Hows the weather in your area? If you’re not a Nigerian, you cannot appreciate harmattan. I mean, that’s about the coldest season we have when some are enjoying winter chills.
During this season, the weather is dry and a bit cold in the early and late hours. The afternoon sun is however not kidding cos it gets so hot.
You see why I said you can’t deal with this if you’re not Nigerian. Yet we enjoy the combo weather so much that we want long sleep during this season.
Back to our style talk, how do you dress up and make the best of this once in a year brief season.
If you’re like me, it’s the time to dig up those layered clothes and rock them.
A perfect season for kimonos.
Why Kimonos? Because they are your best friend when the weather does a bipolar switch by noon. Just pull off your overall and enjoy in your summer top and pants 👖 or slacks. Leggings are great choices, get the rooms that won’t show off your inner wears especially if you’re going to workplace.
What can you wear under your kimonos long and short?
1. Shorts and tops
2. Leggings and tops
3. Midi dresses
4. Short dresses
5. Long dresses
The list goes on. Just style up and look amazing for yourself.
Don’t forget to use some cool fragrances, smell good hmmmmmmm.
You can buzz me to order from my beautiful kimono collections, you will definitely want to order more for you and your friends.
welcome back to ,my blog and i am Aderonke Olubanjo, the Principal instructor of a leading Fashion College in Nigeria, an EDI (Entrepreneurship Development Institute) for the Central Bank of Nigeria under the AGSMEIS scheme, i am also a Unisex Fashion Designer – cap with many feathers right? well, it all started one day and with just one step too.
MY NAME IS ADERONKE
I get asked a lot of times about how i started, well, i started with just 1 step. when people say they started from zero, i pause to think, really? nah… we just call zero like that, its not really zero, everyone of us started with one step, it could look like nothing to you, but you bet it, its 1.
it could be as small as a decision, an interest, a thought, a plan, a wish or even something you like about someone. That’s your step 1. I started with that step 1 too. if i did, you can too.
If you are thinking about starting your own business now, no matter what field it is, let me just drop some few tips for today.
What practical steps have you taken to analyze the problems in your field? the problems are there, and you will need to look at them critically. How can you solve them? if you only look at the juicy parts of the business, when the cloudy days come, they will shake your stand.
Have you also sat to ask yourself how much exactly you will need to start the business?
if you have a mapped out vision board, this is where it comes to play.
what does your dream business look like? I strongly believe in the “Big Picture” If you don’t have it, your focus might be shifting here and there.
The Big Picture guides your steps as you build the business from day one, it makes the navigation easier.
WHERE SHOULD I LOCATE MY BUSINESS?
let me just say – Where you are wanted / needed.
don’t put your business where the competition is too tight or choky and unhealthy.
You need a good plan that is practicable. not some adopted resources that works for someone abroad, can it work in our own business environment?
Don’t rely on resources alone, can it work where you are?
Are you ready to give it all it takes. the ride has not been smooth and jolly for me, nor any other business owner you know. It takes a lot to start and a lot more to run it.
The topic sounds a tiny lil‘ bit somehow, right? Yeah. I thought same too, but read on and decide at the end which path is cool by you.
We hear a lot of ‘forgive and forget’, and don’t remind me of how the church and ‘Spirikoko’ people always say this almost when the topic of forgiveness is being preached.
If only we knew that this has made many people cover up wounds that still hurt for decades, years, months.
Before you crucufy me, Wait!
Forgiveness is the message of love, the message of being a Christian but it’s okay to remember. I have seen that forgetting has made many of us fall into the same ditch over and over because we think seeing people from the perfect point of view makes them perfect. No one is perfect, no one will be.
If you have been hurt, one of the keys that will keep you from falling into the ditch again is – Do Not Forget Where You Fell.
Don’t discard the pain because you don’t like the scars, afterall the scars are the reminders of what you survived.
Fold it and tuck it as a reminder to tell others your story, if you survived it, they will.
