We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Esther Salata. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Esther below.

Alright, Esther thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

My family immigrated to the United States from Mumbai, India when I was seven years old. From that point on, my parents instilled in me a strong work ethic. They taught me that if you work hard, you will be successful in anything you do. No matter how hard an obstacle seems, I always think back on what they had to overcome. I have carried that with me throughout my education and career. I now use that to drive my business, Benesafe Solutions. Growing up, I saw my parents struggle to find stable jobs, they did not have degrees from the U.S. which made it harder for them to find fulfilling employment. They had to be re-trained and re-educated to get sustainable employment. They did all of this while raising two children (my brother and I) and managing all the extracurricular activities we were in. My parents taught me so much throughout my life and they continue to guide me through my life today. They are the most impactful people in my life.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Esther Salata and I am the owner and founder of Benesafe® Solutions. I created this business and products to solve the problem of mosquitoes in my backyard. I was fed up with personal sprays and other devices that did not seem to actually solve the problem of annoying mosquitoes long-term. I wanted to treat my property for the biting insects, however, the products I found locally had ingredients and warning labels that concerned me. When looking at existing products, I thought, “How are ingredients that I could not pronounce and how can warning labels that made claims of killing more than what was targeted pests be sold in these stores?” I wanted to find a way to treat my property for the problem while using a product that was safe to use around my dog Benny, when I could not find such a product in the market, I created one, hence the name, Benesafe® Solutions. My educational experience is in conservation and environmental science. I’m passionate about sustainability and my career has been focused on environmental education. Teaching people why it’s important to conserve and protect the environment is my life goal. The reason I started the business was to solve a problem. I created a product that was in line with my personal values. Benesafe® products are made from plant-based ingredients that are proven to be effective in treating mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks. Our product is tested to be as effective as the leading synthetic brand in the market. Our goal is to be the next household backyard bug spray brand that people turn to when treating their property.
I’m very proud to be a minority-woman business owner in the pesticide manufacturing field. I hope to continue to bring change to this industry and make a positive impact on the lives of those who uses our products.
If you are looking for a safe alternative to treat your property for mosquitoes, consider using Benesafe® Solutions. Learn more at www.benesafesolutions.com
Be sure to follow us on social media!
We hope you join us in our commitment to using eco-friendly products.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I started Benesafe® Solutions because I wanted to solve the problem of mosquitoes in my backyard. What initiated the business was when I was part of a mass layoff from my job. I did not know what to do at the time and felt completely defeated. The layoff was unexpected and was not done in a way that I felt was respectful. It hurt and the time and energy I put towards my job seemed like it was for nothing. When I think about resilience I think back to that time, the time when I felt I was worthless because of how easily a company was able to let me go.
I had the idea of creating a pest control spray for my yard the summer before being laid off but did not pursue the idea because of my commitment to my job. I took all my anger and frustration from the life changing experience and channeled that into creating a business that valued what I stood for which was being sustainable, being impact driven, and being effective at solving a problem.
Since then, I’ve moved from Pennsylvania, where I started the business to Ohio where I had to restart the business and create a new network. I have experienced setback after setback but I have resilience which the ability to keep moving forward. When a setback occurs, you might feel like defeat is the only way to move forward, but I encourage you to only admit defeat on a good day, never make that decision on a bad day. I believe we all possess the ability to persevere and create positive changes even when it seems impossible.
My advice is to maintain a network of people who you can fall back on when you are not feeling your best, tap into this network when needed. We all need cheerleaders and remember, owning a business is not easy, but you have to get out there to find ways and utilize resources to make it easier.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

One strategy that’s worked for Benesafe® Solutions is going to vendor fairs, networking events, and community programs. We set up a booth for our business to share our brand and our products. We attend local networking events focused on entrepreneurs and business owners. We volunteer with organizations in our community as well as make donations to organizations in need. It’s important for a small business to have a community focus. At the start of any small business, involvement in the local community should be a priority. No one will support you like your local community, so get out there and meet them! Be sure to give back, participate, volunteer, and form lasting relationships with organizations whose values align with your values. I believe that when people know, like, and trust you, they will support your business and product. They will even go a step further and share your business and product with their network. The goal is to have a customer base of people who are willing to share their experience with the product.
Get out there, make connections, and always express your gratitude to everyone who helps you along the way. No small business can be successful alone. For me, it has been the assistance of mentors, friends, and family that has helped grow the business and I’m forever grateful for their continued support.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://benesafesolutions.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benesafesolutions/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benesafesolutions
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/benesafesolutions/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3ttbYDIWCmLu7wWwf_OYbA