"Be passionate. Do your research on your ideal customers before you need them to be customers," with Roberta Perry

Photos by Irina Leoni

Roberta was suffering from skin that was dry, itchy, and irritated. She discovered exfoliating products but none were satisfying her wants/needs, so she starting making it. Roberta’s late sister, Michelle, joined her and in 2006 ScrubzBody Skin Care was born. https://scrubzbody.com/ Roberta offers her customers permission to pamper themselves. It just happens to come in a jar. They were the highlighted business on the Season One finale of Sell it Like Serhant on Bravo TV. 

Can you tell our readers about your background?

My background in the skincare business was as a consumer. My skin was horribly irritated and dry. I discovered products that exfoliate but I was not happy with what I was finding in the stores. I created a scrub out of my own needs, based on what I was purchasing, and it was my late sister, Michelle Tucker, who suggested I start selling it. I had no intention of starting a business, but I decided to at least sell a few jars and see how it went. I did all sorts of research about botanical oils and the benefits they have. I was humbled at the fact that my scrub contained a really well-balanced blending of the right nutrients and essential fatty acids that are so incredible for the skin.

What inspired you to start your business?

It was really the combination of wanting to work with my late sister and my best friend as well as the reaction we were getting from our few customers, let alone family and friends. I had previously started another business, which had seriously failed, but that business venture gave me the urge to start something. Being able to wrap a business around a product line I was proud of and humbled by was inspiring enough to get going in earnest.

Where is your business based?

My business is based in Farmingdale, NY, a suburb of Manhattan, with a train station and a short 45-minute commute to NYC. We have a storefront at 245 Main Street, right in the heart of town. We produce our entire product line on-site, we host Make Your Own Scrub Parties, we sell other products from manufacturers we love and we sell online all over the world.  

How did you start your business?

What were the first steps you took? We worked out of my kitchen and converted garage for the first 5 years. Because I had worked on the website and other marketing aspects in my other venture, I had an idea of how to start creating those things for our own business, so I did. We sold online, at craft fairs, trade shows, and events. We began to sell wholesale as well as retail and started to expand our list of retailers, including a chain of salons across Long Island.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

Thankfully word of mouth has been our #1 opportunity to reach new people. Our existing customers love our products enough to spread the word on a daily basis. Free publicity is another way we spread the word. I love using Help a Reporter Out to find journalists and writers who need information I have to share. I built a relationship with 2 writers of our local newspaper, Newsday, so we have been featured in that paper on many occasions. We were the finale episode of Sell it Like Serhant, a 2018 Bravo Show starring Ryan Serhant of Million Dollar Listing fame. That brought us a tremendous amount of new customers. We donate to charities and business or empowerment functions. Rather than a printed ad, this is a way to get the product in people’s hands. I have found it is very effective marketing and good charity at the same time.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

Online marketing has always been my greatest challenge because I find it difficult to determine what works and what doesn’t, when the field, is always changing, without spending a fortune. My website does fine and more than pays for itself, but it is not the sales machine I would love it to be. It is forever a work in progress.

How do you stay focused?

I have my days when I am not focused at all and I allow those to happen. Thankfully they are few and far between but I think they help me shake the intensity of running a business off a little. Mainly I remember how I can make my customer’s experience excellent. This in turn keeps me concentrating on what I need to do to keep my business working well. It is always about the customer and that helps the focus return. 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?  

2 words… Customer Service! I just do right by my customers each and every time. Putting out a quality product doesn’t hurt, either.  But, when it comes down to us or some other business like us, our customer experience is going to be the thing that makes us stand out from the crowd and the competition. 

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

INCREDIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! Also, as mentioned above, raising awareness is our best marketing strategy, so word of mouth, free publicity, using Help a Reporter Out, and charitable donations are our most favorite ways to market. I also love emails. I send a series of welcome emails as soon as someone signs up, then I have a weekly letter that comes out every Thursday night. 

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Be passionate. Do your research on your ideal customers before you need them to be customers. What problem are you trying to solve for them? Most importantly, don’t be afraid to fail in your quest for greatness in product or service! If something is not working the way you thought it would shelve it for the next idea. Learning what not to do is equally important to learn what to do.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why? 

My favorite app is the Dropbox one. I love the ease of transferring files from my business to my home to my phone and back again. For example, I can leave all my photos there and access them for social media posts. My favorite blogs are Marie Forleo and her Marie TV episodes, which are down to earth and packed with great information from a professional and personal insight. I also love The Middle Finger Project. Ash Ambirge is off the cuff funny and has a take no prisoner’s attitude about business. I love it. I have so many books that I love it’s hard to pick one, but for business, I tend to quote The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg and John D. Mann. It is a story about the power of giving. I love the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success included within the story as well.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I adore Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator! I love taking pictures and designing layouts. I also enjoy having the ability to create my own brochures and ads. 

Who is your business role model? Why?

I love the biggies, like Marie Forleo and Seth Godin, but I have a couple of “business crushes” on a small scale, because I adore watching the success of Indie makers who are kicking butt. Entrepreneurs like Charlene Simon of Bathhouse Apothecary, Stacia Guzzo of Smarty Pits, and Danielle Vincent of Outlaw Soaps. All have created million-dollar businesses and remaining true to themselves and their original mission at the same time. 

What is your beauty routine? What are some of your favorite products?

My morning routine starts with a tinted moisturizer with 31SPF by Celtic Complexion. It is my perfect color, a great moisturizer and SPF coverage, in a natural product. I adore it. I use Mineral Fusion as my blusher and highlighter. Simple shadow, waterproof Maybelline mascara and waterproof liner are my go-to every day. I love to wear makeup but don’t want to look too heavily made up. My beauty routine at night is simple and basic, based on the reason I started my company. I need it to be easy! Our Face Oilz is a deep oil cleanser that breaks through the toughest waterproof makeup. Then I use Scrubz+ as my facial scrub. I love to use it nightly. Then, right before bed, I put our undereye/face cream, Bye Bye Bagz on my eyes, and massage the remaining cream all over my face. That’s it! 

How do you balance work and life?

I just weave my daily life into my business life and vice-versa. For example, I might be lounging on a beach chair and posting to social media, or answering an email or fixing a problem on my website at the same time. Then again, when I am at the store, I may take time to edit photographs from a recent vacation when the store is quiet. I just try to seamlessly integrate my life and my business so it all works. Having people I trust to watch the store/business when I am away is also a major component of my peace of mind. My best friend since 1977, Wendy, is also my VP of production and the store manager! 

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

I love to play the drums. I love inline skating down beautiful bike trails. I love reading. Most of all I love to travel and see new places. 

What do you have planned for the next six months?

We love summer because our town is very walkable with restaurants and shops so we always increase foot traffic. We have our Buy One Get One Sale every November, the Friday before Thanksgiving, so we ramp up production in September and keep going. We have increased our Private Label business and love mentoring people as they begin their own entrepreneurial journey.

How can our readers connect with you?

We can be found at Scrubzbody.com as well as on FB, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Pinterest, all under /ScrubzBody