I WAS IN PRY FIVE WHEN I STARTED ACTIVITIES OF BUYING AND SELLING
Business has always been a part of me. I was in primary five when I discussed with my friend Chidera aka ctrix on how to start buying and selling. We discussed at length over different products, discussed the possibility and the risk involved because we didn’t want our parents to find out neither the school management. We came up with popcorn business because we felt students might want to spend the forty five minutes of break with a handful of it while discussing with their friends or watching sport activities. It sounded nice but then we didn’t have the popcorn machine, recipe or even time to keep up with it daily.
Unbelievably, we came up with the idea of going to the popcorn stand at badore which was very close to our house then, we will buy from there and go back home and loosen them all into a tray and retie in our own smaller nylon and sell for #50.00 which was the exact price of the actual size we bought, hey please stop smiling!!! We had no other idea. We were making good sales and covered our capital which we got in two weeks after saving our daily lunch money, trust me we starved during those days in school and considering our age we couldn’t manage hunger in class so we would just sleep off and when caught by the class teacher, we will kneel down as our punishment, lol it’s so funny now but back then it wasn’t at all!
One way or the other my dad found out and was so mad at me and ordered me to stop because he felt I was creating the impression that I was lacking meanwhile he made sure I had all I asked for. Well, I was born into a comfortable home but then I had this pleasure I derive from business activities, I have always wanted to sell things, I enjoyed when people asked me “how much”. Back then I wasn’t even interested in the money, it was all for the passion and fulfillment I got!
IN JSS ONE I SOLD ZOBO
Trust me when I say my father almost had high blood pressure when he found out, he was like AGAIN???!
This time around I didn’t involve anybody, I watched my aunty who sells zobo for weeks and decided to steal her recipe and start my own business. I would pick up used bottles and watch then make zobo and fill them up. It was going well for two weeks until one day a parent came to school to complain that her child has been purging and she feels it is the food she buys in school. The principal called the child in question and asked her what she has been eating and she said ZOBO! Lol there was no one selling ZOBO to the best of his knowledge so he asked her where she usually buys from and she mentioned my name. I was summoned to the principal office where he immediately picked up my phone and called my dad, there and then I knew it was finished! In his exact words “HELLO SIR, ARE YOU AWARE YOUR DAUGHTER ALMOST POISONED ONE OF OUR STUDENTS? He seized the ZOBO I brought to sell for that day and gave me a warning letter which my father was supposed to sign. Funny enough I wasn’t even bothered about what was going to happen at home, I was just sad for the loss of my ZOBO, lol should I say stupid me? As expected I got a lot slaps after which he signed the warning letter.
I DECIDED TO STOP SELLING EDIBLE THINGS AND MOVED TO BRACELETS!! Lol we move!
In jss three I learnt how to make a bracelet with beads and actually write a name on it. I made for myself with the name cindy. Cindy has been my name since primary five after I acted a drama and played the Cinderella role, everyone started calling me Cinderella so I decided to cut it short as a nickname. They really liked the bracelet and wanted one for theirselves, so what I did was get a book and take down names of whoever was interested and measure their wrist so I can minimize the beads. I usually wake up midnight to start so that no one at home will catch me,lol I was only trying to avoid slaps you know. This was a very cool business because guys were buying for their girlfriends as surprise and displaying couple goals, well I couldn’t relate because I didn’t have a boyfriend or anyone who surprised me because I really didn’t role well the guys, although I had a crush on one of my senior then, Lmaoooo the crush died off eventually I got the chance to hug him, I went home smiling all day, omg I can’t even believe I was this stupid!
The business was slow after almost the whole school already had their bracelet lol I wasn’t taking orders again so I had to change plans. I was already in sss one when I was strategizing a new business and boom we relocated and I had to change school. I was so sad and cried because I missed my old friends, best friend and childhood friends.
I had to take time to adapt to my new environment and make new friends in my new school. In sss two I started baking cakes and making chin chin for sell, it was so tasty so i was making sales. In sss three I had to stop because I was a prefect so I had to avoid going against the rules to be a good leader.
I STARTED SELLING PERFUME OIL IN 100 LEVEL.
All those years I have sold things just for the fun but you see in 100 level I actually sold things to avoid brokenness!!! My parents got me foodstuffs, clothes, shoes and even pocket money. I noticed that things in school are actually quite expensive and small in quantity than usual and I love cooking. I don’t buy food from food canteen except it’s an emergency case of me being so sick that I can’t light up a stove, oh well even In sickness I still doubt!! I am very selective with food because I don’t eat fish(crayfish,stock fish, etc). When I cook for my family I would actually use them because my dad loves fish, so I will just end up dishing out a little portion for myself and cook separately. You surprised I cook for the fam? Lol I started cooking since I was primary five, my first experience was when I made stew, my mum was so shocked the way it turned out black! Oh well I was still a kid. The second trial was much better so I would say the first meal I learned how to prepare was rice and stew.
In school, I would make meals so rich and appetizing like rice and chicken sauce with fried plantain and boiled egg for lunch, breakfast might be tea and bread with fried egg garnished with corn beef. Yes I will say I was living the life! After few weeks I noticed my pocket money was almost up and definitely there was no way I could call home for money, there and then I knew I was gonna be in a mess if I continue that way.
