Celebrating the achievements of two female entrepreneurs on Women's Day.
Focus: Natalie – Owner of Skatonline
Natalie’s journey to entrepreneurship was rather unconventional – she was a customer before becoming the owner of Skatonline. Back in 2021, when the world was floating in and out of Covid waves, the owner of her favourite protein online store announced that she was immigrating, and Natalie was devastated.
Having been in the health and fitness industry for many years, Natalie knows the importance of finding supplements with a good-quality nutrient mixture. “As a (former international) retired professional paddler and lifesaver, I know what ingredients to look for to fuel my nutrition and speed up my recovery – and I found these products in Skatonline.
It didn’t take long before she decided to take the plunge and buy the business from the previous owner. However, despite having years of nutritional experience, being a business owner has been a steep learning curve for her, admits Natalie.
“I had to learn about supplier sourcing, packaging processes, and marketing – and I learned many big and (sometimes expensive) lessons,” laughs Natalie. “Entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted but my passion for my products kept me going,” she adds.
Natalie is closely involved in the development of all her products. “I source all the ingredients and then liaise with my supplier to create the mixture. I wanted to make sure that I added as many top-quality ingredients as possible to each of my products to ensure optimal nutrition and recovery.”
“For example, our golden latté is not only a turmeric-based drink, but we also added other ingredients such as cardamon, cinnamon, black pepper, and even collagen to give it just that added benefit. And our protein shake is not only protein, but we also added fibre to aid the digestive system and collagen to support muscle recovery,” says Natalie.
In terms of business advice, Natalie says her number one tip before starting a business is that you should do your research. “Make sure that you know what your clients want, make sure that you know your product – and then try to improve on it. It never stops, you always need to improve and find better, more effective products and ingredients,” she says.
Skatonline is still a young business, but she has big plans for the brand, says Natalie. Her head is constantly racing with new ways to improve her current offering, but also new product ideas. “The technology in muscle recovery changes all the time and it’s important for me to stay up to date with developments. It is such an exciting industry, and we are living in very exciting times. I cannot wait for what the future holds,” Natalie added.
Find Skatonline on ig: @skatonline.co.za
Focus: Meriza – Owner of Swift Active
Meriza’s entrepreneurship journey has been (and still is) a very bumpy ride. She started the brand because she was frustrated with a lack of colourful of activewear available on the market. “I started this brand because I wanted activewear that could reflect my bright, bubbly, and cheerful personality,” says Meriza.
She wanted to create a brand that could compete with some of the big names in terms of quality but was also functional, visually appealing, and cheerful. “Our collections feature an array of bright and bold colours, designed for ultimate comfort and movement,” Meriza explains.
As a fitness enthusiast, Meriza is closely involved in the creation of all activewear pieces. She wants to encapsulate the essence of the Swift Active girl, which she describes as ‘happy, live-out-loud and stand-out-from-the-crowd’ kinda girl. “We create activewear for girls who are not afraid to take up space,” says Meriza.
In terms of business advice, Meriza says she wants aspiring entrepreneurs to always remember that there isn’t a finite number of opportunities – and the same applies to solutions. “There are always more ways, more opportunities, more solutions – you just have to look for them,” she says. “And don’t feel rushed, you have more than enough time to work towards your goals.”
Meriza is very excited about planning the next Swift Active drop. “I’m already working on our next range. I’m so grateful to get to do two things that I absolutely love; fitness and colour. The effect that both these have on my soul is just incredible – it makes me so happy!” Meriza exclaimed.
Find Swift Active on ig: @swift_active