The founders of Berry Homeware have turned the adage ‘’never do business with family’’ on its head, as they are two young siblings who have courage and grit.
Neo Dulaze(28) and Katleho Mchalla(28), a duo located in Johannesburg, South Africa, created the brand in 2021 and officially launched in December of 2022.
Neo obtained a qualification in public health as well as a master's degree in bioethics and health law while Katleho studied in the humanities.
According to the pair, home is the main motivation behind their business and they like creating settings that are not only beautiful but also resonant with sentiment.
‘’Every sight, sound and smell work together to create an atmosphere that makes home more than just four walls. So, we want to be not only part of creating that experience but also a go to for people who want beautiful and functional homes.
‘’We can thank our families for this. They taught us the importance of loving the space you are in, whether it is a four-room house or enough space to really spread out,’’ they said.
Scented candles, diffusers, room sprays, fabric mists, in-house created wall art, table linen, aprons, tea towels, luxuriant throw blankets, tote bags and white wood coasters tables are in the current Berry Homeware range.
However, the journey into entrepreneurship has not been smooth sailing for the brother and sister.
One of their biggest issues was finding local suppliers that cater to SMMEs. Each supplier has a MOQ (minimum order quantity) and these often cater to lager companies that order stock or products in bulk, they explained.
‘’When you are in the start-up stage you are not looking to order large quantities due to many reasons including cash flow. Many entrepreneurs are looking to balance quantity and quality taking into consideration resources available to them in that start-up phase.’’
The two believe that being new gives them a fresh perspective on art and design that is not constrained by industry trends.
They hope to recruit a lot of fresh talent in the future who are not scared to push the edge and take the design profession by storm.
IOL Business