Trailblazing a path for all women everywhere, Unaiza Suliman, founder of the flourishing UniQBrow beauty brand reveals her pioneering performance in bringing the business of beauty a fresh ascetic along with a franchise business model intent on uplifting and empowering everyday fem-trepreneurs with an opportunity to be self-employed even if they have never plucked a brow before.
For those who don’t know, brow shaping is an art form and according to Unaiza, a science too – one which she has perfected and patented over the past decade to become a flourishing business which she believes can make a dent on women’s limited employment opportunities and help to grow their aspirations.
“We use a patented formula that uniquely measures your brow shape for your face shape,” says Unaiza. “Each brow should have a start, arch and end point suited to your face frame; this is why no two people should have the same brow shape. Gone are the days of drawing on brows, plucking or tweezing.”
What started as a part-time idea has evolved into a thriving empire for brow, lash and beauty expert Unaiza, who continues to build a legacy in beauty underpinned by solid business principles. “I built a business on brows and expanded from there,” she says, “and look where the brow revolution has brought us? Into the hearts, homes and touching the lives and faces of countless people.
“One of the most significant reasons that the beauty industry in Africa is innovating is the unsurpassed diversity of its people who must be catered to. While gender inequality remains an issue and female empowerment is slower in African due to our established cultural norms, women can find connectedness and commercial opportunity within the beauty industry; it’s an environment in which we can thrive with immediate entry level into a franchise built on a model of ‘no appointment’ express grooming services with expertly trained technicians offering male and female grooming services.”
Rooted in Purpose & Presence
Built on beauty with a purpose, Unaiza ’s business empire to date has roots and a presence in La Lucia Mall in KwaZulu-Natal, Mall of the South in Johannesburg and her flagship salon located inside the Sandton City Mall with an eye-watering number of beauty solutions and products for skin health, brow shaping and lamination, lip sugaring, volume lashes, hair health and age rejuvenation together with contemporary beautification through her range of brow soaps and jams, Fibonacci-inspired brow-shaping formulas, growth serums, aluminizing glows, shea butters and aloe healing, light photon therapies, piercings, and permanent make up. UniQBrow also collaborates with other professionals for medical aesthetic procedures such as skin fillers and anti-wrinkle injections, Vitamin IV drops and PDO threads while Unaiza continues her Master Class training series where she inducts new practitioners into the UniQBrow kingdom for expert training and the functional approach to delivering beauty.
Pioneering the Africa’s Beauty Realm
“We are in the modern era of self-expression, and this is where our spending power will support black women in business however UniQBrow is in the business of beauty no matter your skin tone, because we want to be forward thinkers, changing the way women put themselves out in the world and finding solutions that will continue to create change with a very hands-on approach.
“Beauty begins the moment women decide to be their own courageous selves and join in the beauty revolution of inclusivity and African pride. The boom in ‘cosmeceutical’ in South Africa is centered on our extra-ordinary complexity. Not only do we cater to hundreds of skin tones, but we also need to consider our glorious African sun, which is why the UniQ franchise expands its legacy by catering to women through our own products, embracing who we are as we celebrate heritage but also creating space for South African women to build their own legacy.
With her own fierce blend of modernity and vision Unaiza says, “Once I had established UniQBrow and our brand of beauty, I knew that there was more I could do. This wasn’t just about me; it was about not waiting for someone else to provide an opportunity for inclusivity and diversity to empower me, but for me to step up to the plate and be that someone,” she emphasizes.
The UniQ Touch Beauty Franchise
“I’ve always believed in multiple income streams, and a UniQBrows franchise provides just that. We relieve the burden from our franchisees as far as possible, from the ongoing training to recruiting to placing staff and marketing, we are determined to build excellent relationships with our franchisees and see them succeed.
“Everyone is born with brows,” says Unaiza, “and you are faced with one of two problems…either too many brows or little brows, hence the business will always have a market.”
Unaiza also points out that pragmatically, in the age of social media and a hybrid way of working, the face is increasingly essential because whatever space you’re working in, your face is used for your profile. Unaiza outlines that owning a UniQ franchise involves ongoing training, especially in the high-end product and service offerings.
“Permanent Makeup has gained tremendous traction. Franchise owners have access to this training. Furthermore, we have secured the rights to some of the most sought-after lash, brow, and skincare ranges worldwide, meaning our franchisors have an incredible advantage from the outset.”
The Uniq franchise has also expanded to include booming piercings with exquisite jewelry that caters to everyone’s needs.
“As a brand, we represent so much more than ourselves. I believe that we represent previously disadvantaged women who never believed they could thrive. I believe we represent the person whose dreams were laughed at but who persevered regardless. I believe we represent the young girl of today, waiting to unlock all her potential tomorrow,” expresses Suliman. Through the Uniq franchise, Unazia is determined to empower women and collaborate with a team of potential franchisees to do the same. “In all we do, there is purpose. Yes, we’re making progress, but more can be done. I see how young women want to thrive in the beauty industry—my policy centers on training staff who have never touched brows before.
“Through this training, if they bring their all to the table as we do, I guarantee they will become masters of their craft. If we don’t open the doors for others, who will? If we don’t become the role models, we wish we had as women, what is the point of aiming for success? Is it not to rise together and take others along with you on your journey through life? Is it not to leave the world a little better than we found it? Why not do this through business too? I offer a lucrative business to share with the world, if you dare to take the plunge and build the legacy you dream of.”
Brows and Beyond: defining the UniQ Brows business
UniQ is a patented express brow and lash bar with a range of services for both men and women, offering the simple convenience of popping into a brow bar at any moment and experiencing treatments with qualified, expertly trained brow and lash technicians.
The UniQBrow formula maps, designs and shapes brows and additional franchise specialties include:
· UniQ Piercings
· UniQ Lashes
· UniQ Skin
· UniQ Laser
· UniQ IV
· UniQ Beauty
· UniQ Gents Grooming
UniQ Franchise Benefits
· Minimal, if any, industry experience is required.
· All brow and lash therapists undergo skills development and a rigorous training program.
· The UniQ headquarters train, place and manage the therapists.
· All therapists are hand-selected, trained, and continually mentored by Unaiza to ensure techniques and trends evolve.
· Leverage off a well-established and highly reputable brand with marketing material and campaigns developed by Headquarters to further franchisee opportunities.
· The ultimate support from a visionary franchise owner with access to Unaiza and continuous product knowledge and skills development.
· Access to internationally developed UniQ by Unaiza products which are in demand and come with a proven track record, that UniQ owns the local distribution rights to.
· The opportunity to ‘shape’ your own business, one “uniq brow” at a time.
