Introduction
Romoni is the first and currently the largest salon-at-home brand in Bangladesh. Founded in 2018, Romoni provides a 360 platform for women micro-entrepreneurs in the beauty industry to start, run and grow their salon-at-home business. Romoni standardizes and facilitates the entire process by providing skills training. By positioning itself as a competitor to Sheba XYZ, Romoni set out to create an innovative solution for women seeking the convenience of salon services in the comfort of their own homes. Initially, Romoni worked with a network of freelance beauticians, who were sourced from nearby salons, ensuring customers could access personal grooming and beauty treatments with ease. However, Romoni soon faced challenges related to service quality and product consistency, leading them to re-evaluate their operational model. By January 2023, Romoni had launched its in-house operations, fully staffed with trained beauticians and equipped with branded, verified products, setting a new standard in the home beauty service sector and establishing itself as Bangladesh’s first in-house trained home-based beauty salon service.
Operational Shift: From Freelancers to In-House Beauticians
The decision to shift from freelance beauticians to an in-house model was driven by Romoni’s commitment to quality and consistency. In the freelancer model, beauticians came from a variety of backgrounds, which often meant significant discrepancies in service quality depending on the region. Some customers enjoyed exceptional service from skilled beauticians, while others received service that was inconsistent, primarily due to the varying experience levels of the freelancers. This lack of uniformity prompted Romoni to rethink its approach, leading to the creation of a fully in-house team that would maintain higher standards across the board. By bringing beauticians in-house, Romoni could now provide consistent service quality, regardless of location, setting it apart in the industry.
Another major issue with the freelancer model was the quality of products used during services. With freelancers sourcing products from their respective salons or personal collections, there was no guarantee of uniformity in the quality or authenticity of products. This was a critical concern for Romoni, as product reliability directly impacted customer satisfaction and safety. Moving to an in-house model allowed Romoni to address this by implementing strict guidelines on product use, mandating branded, verified items that enhanced both the customer experience and the company’s credibility.
Today, Romoni trains its beauticians through monthly workshops led by professional trainers. These sessions cover essential beauty and hygiene practices, ensuring that every Romoni service provider not only meets but exceeds the quality standards Romoni promises to its clients.
Growth, Achievements, and Social Impact
Beyond its core business, Romoni has continually demonstrated a commitment to social impact. Romoni’s mission is deeply rooted in women’s empowerment. By empowering women to become self-reliant, Romoni is addressing systemic economic barriers. Collaborations with global organizations, such as the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), have amplified Romoni’s impact, allowing it to break down financial barriers and provide support in accessing formal economic services. Through data-driven strategies and partnerships with banks, Romoni facilitates financial inclusion for its service providers, offering access to credit scores, loans, and essential financial services. With over 40,000 paying customers and 1,400 underprivileged women trained and employed as service providers, Romoni’s model is fostering gender equality and transforming the lives of countless women across Bangladesh.
In its first year, Romoni was selected for the United Nations’ FinTech Innovation Funding, an honor that brought additional support and visibility to its work. It also joined Accelerating Asia’s Cohort 2, a notable accelerator program for promising startups, and won the Bangladesh Brand Forum Award for Best Impact Startup, validating its role in creating social change within the beauty industry. Romoni’s impact was further acknowledged with the Swiss Embassy Social Impact Award at the Seedstars Dhaka competition. This momentum continued in 2021 when Romoni received the Impact Ready Matching Fund by Biniyog Briddhi, a fund that supports impactful enterprises, and in December 2023, Romoni was awarded the prestigious Acumen Angels Award, further cementing its position as a leader in social impact within Bangladesh.
Expansion Across Bangladesh
Building on its success, Romoni expanded its service reach beyond Dhaka to include Tongi, Gabtoli, Gazipur, Savar, and Narayanganj, as well as establishing a dedicated hub in Chittagong. This expansion was driven by the demand from customers outside Dhaka, eager to access Romoni’s quality, in-home beauty services. The expansion into new regions allowed Romoni to cater to a broader audience while staying true to its mission of providing accessible, high-quality beauty services to women across Bangladesh.
Service Process: Customer and Provider Apps
Romoni’s operational model relies on a dual-application system, designed to streamline the service experience for both customers and beauticians. Through the Romoni customer app, users can browse services, schedule appointments, and select beauticians. On the provider side, beauticians access the service provider app, allowing them to accept orders based on proximity and availability. This integrated process ensures that the right service provider reaches the right customer, optimizing efficiency and enhancing satisfaction. The dual-app system is central to Romoni’s mission of making beauty services as accessible and convenient as possible for women across Bangladesh.
Vision for the Future
At its core, Romoni is more than a beauty service provider—it’s a platform designed to celebrate womanhood. Romoni envisions expanding beyond just beauty services, aiming to create a space that supports and uplifts women through empowering content and community engagement. This vision encompasses a commitment to address all aspects of womanhood, from self-care to financial literacy and beyond.
Challenges and Concerns
Despite Romoni’s success and social impact, it faces several challenges as it grows:
One significant concern is that Romoni’s plan to open physical salon locations and launch its own line of signature beauty products could dilute its established brand identity. Romoni’s core appeal is rooted in the convenience and personalized experience of at-home services. A shift towards physical salons may risk confusing customers or even losing its unique market position. Romoni will need to strategically position its physical locations to ensure they complement, rather than contradict, its brand as a trusted home-salon service provider.
Another challenge relates to safety concerns for Romoni’s in-house beauticians who travel to various locations to provide services. Some customers provide addresses in potentially unsafe or unverified areas, posing risks to service providers’ safety. Additionally, misunderstandings and disputes between customers and beauticians can arise, with no means to verify or resolve disagreements. For example, if a disagreement occurs during a service, neither party has a reliable way to document what happened, complicating dispute resolution.
Romoni is considering implementing a “Service Timer” feature along with live tracking within the provider app, which would automatically record audio during service appointments, offering a record of interactions. While this feature could enhance transparency and safety, it also raises concerns about customer privacy, potentially leading to a decline in customer trust. Ensuring customers understand that this feature is for safety, not surveillance, will be crucial to its acceptance.
Conclusion
Romoni is a groundbreaking platform that not only redefines the beauty service industry in Bangladesh but also deeply cares for womanhood. By championing women’s empowerment, economic inclusion, and entrepreneurship, Romoni strives to be a comfort zone where women can find not only beauty services but also a sense of security, independence, and personal growth. Through its innovative service model, strong partnerships, and dedication to social impact, Romoni is more than just a salon service provider—it’s a transformative force promoting gender equality and financial independence. By continuously addressing challenges with thoughtful solutions and staying true to its mission, Romoni is committed to creating lasting change and being a place where women can thrive and feel empowered across Bangladesh.