Hiding your pain under the cloak of ‘forgiveness’ is like self deceit. It’s okay to be vulnerable. I have now realised that the more you speak about it – to help others , not to gossip-, the more the pain fades away.
Someone will need that evidence someday to find themselves too.
But………. As long as you are wise enough to understand the fine line between “forgive but remember” and unforgiveness.
Unforgiveness is not the message, the message is Remember and help others and yourself to heal.
As a fashion business owner, I can boldly say there is no “one way suits all”, but one thing I am sure of is, there are clues that will always remain evergreen helpful and these are the tips i am sharing with you in this post.
1. HAVE A GOAL
Goals are like the plan builders follow to build. If there is no set plan, you won’t know where you are at each stage of your business. Goals are not meant to scare you or make you feel you are not where you should be. Instead they should be the pointers as you grow daily on the steps to take
Don’t just have goals like “I want to be successful, I want to be the best”. These are vague goals. Be specific. How successful? What is your dream office like? What is your dream lifestyle? ….. have defined goals. If you’ve ever heard about SMART GOALS,the first S stands for SPECIFIC.
2. YOU DONT HAVE TO TAKE UP EVERY JOB THAT COMES YOUR WAY
You may not understand this as a starter, but trust me, not all jobs are yours. If you cannot handle it, don’t take it. Your reputation is at stake if you don’t get things right.
Learn to say no wisely and smartly. Some offers may be tempting, if it is not easy to fix into your schedule, let it go. Money can be a bait, think about your brand and reputation always. Also, think about Yourself. We often forget to consider ourselves in the midst of making money, don’t fall for this. The aftermath is not always good.
3. DONT WORK FOR FREE / GIVEAWAYS
People like freebies, don’t encourage them. If they like you, they should encourage you by paying and supporting your small business . You will hear statements like “Can you make an outfit for me so I can test your skills”.
Don’t make freebies a foundation of your business. People support small businesses by patronising them, encourage this to avoid getting your friends and family rely on you for freebies. Except you have decided to make your business an NGO.
4. USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
I hear people say “I don’t like social media, I am not social media savvy” This is not the time and age for this kind of thought. The first place some potential clients will check are your social media handles. Don’t leave it dry.
Post, Post, Post. Build it step by step. Work on your social media presence. Don’t force it, it is a gradual step. And you do not have to Post everyday, do it as it suits your schedule, the most important thing is, don’t leave your social media pages dry.
5. LOOK AROUND AND LEARN
Follow those who know the way, not just those you think are on the way. There is a difference between someone walking and someone walking with focus.
In your chosen industry, look around and learn from the successful people around you. There is no reason to stop learning and developing yourself. Every knowledge is a plus. Learn from their posts, success stories etc. You don’t have to have their physical presence before you can learn, there are ways to understudy and learn from afar.
Click the link below to get more tips from my YouTube channel.
If you are new to my blog, welcome here. This is the place I share my tips and ideas about sewing and business generally.
My name is Aderonke Olubanjo and I am the Principal Instructor of the leading fashion college in Oyo State Nigeria – Ibadancity Fashion College.
I also run a unisex and kids fashion label- Dgvstyles. You can search these 2 names on Facebook and Instagram to see more of what I do.
Today I want to share few tips that helped me improve my sewing. We all know sewing is an interesting and creative art, and it has its days. I personally this sewing thing has its own mood swings. Because how do you explain some days you want to sew all day and some days you just don’t feel like holding a scissors.
It happens to me too, now you know you are not the only one on this table.
In fairness, sewing has helped me a lot of times to calm myself, If you’d want to know, it is therapeutic except you are in a wrong profession. Then, I’ll say check within and find your passion.
Let’s dive in.
So what are the tips I have to share today.
1. Sewing has to do with you, all of you. If a project is boring, you are likely to waste a lot of time doing it. I have seen this happen over time. Which made me select my specialty areas from the beginning of my sewing career.
If it doesn’t thrill you, you may get to dump the project or be very slow on it. So, watch out for boring projects, dull colors that make you bored. Or doing the same thing for too long. Don’t abandon, just keep it aside. Pick an interesting and short project to give you a mood lift, then go back.
