Woman, 28, raking in $97K a month thanks to ‘simple idea’

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A woman who thought she had “no job prospects” is now raking in millions a year thanks to a simple idea.

As she was about to finish her university degree, Serene Lim thought she would have a bright career in nutrition science after studying the topic for years.

However, a few months before her graduation, she was told by her college professors that she would likely need to move abroad to find success, due to there being “no job opportunities” in Australia.

Feeling disheartened, the now 28-year-old finished her degree but decided instead to pursue business development.

Serene started a few small “side hustles” however she never imagined it could be her full-time career.

She began to fall in love with this type of work and longed to find success in the field – however, her family thought this move was “risky” and were hesitant about her decisions.

But a short time later, she came across an incredible nail sticker product overseas, and knew she had to bring it into the Australian market,

After testing a few samples and investing $3,200 cash, Serene finally launched her business “Gellae” in November 2022.

Her efforts have paid off, as just nine months later, she is now raking in $1.15 million a year — which is $3,200 every day.

“When I was straight out of high school, I loved food and was a total foodie,” Serene told news.com.au.

“I went on to study nutrition science at Monash University and thought that would be my career.

“But a few months before graduation, I was told there was no job opportunities in Australia, and that I’d need to go overseas if I wanted to find success.

“I ended up in business development, but my family never really looked highly upon that type of thing. They viewed it as risky, and something that could lead you into debt.”

Serene had dipped her toes into the realm of entrepreneurship before, dealing with pet supplies and DIY bubble tea kits.

But her “big break” came when she came across a new type of stick-on nail that was being used overseas and knew she needed to introduce it into the Australian market.

“I’ve gotten SNS nails done at the salon, and loved the look of it but hated sitting for hours and the damage that occurs upon removal,” she explained.

“I’ve always struggled with growing my nails out as they tend to break.

“So when I saw the idea of gel nails in sticker form picking up overseas, I knew I had to bring it to Australia because it truly is a problem-solving product.”

Gellae nails are semi-cured sticker nails, that one peels, sticks, and ‘cures’ with a UV/LED lamp for 60 seconds.

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They allow users to do their own gel nails at home, with the final product lasting two weeks.

Her simple idea soon turned into a reality, with Serene sourcing samples and testing products, before finally launching Gellae in November 2022.

“I needed to come up with a business name, register my company, and start social media accounts so we could get off the ground,” she explained.

“I documented my journey on social media and wanted to get people excited. I invested around $5,000 to start, and it took about 2-3 months of preparing before we finally launched.”

Serene’s company was making around five figures in revenue the few months of starting, thanks to her hard work in promoting the brand on social media.

Now, it is averaging six figures monthly – usually around $97,000 – and the company is only 9 months in.

Her best advice for anyone looking to launch their own business is simple: just start.

“We definitely saw an increase in sales and traction when our videos started going viral on TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube,” she said.

“I love what I do, I find it thrilling. It was rewarding seeing the impact our product had on the community, with people telling me how the product was helping them grow, and protect their nails.

“My best advice for anyone looking into this kind of thing is to just do it. Take the first steps.

“You’ll learn on the job. I’m a good example as I didn’t study business or anything really related to it, so I learned along the way.

“Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to successful entrepreneurs, you’d be surprised at how many are willing to have a chat or help.

“They’ve spent years being good at what they do, and having access to that can be really helpful.”