![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/12\/SS3_14975.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMia Plecic has tossed around hundreds of business ideas since setting her mind on a career as an e-commerce entrepreneur.<\/p>\n
Each idea \u2013 no matter how random \u2013 is jotted down in a notebook the 29-year-old keeps close at hand day and night.<\/p>\n
Mia, who grew up in Aireys Inlet on the Surf Coast, has so far pursued five business ventures ranging from bottled pressed juices through to teeth whitening kits.<\/p>\n
She has experienced varying degrees of success during the past six years until her latest venture.<\/p>\n
A clever little haircare product called the Slick Stick has proven to be the breakthrough idea the determined young businesswoman has been dreaming of.<\/p>\n
More than 50,000 Slick Sticks have sold this year and a deal to stock them at a major retailer has just been struck.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It is a proud achievement for Mia whose story is one of grit, determination and hard work.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t spoken about this yet but in very exciting news it is now official we have been accepted into Priceline,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, 2021 will be a very exciting year as Slick Stick rolls out into Priceline stores across Australia and New Zealand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mia says the concept for Slick Stick came to her because she was forever having to deal with flyaway hairs when tying her long blonde locks back into a tight, stylish ponytail.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have the craziest flyaways and I love wearing my hair up,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut an everyday problem that I found was using hair sprays or hair gels would make my hair really oily, wiry and dirty, which meant I would have to then go and wash my hair that evening.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not someone who washes my hair daily, in fact, I probably only wash my hair once a week.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, coming up with a product like this was a solution to that problem where I could slick my hair back and it would brush out at the end of the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch a simple product but it\u2019s so effective and it works really, really well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her customers agree and the Slick Stick has quickly established itself as a handbag essential.<\/p>\n
Mia has gone from working solo out of her apartment in Melbourne \u2013 with her cavoodle bestie, Honey, by her side \u2013 to renting a storage unit and soon after moving into an office in the heart of Port Melbourne.<\/p>\n
She says a warehouse is now on the cards to cope with ever-increasing stock demands.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the start of this business, I wasn\u2019t sure if Slick Stick was going to be a trend-based product or if it was going to be a long-term, sustainable business,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs time has gone on, I\u2019ve realised people are purchasing it over and over again.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s becoming an everyday beauty routine staple for people, so I don\u2019t think the Slick Stick is going anywhere anytime soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Its success has seen Mia pay herself a salary for the first time, as well as employing two full-time staff.<\/p>\n
There are also plans to expand the Slick Hair Company range, with five additions to the product line being added by the end of next year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are quickly evolving into a full haircare range,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a business owner one of the most exciting things is when you can actually put yourself on a salary and after six years of working for myself, I\u2019ve finally put myself on my own salary.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always just taken bits of profit here and there and done consulting work on the side to get me through.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/12\/SS4_84609.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cBut this business is doing so well I\u2019ve been able to go on a salary and hire a full-time marketing manager and a warehouse manager.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mia credits some of her busines success to TikTok which has seen her quickly garner a following of 75,000 and access an audience of millions.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the start of lockdown in Melbourne I decided to explore TikTok because it was a new platform and I saw people getting success out of it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an organic algorithm with an organic reach so I thought there was no harm in trying it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt all started with one video of my dog in a Tesla which got nine million views and my following overnight went from zero to about 10,000 and I thought \u2018this is interesting\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cI decided to start posting some business videos of me running the business from home during lockdown and it resonated with people from all over the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had two-and-a-half million likes on my TikTok and I\u2019ve got 75,000 followers on there now and people are really loving the content I am creating.\u201d<\/p>\n
But, as Mia will tell you, her story is not one of overnight success.<\/p>\n
In fact, she is writing a book on the topic she hopes will inspire other budding entrepre<\/p>\n
neurs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my fifth business and I\u2019ve been struggling through business to business for the last six<\/p>\n
years trying to get to this point,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s taken years to get here and a lot of ups and downs.<\/p>\n
\u201cSelf-belief is the number one thing you need and the determination to get to where you want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mia says 2020 has been bittersweet, with business success and personal struggles running in tandem.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been the best worst year of my life,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn a personal level it\u2019s been a bit of a challenging year because my anxiety really flared up and I had a few months there where I was really struggling with anxiety and panic attacks.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut business-wise it has been incredible and I\u2019m so grateful knowing the circumstances of what is going on in the world and how many people have struggled this year financially.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just excited for the New Year and to see what comes from it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Find out more at slickhaircompany.com or @slickhairco and @miaplecic on Instagram.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mia Plecic has tossed around hundreds of business ideas since setting her mind on a career as an e-commerce entrepreneur. Each idea \u2013 no matter how random \u2013 is jotted down in a notebook the 29-year-old keeps close at hand day and night. Mia, who grew up in Aireys Inlet on the Surf Coast, has […]<\/p>\n