Pamela Laird: ‘Our safety assurance is done in the UK. That may no longer be valid after Brexit’

Pamela Laird

Dublin entrepreneur Pamela Laird is the driving force behind Moxi Loves, an innovative beauty business which currently sells its products through Penneys and over 900 pharmacies and retail outlets in Ireland.

“We are in Primark and Dunnes, and we are also selling into Germany through the QVC shopping channel, and into Spain through an online retailer,” says Pamela, who some may know as a contestant on BBC show The Apprentice.

In fact, Pamela had an earler hiccup in the UK market, having decided to phase out the Eye Catcher liquid-filled cotton bud product she launched there in 2017. She shut her product down ahead of new EU rules on single-use plastics coming into force.

She has relaunched with the help of the Local Enterprise Office. Her latest product is the Powder Pod Cleanser. The pods are filled with a powder with exfoliating, cleansing and hydrating properties.

The products are performing well, she adds.

“We are doing extremely well with new products. We are in Penneys and have just launched into Primark. We are in most of the group pharmacies in Ireland and have launched into Dunnes.

“We also sell through a number of Irish distributors. My ambition is to be back in the UK by January.”

That ambition means Brexit could be an issue.

“Brexit is definitely something on my mind,” says Pamela. “I took part in the LEO Prepare Your Business for Customs workshop earlier this year and that was really interesting. It made me aware of a lot of things I hadn’t thought of.

“Our safety assurance is done in the UK, for example. That might no longer be valid after Brexit. The course is a great eye opener. It helps you make sure you’ve got all the boxes ticked when it comes to something like Brexit.”

Even if you are not exporting to the UK yet, you soon might be. The LEO workshop helps you to ask the right questions and prepare better.”

Her future plans involve continued innovation and expansion.

“I have a new product coming out,” she says. “It’s eco-friendly and is something that’s not currently available on the Irish market.”