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How I turned my side hustle into my main business after losing my job

 

I started my business in 2016 as a side hustle.  My startup capital was Sh200,000. Initially, I used to sell new clothes from Kampala, Uganda, but due to Covid – 19 travel restrictions, the supply went down, and forced my business into the second hand clothes market for affordability and uniqueness.


I am a social worker by profession.  I had been in employment for 11 years, and used to run my business as a side hustle. I went into full time business after losing my job. My social work skills have come in handy when serving my customers. I have become very aware that women don’t shop for clothes because of lack. Women love to look unique. My driving force to start this business was also an urge to provide an alternative for unique, quality and affordable clothing.

It took me 6 years to break even. I previously had a business that failed because of Covid. I didn’t give up. I changed tact and started my clothing business in the middle of the restrictions. This was a time when the government had banned second hand clothes.  This ban quickly became my biggest challenge. There was a short supply of suppliers and it took quite some time to get a reliable supplier at the right wholesale price.


My biggest money mistake was starting a business with a loan. Almost all my sales went to repaying the loan, especially when business was down. I was forced to survive on loans for the business to thrive. Over time this has changed and my business is self-reliant.


I got a scholarship by US Embassy to be trained on entrepreneurship in one of their programmes (Academy for Women Entrepreneurs). Through this training, I realised that I was driving my business without the skills to run it as properly as I should have. I learned about marketing skills, how to price my products, record keeping among others. Currently I have a business plan in place for my venture and have seen accelerated growth.


There are certain things I would change if I were to reboot my business journey. I would do a thorough feasibility study before starting the business to determine its success. Key areas I would look into are financial, market, operational and technical aspects.  I had a challenge navigating through the second hand clothes market. When you’re a rookie, you don’t truly comprehend that you need to be at Gikomba Market as early as 3am. Then there’s the sale language you need to be assimilated into. Add brokers in the mix and you’re lost. Due to these challenges, I would find myself without adequate supplies in my shop. This meant no sales which resulted in loss of many customers. 


Previously before I enrolled for entrepreneurship training, I used to plough back all the money in the business. Currently, as an employee of the business, I am paying myself a salary and I am now able to do personal investments.


When in employment don’t settle in a comfort zone. My side hustle really saved the day when I lost my job. Get a side hustle but run it so independently from your job that it doesn’t end up affecting your contractual obligations to your employer. When doing business, do it out of passion and not purely for money. In business, there are some really bad days, and if you’re not in it out of passion, it will be very easy for you to quit when things get tough.     BY DAILY  NATION   

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