At only 24 years old, Emna Ouechtati has just launched her company “Emna Nature” in Beja, specialized in the production of organic cosmetics and beauty products. Young, ambitious and self-confident, she represents the new generation of student-entrepreneurs.
Emna grew up on a farm in El Fouar, an agricultural region in north west Tunisia. This is where she developed her passion and started producing creams made of natural ingredients to nourish the skin, hair and face.
“When I was 14 years old, my friends were waiting for me at the school gate to get a mask or an oil and some recommendation for a facial or hair treatment. Believe me, I was very popular!”
However, despite her gift, Emna followed another path after high school; she studied Computer Science, and in 2019 obtained her diploma as a network and computer services technician.
During her studies in Data Science at the Higher Institute for Technological Studies in Beja, Emna particularly enjoyed the entrepreneurship courses and was selected by her entrepreneurship educator to take part in a Mashrou3i HP LIFE workshop.
“In life you must seize opportunities, and Mashrou3i through the HP LIFE training program for students was the first of these. Our educator sparked our interest in entrepreneurship and helped us to transform a simple project idea into a business. I particularly liked the ‘Design Thinking’ course where I learned how to identify, explore and test ideas to meet the needs of customers. I’m using these skills to improve my products and to add new features.”
In September 2020, Emna was so convinced by her business idea that she decided to stop her master studies to focus on developing her technical skills in natural cosmetics manufacturing. She enrolled in a specialised training course at a new vocational training centre in Beja.
“Everyone at the centre thought that for a beginner I was gifted at making natural cosmetics. At last, I had the opportunity to complete the knowledge I had acquired over many years with a technical training, and to finally follow my desires and my passion.”
In January 2021, Emna set up her workspace at home and started making her products, organic rose water, lip balms, moisturizers, cleansing milks, body milks, scrubs, masks…
“During this time I continued to benefit from the guidance of my educator who helped me to put into practice all the steps that I had previously studied in the Mashrou3i workshop. She advised me to use social networks to launch and promote the natural benefits of my new products. I started making videos and stories about how my products are made and posted them on my ‘Emna Nature’ page, along with tips and testimonials, which have been a real success.”
Proud of her journey and the results she has achieved so far through selling online, Emna believes that to succeed as an entrepreneur you need to keep moving forward. She is thinking hard about how she can develop her business into a successful cosmetics company in the region and is already making plans to start growing roses for the production of her cosmetics.
“I would like to obtain the Ecocert certification in order to secure the quality of my products and build customer loyalty. I am also seriously considering working on an image for my brand based on natural benefits of the region with the support of Mashrou3i. My ambition has no limits and I hope one day to be able to export my cosmetic products internationally.”