I had this very naive confidence in the beginning all because I was so excited to create this perfect vegan business that was absolutely lovely.
My biggest personality challenge? I sometimes have a short attention span when it comes to tasks, so I do best with projects that are short and sweet. I would have a very difficult time analyzing product photos and shooting for the website day in and day out. Fortunately, there are people (i.e. my partner) who love that sort of thing! I'd rather have conversations with our brand partners, make marketing plans, and connect with our audience.
How important was your network? Is there really such thing as “doing it alone”?
Networking is essential and there is absolutely no way our business would be where it is without the incredible community I've actively participated in. Networking is especially important in the cruelty-free/green beauty world, because character plays such a significant role in how people perceive your business. If you show good character, people are more excited to work with you and trust your word. Also, it shows your commitment to the cause, whatever that may be. For Petit Vour, we are committed to non-toxic beauty, transparency, and the fight to end animal testing.