Kim Smith, co-founder of Kloris, talks about starting a new business during the pandemic, always striving to do better and straying away from the toxic concept of perfectionism.
Can you tell us more about your business?
In a nutshell: at Kloris, we create sustainable, effective, superior-grade CBD products, all formulated under the guidance of leading plant scientists in the UK.
Why did you decide to focus on CBD? Were you already working in the field?
Not at all. Matt, Pedro and I have worked in different industries, such as music, art, tech, marketing and events. So basically everything but beauty! But we are fortunate, we have two incredible plant scientists in the family who are very experienced and reputable, and they’ve been a massive part of the journey from the start. And even though we didn’t work within the industry, we all had a personal interest in CBD for different reasons.
I was using CBD for quite severe period cramps that were just never-ending, as well as sleep and mood regulation and anxiety issues. Pedro was finding helpful results with it for his PTSD, and Matt was also using it, but for different reasons – he was giving it to elderly family members for chronic pains.
We were extremely fascinated by this one compound that could help with so many different ailments, so we started to look more and more into it.
How did you transform your passion into a business?
The real catalyst for us wanting to start Kloris was frustration. We were super disheartened at the lack of quality that was available on the market at the time.
This was when CBD had just become available in a mainstream commercial capacity in the UK. CBD had a real moment in 2019 – it was nowhere to be seen before then, and suddenly, it was everywhere. And as you can imagine, when something like that happens, the market gets flooded with unregulated products. They definitely didn’t look nice, they didn’t smell nice, they didn’t feel nice, and some of them were just ineffective.
How was the process of starting the business?
Once we decided to go for it, we started a process that lasted around 18 months to find the best growers and the optimal ways to produce the products in terms of sustainability and quality levels. Many of the raw materials we were offered, particularly in the early days, would contain either poor cannabinoid profiles or traces of heavy metals or pesticides – so it wasn’t a smooth process.
And even now, we still formulate everything a hundred per cent here in the UK to have complete control over the formulation from start to finish.
What was the most difficult part of building the business?
From the plant science side, we were fortunate to have access to such brilliant minds. But [when starting a business], you’re dealing with a lot of unknowns, so you have to take it one day at a time and do as much homework as you possibly can on every side of the business.
What was your first product?
We started with a tiny range of three products which consisted of two strengths of oral drops, 5% and 10%, and one high-strength balm.
People showed a real interest in natural formulas for healing-focused skin care, and relief from aches and strains from a topical perspective. As you can imagine, during the pandemic, the at-home self-care ‘market’ grew exponentially, and we couldn’t make bathing products fast enough! So we developed the range to incorporate more skincare, bathing products, and variations of balms.
It has been a hard couple of years to own a small business, yet many small businesses have been created. Do you think there is still a place for new brands that want to enter the sustainability-focused wellness and beauty market?
The pandemic was a great catalyst for entrepreneurship because it shook the notion of stability.
Kloris being so new during the pandemic didn’t phase us – we reacted by designing products that people requested and wanted, and it was kind of exciting.
In terms of space for more sustainable brands to enter the market, I actually feel that you can’t create a new brand and bring it to market without thinking about sustainability these days, so yes, I’d say there is space!
How do you see the future of your company?
We’re super ambitious. We want to be a leading premium wellness company that genuinely helps people feel better while leaving a positive imprint in all the different areas we go into.
Is there a product or an achievement that you’re most proud of until now?
I would say the thing that I feel most proud of is the positive feedback we get from real-life customers saying that Kloris has made a difference in their life.
I’m also very proud of the work we do on our blog, educating people on the therapeutic benefits of plants.
Do you have a piece of advice that you’d give to other entrepreneurs?
I feel like everyone’s journey is unique, and I’m also bad at listening to advice myself. I would say to people that nothing is ever perfect – the important thing is starting. Commit to doing better all the time, learning all the time, and improving, but don’t let the notion of perfectionism stifle you.