Meanwhile, there was this woman who comes to sell perfumes in the hostel once in a while. I loved her marketing skills, I wasn’t even interested in what she was selling at first but the way she would convince you to buy and boom the whole room has gotten one for theirselves. I approached her and asked her if she needed an assistant that will help her sell. She was scared at first but after some conversation she realized it was from an open heart. She gave me an offer of making #100.00 per bottle I sell, oh well since I didn’t have enough capital so I decided to jump on it. It was a new face to the girls so when I ask if they needed they will all say no because they already know the exact amount of the perfumes. It was very difficult for me, I would move round the eight hostels and sell just five in a day, that was #500.00. I saved every bit of it and continued, normally I’m not the type of person that gives up easily, once my mind is made up all I need is time!
Daily I started selling ten bottles then twenty then thirty. I gave her the money and pleaded she adds some bottles for me in her next order, she became jealous because she wasn’t going to benefit from it anymore and decided to cut ties with me. I Had to call her after weeks and continued with her old offer till we went on Christmas break.
I went home and found out that the perfumes were cheaper in the market so I decided to use my full pocket money and my previous little savings to get some bottles. I went for beautiful bottles that were attractive because I know girls likes fancy things. I resumed and didn’t even unpack my things, I started moving round because that was the period girls just came back so they still have enough from their pocket money so one thousand naira wouldn’t have been a big deal for such beautiful product. In a week I was done with all I came back with and people were asking for more so I had no other choice than to waybill more to school. In my second semester I was the new perfume plug, the other lady had to call me and asked if I mind coming back because most people preferred my shape of bottle and my price was lower. She was scammed that period while she wanted to import from Dubai so she stopped selling for a long time. She came back with waist trainers as the new product saying it pays more than perfume, she gave me an offer of one thousand naira for each I sold so I jumped on it. I will wear one while moving around so people would always ask me where I got it from, I sold about twenty that day, that was twenty thousand naira, cool cash for actually doing nothing. All of a sudden she felt I was actually making so much and decided to cut it to five hundred naira, I refused and that was how we lost contact.
SECOND SEMESTER I SOLD SLIPPERS AND JEAN TROUSERS
I noticed girls actually likes fashion, so I returned from break with enough for them. I made sales, they were quality slippers. The trousers were always sold out because I got ash for pharmacy students, blue for med lab and black for optometry students. Along the line I sold knuckle rings, shawarma which I partnered with my friend and was selling over 100 pieces a day. I sold bags, lashes and makeup products as well.
Countless times I was vamped lol oh yeah everyone cannot like you!!! I scaled through and never got caught because there was no evidence to back up the allegations. By this time I was already a big girl lol atleast I could afford my rich meals at ease.
I took a walk one day and asked myself what exactly do you wanna stick to? I can’t be selling different things I wanted to pick something and focus on building it as a brand.
I CHOSE PERFUMES, HAIR AND LASHES
Hair was something I could advertise at ease with my face, like I loved hair business with passion but I didn’t start early because it required so much capital. Hair business is very profitable and less risky because I don’t need to look for customers in school rather they look for a vendor, not everyone could afford a startup capital so very few ladies were selling hairs. I took a loan from my mum, lol yeah a loan because I actually paid back. I got hairs and told few people who were interested to come check it out. I was known for selling quality so it wasn’t difficult to market it.
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I sold lashes I bought from the market, I wasn’t fulfilled because one way or the other I was pushing somebody’s brand not mine. I wanted to do something unique but it was just in my thought as I didn’t have money offcourse to fund it.
My perfume business was already going well because I have created a space for myself in their hearts. It was cindy’s perfume or nothing!
THE GROWTH SO FAR
I started importing hairs in my 200level first semester during the pandemic break, it was enough time for me to grow my brand, I took my instagram even more serious, I had infant brands paying me to help them advertise products. I had enough capital so I decided to start mini importation which was worth it.
My business account was arranged and I paid influencers to advertise for me, the very first influencer I paid blocked me and yeah it was scam. I was broken because every amount mattered a lot to me because I know how much I have been through to get #100.00 in a day. Oh well I have gone too far to give up so I prayed and moved on. Prayer has been my means of pouring our my heart, anytime I feel hurt I just pray and cry and feel relieved, God has always been there for me, it was so obvious his grace kept me going. I got other influencers who advertised and actually got me customers, I grew my followers from 0 to 600, I stopped being active when I traveled and had bad network in my state so I lost some followers.
Little by little I saved for my lashes and by the grace of God my dreams turned to reality. I got my brand logo on my customized lashes, so far so good it has been selling well.
My mum saw how determined I was and decided to give me a space from her warehouse for 100k a year, offer was so tempting so I jumped on it. I really spent a lot trying to furnish and beautify it to my taste. After which I sent out money for goods, I was so happy because I really wanted to stop taking goods to school because of the risk involved. During my little stay at home I stocked the store with perfumes and lashes and few hairs which I had left. I sent out money for goods few days after resumption from the money I made from an online business I ventured in (this part of the story is just vibes and inshah allah) so I prepare to skip.
Basically, I just want to tell every young girl out there that you don’t need to exchange your body for material things! It’s not worth it, your value will drop so what exactly is the use of these expensive bags and shoes without self value? Not everyone is business inclined I agree but whatever you know how to do, keep doing it, be consistent, pay off day is coming. If you are a guy out there and you feel you can’t help a lady until you get something in return, you have equally failed as a man!
I still have bigger dreams and hopefully they will be turned into reality!!!