MBA 034: Beard Oil started the Ultimate Man Brand known as Buffelsfontein with MEYER LE ROUX

Meyer le Roux is the co-founder of the Buffelsfontein brand. Buffelsfontein started out as a producer of beard oil, but quickly grew to a much larger business. Nowadays they also organise adventure tours and they look forward to their restaurant opening March 2017.

Meyer used to work for an NPO, the Widows and Orphans Fund for the SAPD. The idea of a beard oil came about when he was using another company’s beard oil, but wasn’t particularly fond of the scent. His business partner, Mark Eybers, suggested they mix three scents together. They ended up liking the smell more than the other beard oil. Meyer suggested they sell it online. Adam Tas helped them film a short advertisement which went completely viral overnight. In a short time span, Buffelsfontein Baard-Olie created a tribe, where it seems like men were starting to grow beards just to use the beard oil.

Official start of the business

They sold their first bottle of beard oil in August 2015. Shortly after that, in December 2015, they started selling their craft beer, Lewer-Olie. To this day they work very closely with Brouer Broers, the brewers of the beer.

Initially, it was a challenge to produce the beard oil itself. Once they employed people to help with production, they could focus on other parts of the business. These days they rarely occur such challenges, except perhaps to a lesser extent their cash flow management.

It wasn’t easy leaving their jobs to work on Buffelsfontein full time, but there came a time when they got too busy to divide their attention between the two.

Additional product lines

Meyer and Mark think the same, and they believe their customers will enjoy the same products that appeal to them. So far they have made the right choices for their brand by adding the Lewer-Olie craft beer range and adventure tours to their brand. Meyer suggests setting up your contracts correctly right from the get-go, getting legal help where needed.

They have partnered with bigger companies in the past, but nothing will take away from the personal relationships they’ve formed by doing business with individuals or smaller companies. Instead of trying to partner up to make their products available commercially they have decided to keep their product exclusive and the business boutique.

The next five years

Buffelsfontein would like to diversify their product lines even further. Perhaps as fashion trends change, their beard oil will take a back seat. They would like to open up more restaurants and produce more Lewer-Olie beer. They also plan on growing the tour company leg of their business.

How did you start a restaurant?

Meyer and Mark both wanted to open a bar. The idea later changed to a restaurant as Mark has many years experience in the industry. The restaurant business seems to be one of the toughest industries and experience certainly counts in your favour. It also helps that both Meyer and Mark like people.

What makes this restaurant different?

They’re starting with a small menu offering premium cut beef dishes. The restaurant will have its own onsite organic vegetable garden where they will encourage children to go pick vegetables for their own consumption. Lewer-Olie craft beer will be the only beer available on tap.

Travel industry

As part of the Buffelsfontein brand they wanted to offer their customers something different. The tours they promote aren’t for the faint-hearted, they’re quite “rough and tough”, and therefore fit their target market perfectly.

Employing people

Meyer suggests that you surround yourself with fantastic people for your business to be successful. Employ the best person for the job, but also a person with whom you get along well.