This tip works wonders. Whenever I’m dealing with one same color for too long, I often have ‘break projects’ , and i ensure its something I fancy. Could be as easy as scrunchies, bags, casual tops or anything to keep me ‘hyped.’
2. Another tip is – ALWAYS MARK THE WRONG SIDES. You don’t want to get to the middle of the project and realise you’ve mixed the patterns and sides up. This can be so frustrating, I tell you.
Mark the wrong sides and mark with Tailors Chalk ONLY. Any type available to you. It is unprofessional to mark with pens, please don’t do it.
Some fabrics have 2 sides that look so alike, always mark. And when sewing plain light colors , be careful. What I do is i use a light pencil to mark these kind of fabrics on the edges I know will go into the seams.
Some marks don’t go, so do not spoil your work with markings. Be careful and professional.
Last tip i will drop today is , don’t fight with your sewing machine. I always say this in the college, ” your sewing machine cannot talk, you can. So solve the issues and better still, avoid it by taking precautions”
Machine timing can go off. When it does, it starts sewing abnormally. This happens when you sew over needles, or the needle hits the throat plate wrongly further affecting the plate the feeddog or the bobbin case under.
When needle breaks on speed while sewing, it can also cause the timing to go off. So take cautions ⚠️.
This video below also has some very useful tips. Watch and drop your questions and comments there if you have any.
Follow me on my social media pages for more updates and tips. Click the icons below
Let’s get to some real issues today. I recall years back when I planned starting my business, the initial fearhow to avoid pitfalls that can discourage me as a starter.
Let’s not deceive ourselves, everyone has that same fear. What I know is, if you have a way to avoid these problems, you are already on track.
The few points here will be of some good help. I can boldly say from experience, if you use themwell.
1. Don’t spend money before you are fully ready to start.
This tip is like a billboard you should be seeing daily when you are planning to start a business.
The temptation to spend is always there. You see a lot of things you would want to get. Fine, these are nice things but, the early stage is not the time to spend. It is the time to invest and lay good foundation for the business.
2. Get the needed business coaching before starting.
After getting the needed skills, get the needed business and Entrepreneurial skills to develop and grow the business. Business is not for the faint hearted. A little mistake can cost you a lot.
Get coached by someone who has been there. Ask questions, don’t bescared of getting a No, you will get a Yes somewhere along the way.
Those who have been on the path will shed more light on it, if you are patient enough.
Allow me chip this in. When people ask to be mentored by me, I give them time to check if the truly want to be mentored or not. Your mentor has his or her own schedule, don’t think they should be 24 hours available. Be wiseand know how to tap from them. Let them see your readiness to learn. Follow their posts, comment, connect. When they see these signs, they know who wants to be mentored from who wants to be spoon-fed.
Be ready to invest to gain knowledge. Not everything will be free.
3. Don’t bite more than you can chew
Too much spices spoil the meal. Don’t bring in too much ideas to avoid distractions. Focus on what you can control at the startup stage.
I’ve seen businesses start with lots of things on their plate, you are offering catering services, drinks services, ushering services, training services, cake and decor and a lots more. Don’t pile up what you cannot carry.
As long as you are a starter, there is a limit to what you can handle. Overdo can kill. Don’t run when you should be crawling.
Watch more tips in this short video
At our Fashion College, we ensure our students are not just about hands on skills but also the solid Entrepreneurial skills to assist them build their business.
IBADANCITY FASHION COLLEGE
Behind IBEDC office capital building ring road ibadan. Follow the road beside Foodco ring road and.
Follow me on my social media handles for more tips
When you start a business, the main goal is to grow it to some level you have dreamt of or according to your business plan. Now, growing this business is easier to imagine than achieved especially as a small business owner.
Different situations and circumstances will give you hiccups on the path to growing the business. Today i will be sharing with you 4 tips that will help if you use them well.
