30. Scrub Lab
The Nguyen sisters founded Scrub Lab in 2020 to create garments that work as hard as the people wearing them. See their Smart50 rank.
Revenue: $2.5 million
Growth: 49%
Founders: Lihn Nguyen, Van Nguyen
Head office: Truganina, VIC
Year founded: 2020
Employees: 4
Industry: Retail
Website: scrub-lab.com
How Scrub Lab started
Sister Lihn and Van Nguyen subscribe to the theory that what you wear affects not only how you feel but how you perform. With that in mind, shouldn’t healthcare workers be able to suit up in the kind of gear that enables them to be their very best as medical professionals? The Nguyen sisters founded Scrub Lab in 2020 to create garments that work as hard as the people wearing them – items of clothing that are functional, durable and stylish.
Growth
The Nguyens faced a learning curve when getting Scrub Lab up and running, particularly when it came to stock levels. They didn’t know how to forecast demand initially – ordering items they thought were selling well and what they predicted their customers would want to buy. Eager to find a more effective method of stock management, Scrub Lab found a solution in the Inventory Planner app, which was integrated in Shopify. Taking advantage of this meant Scrub Lab was forecasting sales, trends and stock levels a year in advance.
Where to next
Scrub Lab has its eye on the US market, allocating $50,000 for advertising to get the company’s foot in the door. Between its unique scrubs and the sheer size of the American healthcare industry, the Nguyen sisters believe the sky’s the limit. But Scrub Lab is also keen to build and celebrate its community of medical workers locally, with plans to stage events that celebrate the sector’s hard work and dedication to duty.
