Blog - November 15, 2017

Day 15: The November Happiness Challenge

I have paused my business for a while now. A lot of people know that I started a business of selling wide leg pants some time ago some months ago. It’s been a beautiful ride as many people have really supportive and even those who don’t have a direct need for what I sell find a way to be a part of the hustle in one way or the other. For this, I really am thankful. It gives me great joy when I get messages from people requesting for Pallazos. Some even tell me they have never tried wearing it but my pieces make them get interested in trying out the option. How more encouraging can things get? Recently, I got a 9-6 job and it has not been convenient juggling this with my business. In case you guys don’t know, selling stuff requires a lot of time and attention. It is not something you think you would do for a bit and go to sleep. No. You have customers who want responses as fast as they send inquiries and some of them even want items delivered right away. For me, there is a process to selling and dispatching these items and I will explain it below for you guys to understand. First, I source for Fabrics. Because I am particular about selling only good stuff, I make sure to look for the best fabrics. I used to get them from a particular customer in Ibadan and he would send me picturs where I pick but after a while, I realized that I  could not figure out the exact kind of fabric from just pictures. They might look really fancy in pictures and then turn out to be textures I wouldn’t like. I then decided that all fabrics would be gotten by me and this would make me sure of what will be sold to people. My mantra always is that I would never sell what I wouldn’t wear so this guides all the collections I roll out. Hence, I source the fabrics myself and this might sometimes take days where I go to the market and walk the whole environ. Then I send them to my tailors (I have two of them but I am willing to expand). My mum picks for me at the park and gives to the respective tailors. I would have called them in advance to exchange ideas on what production would be like and the duration it would take. They get the fabrics and start work. After this is done, I get the first set with a sample of each design sent back to me in Abuja (My mum does this sending again). I then do a product shoot sometimes with the help of friends who turn themselves to models for me. I get these pictures and roll them out to the public to make their pick. I sometimes have to send these samples back to y mum because the people who want it might not be in Abuja at all. When someone places an order, my mum packs and then goes to the park to dispatch. Many of my customers are in Lagos so the bulk of the clothes go there. I call up a friend to help me pick at the park and then I organize a delivery person to pick at the friend’s house. This delivery person then dispatches to the different addresses of customers. This same process goes for the different locations and for the places where I don’t have friends who could help in pick up at the park, I convince the customers to try pick them up themselves. For those living in Ibadan, I tell them to pick up at the house or hook up with my mum to pick, she then has to take the different pieces with her to work where people go to pick it.  For the Abuja deliveries, mum sends to the park, I go there to pick with the help of Mr. Amazing and then we go to deliver to respective customers’ houses (Sometimes we have to go really early so we meet up with the driver). Whew! So much work right? Note that the process above can be done as many times as possible before a collection finishes and then another comes. My mum is the backbone and everything of this small business I run and I really do not know how to pay her back. Fam! I have tried to explore inter state delivery options but then none has looked promising so far. For this, I would welcome suggestions on what platforms can be used for this. If you know any delivery service that can send items from Ibadan to any part of the country without hitches, please let me know, I’ll be glad to get their services. I am willing to go all pout to make the delivery process easier and relieve my mum of all the stress she goes through. She is not getting younger and I really don’t like how I have to bother her everytime, even though she does it without any complaint and with the best smile ever. Furthermore, I have gotten messages from people telling me they want me to sell other clothing items asides Pallazos because they love the clothes I wear (I am blushing). I have said No for a while, because I believe I am trying to build this brand and what I am selling is mainly Pallazos. When almost everyone in Nigeria hears of the brand, then I can take a leap to other spaces. Lol. However, the constant requests and me having to say No have made me have a rethink so I have decided to take that leap right now. What do you guys think of an Omotolaniee brand that does beautiful dresses, pallazos (definitely), kimonos and Tunics? Of course at really reasonable rates. Let me know what you think. All these are reasons I have had to pause my  business and I am promising everyone that In sha Alla, Omotolaniee is coming back better, bigger and more than ready to kick it. I trust you all to be a part of this project and I hope to never disappoint you. Here is a sneak peek of one of the designs coming through in the new collection. You saw it here first! Today, I want us to reflect and think of that one grudge we have held against someone. I want us to FORGIVE. You know how big I am on this and how I never fail to touch it during the yearly challenge. I know it might be hard but please forgive that person who has wronged you. Accept their apology even if they are not giving it and understand that you are being the better person and saving yourself from the stress of non forgiveness. That friend who betrayed you? Forgive her. That Ex who did you wrong? Forgive. That family member who trampled on you? Forgive them.  Please forgive and if possible, reach out to them to let them know that they are forgiven. Who knows? They might not even be aware of their inadequacies or mistakes. Please forgive. I’ll be back. BOS

