Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
The thing with business is that you need to be
your calculation, need to be able to get to the
smallest unit so that you can be able to, you know,
dread down and see how to boost the number. If
you're not able to really down to the smallest unit,
(00:24):
it's much more difficult to kind of like improve the numbers.
Hi everyone, my name is Sojia. Can I be. I'm
a storyteller and a serial entrepreneur. Today I'm talking to
a creative entrepreneur like myself. It's quite exciting for me.
(00:48):
I will be exploring what she does and how it
can help her to grow a business. Hi. Mayola, it's
nice to meet you. Yeah, thanks for coming. Tell us
about yourself, about what you do on the creative side
and the buyer business.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Okay. My name is Maula and we've all.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
I'm a creative director of Got five Hours of Music
and Art and also the brand designer of Blink Teas
and More by Okay.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Blink Teas and More by Manolo. So it's all about
the blinks, correct, majorly majorly about the blinks.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Different types of principles.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Okay, African print, I presume.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
No cold prints on outfits.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Okay, okay, feeds opperarels and also get items.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Okay, So if if I get you correctly, your business
is strictly around branded opera correct, yes, okay, so it
could be anything, but you you do the brand into
the stanmdy that you provide the operator as well.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Get most time to do that.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
How long have you had this business?
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Over ten years? Right now?
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Over ten years? You know. The thing is that this
kind of business is common with creative people. It's like
a thain when it comes to the creative industry, especially
if you're a performer. Are you a performers.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Not necessarily performer? Yes? What's I think?
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Okay? And if you're not a performer, so you produce? Correct?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
So if I don't really go with the word performer
because ministers, I believe I minisi, I don't perform.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Okay, yes, okay, in the context of yeah, the creating.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Stuff, so performance yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
So I mean so the kind of this kind of
business is quite common with creatives who are permitting me
against performers. Yeah. And what was the natural thing for
you or the way the industry is?
Speaker 2 (03:02):
Well, I just tumbled into it.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Actually I was not really I didn't plan to do
it by no business and having another source of income.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
The opportunity is welcome.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
The opportunity came and I just found myself in it
and I've been enjoying it.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
That's good. So you you know in the business for
ten years, over ten years, what is been your best year?
Speaker 3 (03:26):
My best year, Well, my best year was when we
first had our major order right from a big company,
you know, and they came with multiple orders in their thousands.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
So I will say that I can imagine.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
When it comes to our business, it's turned over.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, like when you.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Just have a few others business fifty pieces and pieces,
then someone.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Say okay, no we want it.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Doesn't But also I would say that's our husband.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
I agree with you. I agree with you. So is
it is it correct to say you B two B
or B two C? Where would you categorize your business?
Or you do everything B to B B two See, Well, I.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Don't really necessarily B to be actually be to be okay,
because again that that gives you.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Multiple unit to produce, to produce multiple units at the
same time, and from understanding and correct me if I'm wrong,
it's more cost effective to produce multiple unit than to
produce and a smaller unit. I see. So what would
you see? How many kinds would you see?
Speaker 2 (04:48):
You have on the.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
Regular clients on a regular we have multiple clients actually, because.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Number on a regular is it monthly or monthly? Monthly?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Monthly? Okay? This is just some June.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
So let me say me, Yeah, I think we've had
about ten health.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Service Tank clients in yes and May. What is the
what is the average order unit?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
For for me, we had orders of like fifty T shirts,
had about ten T shirts, about forty T shirts, you know.
So let me if I'm putting maybe like about two hundred.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
On the harriage par order, what would be what would
be yeah cost? Yeah, what would be par order? How
many units par order?
Speaker 2 (05:43):
How many you need some? That's what I'm saying. I
actually called all those other.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Yeah, so you've educated them, so they're like two hundred altogether.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Came ten some game fifty something thirty you know.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
So, but do you know on the havebride so maybe
the lowest order I sort other.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
In the month of June.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
I should think about me before yes pressing. Okay, Now
talk to me about your costing because I'm thinking if
somebody comes other one hundred and the person comes and
order four, how do you do the pricing?
