History of Craft Entrepreneurship in Cyprus:
The extraordinary beauty of the Greek goddesses comes to mind when the term "Cyprus" is mentioned. In Greek mythology and history, it is frequently stated that the Greeks took care of themselves by utilizing solely the abundant natural resources of their land. Obviously, this feature contributed to the establishment of the bulk of Greek cosmetics' reputation.
The Geographical location or the excellent climatic conditions contributed to many trees and herbs growing on the island, the fruits of which are used in the process of making cosmetics. A large number of natural components are included in the composition of cosmetics in Cyprus such as:
Olive oil is the basis of many cosmetic products. Specialists argue that it is ideal for any type of skin, favourably affects the skin – well absorbed, softens, moisturizes and nourishes the skin. Thanks to its healing properties, Olive oil even prevents the appearance of various skin diseases.
Mastic – The fragrant resin of the Pistacia Lentiscus long-term shrub has a variety of healing and useful qualities. It moisturizes, soothes and tones the skin.
Aloe – It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and healing properties.
Rosemary – It stimulates blood circulation, and restores the skin.
Thyme – it works like an antiseptic. It is characterized by bactericidal and disinfecting properties.
Honey – It has a lot of skin and hair quality. This beekeeping product is saturated with vitamins, and microelements, while it is a natural antibiotic.
Challenges for Craft Women Entrepreneurs in Cyprus:
For young women in Cyprus, entrepreneurship is mostly performed part-time on the side rather than full-time professional occupation. Although we are historically familiar with crafts, the extra element of digital tools, including marketing skills or start-up investments constitutes the most difficult part in their entrepreneurship experience. Marketing carries with it the challenges of time management, consistency, adaptability, constant research, data analysis, and collection. All these skills go beyond the creation itself.
In this industry, marketing and digital skills are deemed vital. Young women are aware of it and believe that by enhancing their marketing skills, they will be able to increase their sales, acquire more reliable customers, and grow their business. They view it as nearly the most important aspect, as even if you invent your own product or service, it needs ongoing effort and promotion to be distributed. They agree that a lack of marketing skills decreases the motivation to pursue your business.
Developing your marketing Strategy:
Introduction – where are you now? Start by writing a brief description of your current business or, if you are planning to set up a new business, explain the background of your plan. Be as factual as you can.
How am I going to get there? Continue by writing a brief description of where you want to go in your business. Writing down your objectives and vision will help put you into the perspective of what you need to do in the future.
What is your target audience? Think about your existing customers and the customers you wish to attract. Are you hoping to specialise in one particular sector of the marketplace? (e.g. women entrepreneurs, disabled people, or those interested in culture and heritage).
Identify the needs of your target audience. For this, you can use an empathy map.
Product development: Think about how you can develop your product or service to solve particular problems your customers may face. Consider how you can make your product or service stand out in the marketplace from competitor offers. This is known as creating a unique selling point or USP. Consider your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses and how your product will be unique.
Promoting Strategy: Promoting your product or service can be achieved in a variety of ways. You need to create awareness and interest in your product which encourages potential customers to purchase. How much you are prepared to spend on promotional activity is a key factor to be taken into account.
Place: You can think of ‘place’ in terms of the place where a product is sold e.g. in a craft shop or on a website. In our project "YOU GO," we highly recommend e-commerce platforms. This is related to our second intellectual output which is coming soon.
To stay tuned to our next plans, follow the website of the project"YOU GO." We will soon be adding e-learning courses, to provide digital tool skills, while our next intellectual output is related to an e-commerce platform: https://yougoproject.com/.
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