A BUSINESS THAT EMBODIES ETHICS, ARTISTRY, AND AFFORDABILITY.
How does one manage a business that is very artistic and very cultural? What perceptions may surround that kind of business? The Fulcrum sat down with entrepreneur and henna artist Rania Mesri to find the answers to these questions and learn how she runs her business, Henna by Rania.
Mesri is a Canadian-Moroccan student at the U of O who has always been passionate about henna. However, she never learned how to do henna in Morocco because there were people who specialized in doing henna back home.
A year ago, Mesri wanted to surprise her mom with an appointment with a Canadian henna artist but found the prices too steep. In that moment, she decided to start her own henna business with two goals: to make henna more affordable for people, and to be an ethical business owner. That is how Henna by Rania was born.
For Mesri, henna is special because it has always been a big part of her culture. While she only recently started doing henna herself, she has always been deeply appreciative of the art.
“There are different styles to what we call henna. There is mehndi, which is common in South Asia in countries like Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka.” Mesri explained, “ It has curvier designs. Then there’s henna, which is more North African. So in Morocco, for example, we have more geometric patterns. It was a lot of work and practice navigating between both styles but it was worth it ”
To her, her business is an extension of both her culture and her values. As a result, Mesri eagerly teaches non-Moroccans about henna whenever they come up to her stand making inquiries.
“I’m a firm believer that if someone who doesn’t have henna as a tradition wants to get henna they should. I am actually honored that they want to wear henna because I feel like they become a walking symbol of my culture.” Mesri remarked.
“I will say that it is important to respect both henna and the cultures it comes from. I also think it is better to get henna from the people who traditionally do henna. Whether you like it or not, it’s a cultural thing and you should be respectful of that.”
She also uses her business to promote her ideal of what a business owner ought to be. For her, business owners should be ethical and kind to their customers for two reasons: what goes around comes around and it is a great way to build a community around your business.
As a business, Henna by Rania is flexible. It doesn’t have set business hours due to the nature of the business. Business hours start at the same time but can end at any time for one of two reasons: Mesri runs out of henna for the day, or her cramped fingers start affecting her work quality.
“When a henna cone is full, it’s easier to use but when it’s starting to be empty, I have to put more pressure. The pressure makes my hands shake more and the quality of the designs start to go down. It also becomes painful,” Mesri explains.
“I stop for the day when I know that the quality is going to go down if I continue. It’s all part of keeping this relationship of trust with my customers. It’s the same reason I don’t use black henna even though it is popular. Black henna is not natural. It is toxic to my customers.”
On the financial side, Mesri finds that balancing costs and setting prices is not always easy. She gets her henna from the henna plant harvested by workers in Morocco. Her grandmother travels to the workers’ village once a month and ships the henna to Mesri, ensuring she has a fresh stock every month.
This process, while tedious, is worth it for Mesri because it is part of being an ethical business owner. For her, business is not just about making money and in her experience, being an ethical and honest business owner increases brand loyalty and trust.
However, being ethical sometimes makes her other goal (being affordable), more difficult. Henna by Rania does not have fixed prices because of the nature of the business. Henna as an art is very subjective with pricing varying for multiple reasons including: the size and complexity of a design, the amount of henna paste it will require and how much time the design will take to complete. Mesri recounted the technicalities involved in price setting for Henna by Rania.
“Besides all that, with pricing in businesses, you have to factor in the time and effort you took to become a professional and people don’t seem to realize that. My prices include transportation of the henna and the ethical pay that the workers in Morocco deserve. Sometimes it’s hard standing your ground and justifying to people why your prices are the way they are.”
Despite the challenges, Mesri encourages anyone who is interested to get into business. While she does not necessarily believe that a support system is necessary for business, she does think it is useful. She draws the line at an inability to succeed without a support system in place.
“I’m someone who does not think that it is a must to have a support system.” Mesri commented when asked on the subject, “ Does it help? Yes, but you’re not always going to have a support system and you cannot always rely on having a support system to actually succeed.”
Her two biggest tips are to get inspiration from others around who may be doing similar things and to keep developing your craft as you do business.