Speaker 3 (06:24):
So when it comes to costing for our appearls, you
know in this business, it's.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
The quantity.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Actually no, yes, mix it so definitely if you're coming
for you're ordering for about one hundred T shirts, it
can pay the same thing like someone that is ordering
for five T shirts or the T shirts.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
So how we do we have a range? So if
you're ordering like what I'm wearing right.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Now, if you're ordering for just one okay, right, and
someone that is ordering for five not being paid the
same thing and is ordering for about twenty award, they
can't be paying the same amount.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
So it's actually cheaper.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
So the pricing is yes, when you would you say
you've been able to do the pricing correctly and correctly
in such a way that you're not so changing yourself,
you're not losing out and you're not many in your profit.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Well I've read this over a period of time. I've
added my downs the business and it's actually easier now
because I know how much I can't go less than
a particular amount because everything is there.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
We have our pricing.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
You know, if you're ordering for one, So I know
that even if I'm doing one, you're going to be
paying more definitely because of you know, all the cost
of production. But I still will not lose even though
I don't. We don't really like taking orders, just want to.
But we have time with understood that sometimes just that
one is good to bring undread after.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
The client that comes to order one might come back.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
No matter what, we don't do anything that we need
to lose.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
That's that's good. My next my next question is will
be that do you have factory where you do the
printing yourself or you at source as well.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Okay, so in our office, we have some of our machines.
We have the machines that we do we run ourselves.
We have our plotter, we have our EAT transfer. It
depends on the kind of print like for this, we
do everything ourselves.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
So if it.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Comes to the d t F, we don't have the DFS,
so we have to source to get our designs at till.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
I assume that DTF is more advanced and more specialized.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Makes it very very easy, makes our work very fast.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
They have very fast you know, and if you're having
a lot of orders and you don't waste. So we
don't about DTF mission for our plota our then for
you have you.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Have Okay, so so you're not just you're not just
the middle man. You actually do the work because we
have a lot of medium Yeah get money, yeah money, yes, yeah,
maybe they do.
Speaker 3 (08:58):
Actually and I started that that too. I didn't have anything,
and that's what I tell most of us. We do trainings,
so we tell our students you don't even have to
have anything to start making money, because that was where
we started from. That's where I started from. So you
can actually start earning. Then from your profit, you can
start buying machines, yests.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Interesting that that's good. I mean one other thing I
want to also understand before and I get to the
other part of the numbers. So my parer might require
that you have to tailor them. Do you do detailer?
Speaker 2 (09:35):
So we have our tailors, yes, so we buy the purchase.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
Me. I would think there is more markets for that
than just the printing market, because the truth is that
a lot of people that want to do customized, especially
for brands. They sometimes people want the French style and
if you buy maybe a T shirt or something, you
just buy what they have and such. You know, if
(10:01):
you offer tailoring, it's kind of like an added service,
then you can able to make it.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
That's what we do.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
We tell all of our things, but I don't see that.
So obviously, yes we do that, because that's why it's customized.
Someone says, I want this particular game, but I don't
want blue, you know, I want yellow and red.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
I want to sleeved with these I want we do
everything exactly. Oh of course, fantastic.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
I mean you just you just got to say a
new client. Okay, Now let's talk about the business. So,
like you said the other time, last month, you probably
had tank clients. So is it okay to say you
have average number of clients my month is ten? Just
(10:44):
just just for if you' s on the average on
the average, yes, okay, So so which means that in
a year your service twenties or ten times twelve, so
the average. How much would you say you make park clients?
Just give me a number on average. It doesn't have
(11:06):
to be one hundred percent, accurators, How much.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Do we make park clients?
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Yes, so when they come and the purchase their their orders. Yes, okay,
So for someone that's ordering for five see profit.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
I understand, but we need to be able to get
your marginer revenue.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
So if you say maybe in a year, okay, I
can let me summarize inform particularly we need to be
able to help.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
The thing with business is that you need to be
your calculation is to be able to get to the
smallest unit so that you can be able to, you know,
draid down and see how to boost the number. If
you're not able to relate down to the smallest unit,
(11:55):
it's much more difficult to kind of like improve the numbers.
You understand, the strategy to probably get a client to
probably came to or the five to come back and
order one hundred will be different from a strategy to
to get a client to probably order for tailoring and
(12:16):
not just printing printing, you understand. So you know, we
get to know what the Imaginer spend per client is. We
can say, okay, how do we get them to spend
more or how do you get them to all them more,
or how do we get them to order them more frequently?
