ROD: It wasn’t easy at the initial stage because
people didn’t know the brand and were
skeptical of the quality and its availability. My
clients are people who have the taste for good
products and high quality customer service
and relationship which I go out of my way to
satisfy. I always go in for the best fabrics to
produce my stuff; I never compromise on that.
Also, to get customers glued to my brand at
all time I build a lasting friendship with them
and meet them at the point of their needs. A
customer can call me at 2am to deliver shoes
or a shirt because he’s going out of the country
in the next hour, I can’t say no. Consumers will
always stick with you and recommend you
to friends if you make their satisfaction your
priority.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced
in this industry?
ROD: Some designers didn’t want to do
business with me because I was black and
from Africa. It was heart breaking but hey!
I am used it now. I remember there were
times I changed my accent to that of an
African American in order to deal with these
designers.
How are you taking advantage of social media
platforms to boost your business?
ROD: I wasn’t on any social media platforms
until some few months ago. I thought my
target audience was not active users of those
platforms. But after seeking the advice of a
friend I decided to sign up. Now we are very
active on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
And the benefits have been tremendous; I get
surprised when people from the Northern
Region call to buy from me after they saw my
works on my social media pages.
Have you achieved your aim of owning a
business?