Dutch born Oscar de Vries was inspired by his own mother when he partnered with Beehive Industries, a not-for-profit social enterprise supporting seniors and people living with a disability.
His company, Oscar Razor, is an Australian-owned alternative to Dollar Shave Club, offering razors and complimentary skincare via a subscription or on demand. By contracting Beehive Industries for its logistics, Oscar Razor helps fund important social support programs including training opportunities, for people in need.
“I’m an only child and moved to Australia over 20 years ago,” says de Vries. “My mother in The Netherlands spent the last few years of her life on her own and I wished she’d had a place like Beehive to go, so it’s an issue close to my heart.
According to a 2015 report published by Aged & Community Care Services Australia (ACSA), a lack of social relationships is as strong a risk factor for mortality as smoking, obesity or lack of physical activity.
Social isolation is not an issue restricted to Australia. In January 2018 the UK government appointed a Minister for Loneliness to tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in the UK.
“The more we sell, the more revenue Beehive generates, so it’s a great partnership. We’re up against the world’s biggest razor brand in Gillette, but customers love us. We now have over 2,000 reviews with an average 4.8-star rating and are the highest-rated razor on ProductReview.com.au, so I am confident that we match them on quality and we beat them on cost and convenience with free home-delivery.”
De Vries has big dreams, aiming to become Australia’s favourite shave brand. To achieve this the business is launching an equity crowdfunding campaign, which end 1 September, to raise the necessary capital (up to $3 million) to grow the business.
“With such high customer satisfaction, we decided to offer everyone the opportunity to invest from as little as $50. We feel that this is the best way to take on Gillette and keep the profits in Australia.”