You understand. So, and and that's that's what I'm trying
(12:36):
to look into to see how do we unlock opportunities
for growth because again, you know in your opinion, where
do you think opportunity for growth is for you?
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Opportunity for growth, Yeah, I don't. I don't really know.
You know, when it comes out of business.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
Actually it's basically publicity, you know, and referrals. That's it,
because a lot of people like our outfits and compliment
I'll tell my friends, you know, and aultso.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
And also published.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
And I also this year we started leveraging on sponsored
adverts on Facebook and it actually increased our other rates,
although some of them were a bit skeptical, you know online.
Yeahs come sometimes I'll say, okay.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
This is it. I can just I just run.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
If you just wanted to, I will run it for you,
will send the video and tell you, okay, this is it,
you know. And so basically I think it's publicity in
the people, awareness you know of people. Then also when
you treat you be your clients right, your customers right,
they will be confident, be fed your friends, church members.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
With your communities and no, okay, So I think that's perspect.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
So so if I get you correctly, we are interpret
is that you keep providing good services so that satisfied customers.
We refer others. So you are open refer with child
edgy for you, but also satisfied customer can also come back,
so you're also trying to see return customer. So and
(14:10):
if I also get you, you said that you tested
sponsored heart and conversion was good. Others that play into
your overall cost because obviously there is the cost of heart.
I hope it doesn't it's in too much into your
into your profit magic.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
When you compare to what you're put in, what you
get actually exactly what it is actually.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Okay, that's okay, I mean, on the on the on
the So I would say because also personally, I say
you probably also need to leverage more on creative advertising
because I do think there's a lot more people who
plan that are looking for businesses. It doesn't just do printing,
(15:00):
they also do tailoring. So and how do you put
the world out there in such a way that it
kind of like positions you differently, because when you go
on the media platform, you see more of similar businesses
who does do printing, which most times they are just
(15:22):
middle men.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Yes, so.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
A company like yours probably also need to find a
way to be more feasible so that people exactly And
I think you also need to also do messaging around
tailor and customization of branded material. We also need to
be more pronounced compared to just the printing part, which
I think there is a normous opportunities there because I mean,
(15:50):
I have same friends, similar fellow entrepreneurs who are looking
for branded, customized, branded, tailored material. So but they have
to settle for just you know, just go buy T
shirt and just maintain it, which exactly which most times yeah,
(16:10):
limited designs, limited style, which most times it just doesn't
do the job exactly. So I would say there's opportunities
for you and probably maybe find a consultant is good
at advertising so that they can help you deploy something
that would be sustainable. It's just the messaging is crafting
(16:30):
the messaging. You know, once you get the messaging right,
you can still use your sponsored hard to push it
and to bring you much more client and the cost
won't be too astronomical to be quite manageable. So that
would be one advice I think can unlock growth for you.
(16:51):
I also think there should probably also be opportunities for
you when it comes to strategic partnerships, so you have
organization like impact of that kind of like house a
lot of startups, so partnering with them and be able
to kind of like get your business introduced to startups
(17:14):
will probably also give you access to more new clients.
So you need to look for strategic partners like that
we can unlock massive client for you at the same
time from the same source. Because what you realize is
that you are looking for these services but they cannot
find and you are just where you are, so so
(17:38):
you are looking for them, they are looking for you.
So in a way, you need to look for strategic
partnerships to kind of like put you in the room
where you can be able to showcase your business or
speak about your business. I think those are just the
strategy that coming to man, and I think if you
give them a short today will work. I really do
(17:59):
think it to work. They won't cost you, so you
can be rest sure that your profit margin won't be
too reduced, you know. And yeah it's okay, why not
if you have any questions for me? Oh no, no, okay,
So do I get a discoud?
Speaker 2 (18:21):
Well, it all depends on your order.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
Okay. I mean I'm putting you on the spot. Everybody
can see and can here. Do I get in discud. Yes, no, okay,
thank you, thank you, thank you. I like you straight
forward answer, definitely, all right, thank you. I'll old you
by your word. Yes, thank you so much. It's nice
chatting to you.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Thank you, all right,