She holds a BSC in Psychology and a masters degree in Information Systems, University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom- a trained IT specialist.
women-in-business-pixHer contributions in the sector have not gone unnoticed as she has won several awards such as Fashion Icon of the year! Although her husband gave her the initial start-up capital to establish her business, she has taken the lace fabric business to a whole new level in Nigeria.
In this interview with Esther Onyegbula she talks about how she channelled her passion into business, went into lace fabric importation and sales, the journey so far, challenges and the future.
Genesis
Actually I started the beads over ten years ago after my youth my service but I started the fabrics aspect of the business a few years back after I came back from aboard. After I started the importation and sales of luxury lace fabric I decided to incorporate my beads into the business, in order to make the outfit a one stop outlet for women’s fashion needs.
We stock high end products like, Swiss and Austrian laces, Atiku polished laces, French laces, Italian shoes and bags at affordable wholesale and retail prices. Apart from these we offer training in bead works as a way of empowering. My beads have put me in the lime light and helped me to sell my fabrics. When clients come in for their lace fabrics they are like do you have a matching bead? Sometimes if I don’t have it I take their orders and make for them.
So far so good?
The business has grown more than how I started; it has been a learning process all the way.
Business so far has been good, sometimes it is quiet, and sometimes it is not, especially during festive seasons because lace fabrics are not food stuff.
Our lace fabrics are the regular ones but of high brand, we do more of Swiss and Austrian lace fabrics because our brand is exclusive, not for everyone. We make beads based on what my client want. Most times I create my designs; I try to improve on basics and regular designs you find around. Over the years this has paid off.
What are the challenges peculiar to the terrain?
Sometimes sales is very dull because of the brands we stock which are expensive. The lace fabric business strives on having a strong contact base for you to make good sales, because Nigerians want to know your brand quality before identifying with peculiar brands, not things that are mass produced
The exchange rate affects the business, as it is now. The falling rate of the naira is not good for the business. We still buy at the same price outside the country but the exchange rate makes the price to go up when they get here, and clients complain; and it takes a lot of conviction.
Factors hindering women from venturing into business
Most times the hindrance is lack of passion. For every business to strive and succeed, you need quality dose of passion, and if you are passionate about what you are doing you will go places. Women must be creative in harnessing their passion and turning it into a money making venture. Some women don’t want to leave their comfort zones. You know every business has its risks; most women are laid back when it comes to taking business risk. For a start women should start leaving their comfort zones to venture into what they are passionate about and launch out.
Although the economy too is not friendly for small and medium scale business owners, we have businesses established and run by women that are doing well while we have women who run down their business.
Impact of participating in and organizing runways on the brand?
It allows models to show off my stuff on the runway. I want people to see my work and fabrics on the runaway. It is a way of advertising my brand to the Nigerian market. Remarkably, the runway has made my brand known to so many people; we have lots of clients that start patronizing us after shows. It is an eye opener for me; it has exposed me to a lot of things in the industry. The runway has taken my business to the next level. At the moment I am thinking of having a clothing line.
Over the years you have won several awards- how do you feel about them?
These awards keep me constantly on my toes, they make me strive for excellence in all I do knowing that people see and appreciate our works and contributions. The appreciation makes me feel great and gives me strength to do more.
What is the future of this business?
In the future I would have spread my tentacle all over Nigeria and in some West African countries. I am also working towards my clothing line. The sector is a vast sector with lots of opportunities; I am currently putting necessary structures in place.
Do you think that the fashion industry offers Nigerians more opportunities than football?
These are two different sectors, with varying impact on Nigerians, at the moment, I believe fashion is taking Nigerians to places- we have various fashion weeks abroad; we have Nigerian fashion entrepreneurs participating in different runways Europe. We have renowned Nigerian designers generating wealth, creating employment opportunities. The future of the sector is very bright because it has enormous capacity of significance contributing to the economy and it’s viable if only the government would invest in the sector. Our designers are competing favourably with their foreign counterparts.
In what ways can the government empower the sector?
I think the government can do so much by creating an enabling environment that allows small and medium scale business to flourish; provide incentives for entrepreneurs in the sector, and also create regulatory policies that are business friendly. Also the government should regulate the influx of Chinese products into the country.
In the aspect of women empowerment, the government must aggressively reach out to women entrepreneurs through its women empowerment scheme, with specifically tailored projects. Corporate organisations like banks should make it a little bit easy for female entrepreneurs to access financial facilities with moderate interest rates.
