Young entrepreneur earns a living by showcasing her creativity
Twenty-five-year-old vendor behind Forever Handmade Crafts Simoné van Zyl creates unique resin items for all tastes as a means of expressing the inner workings of her mind.
Born and raised in Nelspruit, Simoné has always been in touch with her creative side but it was not until two years ago that she decided to use it as a source of income.
“I saw such interesting items being made with resin and was immediately intrigued by the process,” says Simoné.
In 2019 Simoné bought her very first resin kit but could not find the time to dedicate herself to learning the art.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, she decided it was the perfect opportunity to use all the time she had to master the craft.
“When lockdown hit, I slowly started playing around with the medium and I have been hooked ever since,” Simoné says.
Simoné is in the process of expanding her line of resin accessories while working on her handmade soaps and plans to add candles to her store.
While she mainly caters for women looking for a one-of-a-kind statement piece, she is working on expanding her market to cater for men as well.
“I want to give my customers variety and make something they will not easily find in a shop around town,” she says.
Simoné allows her creativity to run wild when starting a new project and loves watching the faces of her market customers light up when they find something they like.
“Seeing people so happy with an item and knowing I am the one who created it gives me such satisfaction in what I do.”
While single-handedly running her own business is no easy task, Simoné always strives to make her customers’ happiness her top priority.
“I do not think people always understand how much time, money and effort go into running a small business, especially if you want to be successful,” she says.
With a solid support system of friends to lend a hand and offer encouragement, Simoné focuses on building her empire on persistence, positivity, and kindness above all.