Comments (24)

  1. November 15, 2017

    Wow! Running a business is no joke!!! All this stress just for a little profit. May Allah SWT bless your hustle. Personally for me I would want you to stick to palazo because so many people are already into others it will make your brand unique but business wise there is always room for growth and expansion. If your customer want it, give it to them the most important thing is that you are making the money. So go for it! BarakAllahu feeh 🤗😘😘😘

    • November 15, 2017

      Sis! You have said it all. Running a business is very stressful and many times, the profit isn’t all that. But Allah’s mercy abounds. Amin to your prayers.

  2. Zeenat

    November 15, 2017

    See you looking like a million bucks 😘😘
    I think expanding d brand is a really good idea and I think u should go for it.
    I try not to hold grudges for too long cos it tends to affect my attitude and even robs me of peace of mind
    So I try to forgive as much as I can.If Allah can forgive us when we sin who are we not to do same

  3. ILIAS

    November 15, 2017

    This is wonderful, may Almighty Allah bless your hustle and ours too. All the best to your new line,

  4. Kizzle

    November 15, 2017

    Your mum is the Mvp, I know I have said it severally. Try konga or DHL. It’s a bit pricey but they do doorstep delivery.

    • November 15, 2017

      Thanks Ronke. Aww really? Will check them. Thank you

  5. Vivian

    November 15, 2017

    Waoo nice one….pls i will sujest u look for a young relation to do that because all this delivery agencies are no longer trusted. So many evil things they do. But adding other things its a good idea but one thing first.

    ……..forgiveness…..nt easy though but with Gods help.

  6. Ameerat

    November 15, 2017

    You’re really doing a great job dear. Expanding the brand will be a good idea… Omotolaniee to the world!! More grease to your elbow.

  7. Shay

    November 15, 2017

    Your palazzo is nice!! I would definitely need more from you. You’re doing a really good job. On forgiveness, the only person i have a grudge against right now is incommunicado so no way to reach out even though I’ve forgiven.

    • November 15, 2017

      Thanks a lot sis, glad you love them. Aww, as long as you have forgiven, I think that is the most thing that matters.

  8. Abdulhammed

    November 15, 2017

    Even the beautiful smile will help sell the pants and may God always make it easy for you. Try #sendus for delivery in ib, & make enquiries about other state. I find it hard not to forgive whoever has offended me though have seen it been taken for granted so many times but I do mine for God

    • November 15, 2017

      Aaamin. Thank you so much. I’ll look out for them. It is also good that you have a spirit of forgiveness

  9. Abdulhammed

    November 15, 2017

    Twiter: @SendUsVendors . Sendusvendors.com

  10. waliyulah

    November 16, 2017

    The prospect of the Omotolaniee brand is limitness, I think time is right for expansion. May the good Lord make it easy. Forgiveness? Not easy but very important. I don’t remember holding a grudge against any one though, at least at this moment.

  11. F

    November 16, 2017

    For now, I think you should continue with palazzos. There aren’t a lot of people doing that. Another thing you could add is tunics, not a lot of people are in that line. But dresses? Naah, they’re too too much Jare.

  12. November 16, 2017

    I will definitely get one of these sets in sha Allah,You look so beautiful!!!I think you should stick with the palazzo for now like you rightly said,when the awareness is bigger than it is now other products can join.I find it hard forgiving people but I have been working on it and I am def going to reach out to someone today and forgive her..Thanks for task .

  13. Rahmart

    November 17, 2017

    Your mum is really trying….. Expanding the brand won’t be a bad idea. Keep soaring!

  14. Desola

    November 18, 2017

    I can’t wait for the Omotolaniee Kimono’s, it would be cool if you do Kimono’s too. For interstate dispatch you can try GIG, I have used their services a couple of times.

  15. Toyeen

    November 25, 2017

    Ma sha Allah, I’m swooning over that pallazo.
    I’m not in the place to tell you what to branch into because I haven’t patronized you yet. But I’ve always thought adding jumpsuits to your collection would be very nice. Pallazo jumpsuits…not sure if that’s right.

  16. April 19, 2018

    The pant is gorgeous. Does it come in black?

Leave a Reply to F Cancel reply