Meet Anthony of Bonsai Kids Hair Care Products in Beverly Hills

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony.

Anthony, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As a television and film hair stylist and a proud father of two, I’ve always wanted to own a kids’ hair care line. I was 100% certain I could make a better, and more affordable hair care line for children than what is currently in the marketplace. It took me three years, a lot of sweat equality and sleepless nights to bring Bonsai Kids Hair Care to retailers.

My first attempt was in 2010. I mistakenly went to a hair product broker/middleman who represented himself as the manufacturer. I was naive. He influenced me to believe that if I wanted to produce my own line, I would need a minimum order of 10,000 units for every product, plus the cost of research and development. Needless to say, I didn’t have $60,000 to invest and I was discouraged. I remained optimistic, however. I knew somehow that I would figure out how to produce a kid’s hair care line of products.

About 4 years ago, I ran into a fellow hairstylist at Target. He had his own hair care line. I was impressed. He said, “Call Carole. She’ll give you a good deal and get you started.” I called her the next day. We met over the next four weeks discussing my business plans and goals. By the fifth week, I realized she wasn’t what I needed – her pricing was too expensive and I couldn’t customize the artwork the way I envisioned. I didn’t know at the time that she, too, was a broker. I thought to myself, “I’m going about this wrong.” I set out to find the manufacturers directly.

I must have spoken to every product manufacturer along the West Coast, looking for a compatible manufacturer. Unlike the broker’s, I wanted a manufacture who would listen to my goals and create a plan that was financially affordable. Months later, I did eventually find a manufacturer here in Los Angeles County. My manufacturer and my sales representative are awesome. She makes sure my products are made perfectly and she gives me the best customer service. She always makes me feel that Bonsai Kids needs come first. And I didn’t need 10,000 units or $60,000 to start!

I applied the same due diligence to finding a great graphic designer. My product label is the second most important feature of the brand. The label is a call to action for the consumer and it has to make the brand memorable. I needed the right person to make Bonsai Kids special. I got samples from at least forty graphic designers. Really good graphic artists charge a lot of money and they aren’t necessarily interested in small jobs for unknown brands. I finally found a super-talented designer. I loved his style. His portfolio consists of top brands name such as Coke, Apple, Ford, Samsung etc. He did an incredible job. I’m so appreciative.

I spent nine months searching for a graphic artist, a printing company and figuring out which fonts, colors and bottle sizes to use. I was testing different products on friends, family, my clients, and salon owners. It was quite challenging because I still worked 60 hours a week on television shows. Lunch breaks, after work and weekends were spent developing Bonsai Kids. Sometimes I even visited kid’s salons, pretending to look for products. The truth was, I wanted to see what products they sold and the look of the packaging. I was a one-man, non-stop operation, but the brand finally came together.

There are a lot of kid’s hair care products available, some are too expensive for the average family. Others are less expensive, but lack the quality children deserve. I want Bonsai Kids Hair Care to be the best and I can proudly say that our products offer both quality and affordability.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has definitely not been a smooth or easy road. The concept of the brand and the formulas were relatively easy to manufacture. Because of my hair styling experiences, I know exactly how the products should smell, what textures I wanted and the brand’s image. The main challenges for me now are how do I sell Bonsai Kids in a very crowded market, and compete against established brands with huge budgets?

My strategy is to be a micro-marketer. I am willing to sell one product at a time, to one buyer at a time. Mass consumer brands aren’t interested in the mom and pop salons. I am very interested in those salons. I visit salons and see what their needs are, listen and respond. I wanted to know how I can help small salons promote their businesses. They helped me as well. In the beginning, they helped me set my prices correctly, what marketing materials I needed, and determine which products sell better than others. I got to hear customers’ feedback immediately and make quick adjustments. I made sure my deliveries are hand delivered or shipped out within 24 hours. Most importantly, salon owners and stylists give me constructive criticism regarding my products, which helps tremendously by saving me time, research and money.

During my first year of business, my Leave in Action Detangler didn’t sell very well. I couldn’t figure out why. I knew it was a great product, but my sales were awful. I would send salons samples but very few bought it. In the end, it wasn’t the formula, but the trigger sprayer. It kept jamming and wouldn’t spray. I think if I hadn’t established the relationship with salon owners and stylists, they would have just discontinued Bonsai Kids brand and I would have never known why. Instead, they were honest and told me the trigger sucked. I promised to replace the trigger sprayer with a pump sprayer and crossed my fingers that they wouldn’t drop Bonsai Kids. Once I replaced all the sprayers, no more complaints. I kept all my retailers and today the Leave in Action Detangler is my best-selling product.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Bonsai Kids Hair Care Products – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Bonsai Kids Hair Care Products has a tagline: “Be A Bonsai Kid.” This speaks to everyone. One of the things that I love about children is that they dream in possibilities. If you ask a child what do you want to be when you grow up? Their eyes open up wide and their imagination is full of enthusiasm. They will say, “I want to be an astronaut,” or, “I want to be a veterinarian,” “I want to be a fireman”. Some kids are so ambitious with imagination that they’ll say, “I want to be an actor, nurse, or hockey player.” I love the idea of dreams and going after your goals.

We encourage kids to live and believe in their possibilities. It’s about laughing, enjoying a vanilla ice cream cone, loving unconditionally and having an imagination. As adults, we forget to do these things. Bonsai Kids Hair Care is a lifestyle. This is why the products have the name Power in the title: Fruit Power Shampoo, Fruit Power Conditioner, Power Hair Gel, Power Lice Repellent, and Power Sculpting Wax. There is a Bonsai Kid in all of us. Be A Bonsai Kid!

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
One of my proudest moments was watching my kids use the products for the first time and they liked it. That was a very cool moment in my life. Another moment I won’t forget (and the scariest) was the day I went to pick up my first shipment from the manufacturer. I was so happy after three years to have the products finally done. But I was thinking, “OK, now what?” Either I sell these products or I’m stuck with a lifetime supplies of shampoo, conditioner, gel and leave in detangler.

I love being tagged on Instagram or Facebook with a kid holding one of our products. Sometimes that feels surreal. It’s a nice to get positive reviews or comments. It makes you know you’ve done the right things.

Another moment that happened recently was while I was visiting a salon in the late afternoon. I talking with the salon manager, when a woman entered the salon to buy hair products. On the shelf, next to my products was the competition: Kevin Murphy, Paul Mitchell, Little Twig and Fairy Tales. The woman purchased Bonsai Kids Products. I loved it. I wanted to give her a hug and say thank you. Bonsai Kids Hair Care is my passion, it’s fun. I get to connect with people in a positive way every day. I feel lucky and I am proof that hard work pays off.

Future plans are to open a chain of Bonsai Kids Hair Salons, launch new products, produce The Adventures of the Bonsai Kids television show. And to expand the brand to the big box retailers.

Contact Info:

• Address: 8306 Wilshire Blvd #705
  Beverly Hills, CA 90211
• Website: www.bonsaikids.com
• Phone: 3238163151
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credit:
Anthony Miner – Gia Azevedo – Kailani Amani
_AMS Creative Imaging Photography