Everything Is Figureoutable

Today, we’re stepping into the world of Tyler, co-founder of Loa Skin, a skincare brand born out of a desire for better botanical-based solutions. Tyler's journey alongside his partner, Spencer, has been nothing short of impressive. If you haven’t heard of Loa Skin yet, we’re thrilled to be the ones introducing you to it!

Tell us about your business and how you got here
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Loa Skin was basically a vanity project. Spencer and I have had issues with our skin for some time and were tired of wasting money on a variety of products that didn’t get us results. So many green beauty brands out there sell trending ingredients that really don't do much for your skin. And then there are all the chemical solutions, like topical steroids, causing a bunch of unwanted side effects.

We wanted to develop a botanically based solution that would help us resolve our skin issues, so we started doing some research. As a chemistry nerd, Spencer had the best time trying to figure out what wasn’t working with all the products we had tried so far. As it turns out, most botanically based products lack one critical nutrient that is essential for folks struggling with eczema and acne.

With that finding, we started sourcing ingredients that were high in this key nutrient and created our own infusion process for extraction. It took A LOT of trial and error. Each of our products has gone through many iterations. Our mask alone took us 2 years to perfect.

I mean, if we’re going to put a product out there, we might as well make sure that it provides tangible results; otherwise, what’s the point?

Once we created our first infusion and could use it for ourselves, we started sharing some of it with friends and family. It didn’t take much time before they started asking for more - that’s when we realized “there might be something here”.

Fast forward 6 years, we’re now helping tons of people struggling with skin issues in Canada, the United States, and even in Hong Kong and Singapore.

What’s your long term goal with the business? 

At our core, we are a product-based company, but our hope is to build a strong community around our brand.

Our main focus right now is revamping our loyalty program to be less “transactional”. We have had so many loyal customers, and we want to provide a space for them to feel like they are a part of something, not just shopping, earning points, and heading off.

Our mission is to empower people from all walks of life to overcome what we call skin adversity. I truly feel that having acne isn't just this physical manifestation - there’s this whole emotional and mental side that comes with having it.

Building a community will hopefully allow us to expand the impact we’ve had on people’s self-confidence, which is why we launched Loa Skin in the first place.

What was becoming a business owner like for you?

Signing up to be an entrepreneur is just like a guarantee of challenges. 

You're gonna be hit with one challenge after the other. It starts hitting you differently when you realize that everything is figureoutable. You just need to move from one challenge to the next as you grow.

Lately, our primary focus has shifted towards profitability. Avalon reminded us that profitability is the cornerstone for fostering a sustainable business and achieving the lifestyle we aspire to.

As an entrepreneur, you’re constantly hearing stories of other business owners who have made millions in revenue, and it’s easy to fall into the comparison trap. But ultimately, you have no idea what the inner workings of that company are and how profitable they may be. Focusing on YOUR profitability is key.

What made you want to outsource accounting & bookkeeping? 

We used to work with Bench bookkeeping until they decided to leave the Canadian market. At that point, I thought that I could teach myself bookkeeping to take over the responsibility. I probably spent 20 hours one week in QuickBooks and it drove me insane. It was clearly not a good use of my time.

We checked out a few accounting agencies and settled on Avalon. I was familiar with the business for quite some time; I watched their YouTube videos and consumed their newsletter regularly. 

I wanted to find someone who would take the time to explain things in a digestible way, and Avalon had been doing a great job with that.

They don't just bombard you with accounting jargon and expect you to keep up. Instead, they break things down to a fifth-grade level and take the time to ensure you really get it.

How has outsourcing impacted your business so far? 

Our partnership is still new, but it's already a game-changer for me. Avalon's taking the reins on our finances, which means I can focus on the big picture without constantly worrying. I know they'll handle things smoothly and prevent any costly slip-ups.

I'm really looking forward to getting more educated on business accounting. My current approach to real-time insights hasn’t been the best, and I know that getting more insights and guidance from Avalon will help us make good decisions for the business.

What’s the collaboration process like?

It’s been great! I loved how, even from the intro call, Charmaine was wonderful. She took the time to answer all my questions, no matter how silly they seemed, and she really helped me feel comfortable and trusting from the get-go.

I quickly got to meet the team of people who would work with us, and it was nice to get to know friendly faces who would care for us and the business moving forward. Our bookkeeper, Bella, has been SO on top of it; she’s a rockstar. I’m continuously impressed with her turnaround speed.

I know that I have a team of people available to help if I have any questions and that I can expect a prompt response from them.

What would be your one piece of advice for small business owners?

Marie Forleo, an online business coach, always uses this term - Everything is Figureoutable. It’s the biggest thing I try to remind myself when running the business.

As an entrepreneur, you’ll probably wear many hats - one day you’re doing finance, the next you’re doing packaging and design, the next you’re working on the website. There’s a lot to figure out, and you keep on learning as you go. You need to remember that you might not have it all figured out now, but there’s always a way to find answers along the way.

The other piece of advice would be to know when to ask for help. Leveraging help to fill the gaps is how you’ll grow and achieve your goals. So, it's important to figure out what kind of help you need—whether it's hiring someone internally or outsourcing tasks.

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If you haven’t already, be sure to take a look at Loa Skin’s amazing products and see what all the buzz is about!

They also offer a wealth of educational articles to help you learn more about skincare, covering everything from handy tips to in-depth analyses of ingredients.

Work With Us

If Tyler's story has sparked a curiosity about how Avalon can specifically support your business, let’s connect.

Just fill out our contact form and we'll reach out to explore how we can become a valuable partner in your entrepreneurial journey.

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