Oluebubechi Maryrose, a public health student at Babcock University, is the chief executive officer of Scents by Emar, a perfume business aimed to meet the needs of those who love to smell amazing.
Though a Public Health student, Maryrose has flair for entrepreneurship, innovations and connecting with people, which led her to establish ‘Scents by Emar’, a business she started with only N23,000 in 2022.
“I officially started in October 2022 after saving up N23,000 from a job I did. I used that to buy about 50 bottles of 3ml perfume oils, and I started selling to friends, church members, and people around me.
“I’m passionate about health education, entrepreneurship, and making people feel confident in their skin, and in their scent. I love creativity and connecting with people, which led me to start a perfume business that brings joy through fragrance,” she said.
Scents by Emar, is a unique perfume outfit where top-quality perfume oils in different sizes, affordable, long-lasting scents for both men and women are sold, especially; “For those who love to smell amazing”, as the slogan indicates!
She was inspired to start the business by the responses of people while helping a friend to market her perfume oil.
“I loved how people reacted to the scents and how confident they felt wearing them. I also realised there weren’t many affordable but high-quality options around. That inspired me to take it seriously and launch my own collection,” she noted.
The business that started from just helping a friend, has blossomed to Maryrose having her own stock, customer base, and even regulars who trust her recommendations.
“I now sell in bigger quantities, have returning customers both on campus and outside, and I use my WhatsApp channel to showcase new arrivals and take orders,” she explained.
Speaking on the niche her business has over others in the business space, she said, “I offer personalised service, I don’t just sell perfumes, I help people find scents that match their personality.
“My perfumes are also carefully selected based on quality and uniqueness, and I keep the prices student-friendly. The goal is to make everyone feel luxurious, without spending too much.”
However, like every other things in life, the business is not without its challenges. Time management is a big one, coupled with balancing classes, church, and business can be tough.
Besides, there is the challenge of raising enough capital to restock at the scale she desires. According to Maryrose, to navigate the inherent challenges, it boils down to planning.
In order not to jeopadise her studies on the altar of business, she said she would attend classes during the day and use evenings or weekends to take orders, make deliveries, or restock.
Besides, she optmises the use of WhatsApp Business tools to keep things moving without always being physically present.
“I take it one step at a time. I schedule deliveries smartly, communicate clearly with customers, and make the most of social media to sell without always being physically present.
“As for funding, I reinvest my profits as much as possible instead of spending them,” she stated.
To survive the accelerating inflation, the Public Health studentpreneur explained that she would buy in bulk to save costs and avoid frequent price changes.
Moreover, she makes use of smaller bottle sizes so customers can still buy something they like within their budget; even she adopts a pre-orders business approach.
As a growth minded entrepreneur, Maryrose plans to expand her business by introducing more bottle sizes and gift packages, perfect for birthdays and special occasions.
In addition, she would start branding her perfume line, and open a mini online store or partner with retailers off campus to grow her reach.
Maryrose encourages other entrepreneurs, especially young ones to start with what they have.
“I didn’t wait till I had a shop or big capital, I started with a few bottles and a lot of consistency. Believe in your product, be patient with the process, and keep learning along the way,” she said.
