Mercer University senior Prachi Patel has recently ventured into starting and sustaining her own business, PrachiHennaArt.
Patel’s major in chemical commerce, designed for students interested in the overlap of science and business, has aided in her pursuit of a longtime goal to be an entrepreneur.
PrachiHennaArt was started in November 2021, but Patel has sought out entrepreneurial endeavors as early as the age of 3.
When Patel was a junior, she realized her passion for helping people could be achieved in ways beyond her interest in medicine, so she decided to build her own brand through various goods and services.
“I sell handmade art, which includes jewelry wraps, hand-painted flowerpots, nose cuffs, candles and more,” Patel said. “My services include graphic design and illustration, custom product line design, packaging design and execution, henna art and other things.”
Patel welcomes collaborations with existing small businesses and artists and already has plans to expand her business in the future.
She is working on collaboration deals with influencers who have agreed to promote her products once her website launches. Additionally, Patel plans to relocate to Atlanta, where she has hopes of becoming a henna artist on call for celebrities.
Patel has been proactive in reaching out to creators she hopes to work with after she graduates and is pleased that many of them have agreed to aid her in pursuing her goals.
“Graduation will help me expand, as running this business while being a full-time student has been very limiting. My growth has been really organic, so I’m ready to start engaging more with my community online moving forward,” Patel said.
She intends to continue with her business long-term because to her it doesn’t feel like work.
In addition to her studies at Mercer, Patel is grateful to have learned a lot of business skills from her parents, who owned a gas station when she was young. Aside from helping them design signs for the station, she spent countless hours educating herself on entrepreneurship from YouTube videos.
Currently, Patel sets up a booth during Wednesday and Thursday markets, 3:30-6 p.m., in Tattnall Square Park, just across from the Macon campus, where community members can purchase her products.
“The market was the beginning of my business. I was able to make over $300 on my first day there, and I have been going ever since,” Patel said.
When not at the market, Patel is at The Pretty Fixx on Napier Avenue, where she does her henna work. Tina Charm, owner of the salon, not only inspired Patel but was kind enough to offer her a space in the shop where she could be around other women of color who have their own businesses.
When she graduates in May 2023, Patel plans to welcome other chemical commerce majors to intern under her if they need credits. Additionally, she encourages anyone who may be starting a business to reach out to her via linktree.
“My company motto is something a good friend once said to me, ‘If we aren’t all friends, what’s the point?,’” Patel said.