I have used this tip for years in my businesses and I can say, they are indeed magically helpful if you are truthful to yourself in analysing them alongside your business goals and plans.
We will be using the same word GROW to break down the steps .
G – GOAL
R – REALITY
O – OPTIONS
W – WILL
Let’s break this down.
GOAL- ask yourself this question- What Do You Want To Do?
It sounds simple, but have you realised that when you ask people what they want, a high percentage of them reply with what they do not want. The natural mind is tuned somehow.
We know what you don’t want. You don’t want to fail, you don’t want the business to be slow, you don’t want customers who don’t pay but the main question is – What do you want specifically?
You want the business to grow? How big? What are the numbers you want to be recording? It is so easy to dream it, put it down in facts and figures. Don’t carry imaginary dreams in your head. Analysing them in details gives you clarity.
2. REALITY- This point is so KEY in the present day economy. What you want vs reality. What is happening now vs what you want. You will need to find a balance point with this.
Apart from economic factors, other surrounding factors apply.
What is happening in your business environment? Study and analyse to make your business growth easier.
I have had reasons to drop prices when I needed more money to break even in My business.
– dgvstyles
You need money but the economy is tight and sales are slow. To move sales up, you might want to drop some prices to attract more customers at the end of the day you will make sales and have some break even points.
Another part of reality is to sell what they need and want to buy not just what you want to sell.
3. OPTIONS – ask yourself- What can I do? What are the available options? There is no hard fast rule for success. Different routes lead to your destination.
Have options. Plan A ,B ,C and D. If this blocks, I will take another route and keep moving.
Lack of options is what causes stagnation when you experience the first roadblock in business. And really there are lots of roadblocks on the way.
4. WILL. – What will you do? What can you do?
If I will be fair I sharing a secret with you, this question has helped me a lot in my career growth. I ask myself before a problem happens- “What if this and this happens, what will I do?.”
In all sincerity, it has helped me prepare for some bad situations, of course the unexpected will always pop its head but you always having an idea of what to do , will help you cushion a lot of things.
If you can take few minutes today, analyse these 4 points and you will see how you can plan your business differently.
Aderonke Olubanjo is the Principal Instructor of the leading fashion college in Oyo State. The college has trained thousands of students in the fashion and Entrepreneurship Development sectors over 2 decades.
When I was younger, the term ” self employed” sounded so fascinating, i really couldn’t wait to start and own my own businesses, yes the plural because I wanted to do a whole lot more than whatever I am doing now.
Being self employed is not as smooth as it sounds, especially when it means you work almost round the clock. It’s juicy parts also comes with its own perks and advantages, so on the days you feel low, those thoughts keep the ball rolling.
Let us leave the business life talk for a minute and talk about the real reason this post attracted you here. I guess, you are about to start a fashion business or you have just started one. With my experience so far, what can I say you should and should not do as a startup fashion business owner.
You want to own a fancy store, have amazing clients or customers, make a lot of money, all the pictures are vividly painted in your mind.
Now as you start setting up, all the pictures will start dropping a ‘buy me’ ‘buy me’ chorus in your head. The most logical thing to do before you ‘waste’ all your startup fund ( -by waste- I mean spend it on what you like but not what is presently needed by the business), is to have a list of all the things you would love to buy, list it all out.
After making this list, start by looking critically at each one and strike out the ones you will not be using daily. your business will grow and you will have time to buy more, don’t use all the start up funds to buy what you will need later.
Another thing to note is – if you cannot afford a store / shop, start from home. what will be the point of you renting a space you cannot pay for with the proceeds from the business.
Not everyone you see making millions in business shows you what they are doing.
You are not in business to show off, you are here to make profits not just money. if you will start from home, ensure you make it comfortable as possible so it doesn’t bore you out.
Our next point is – Know that every customer that walks in is not your lifelong customer, do not fight to please them at the detriment of the business. People will ask for ridiculous discounts, emergency deliveries and more…., if it works for you, do it, if it stresses you, be kind enough to yourself to leave it out.
if you are planning to go into ready-to-wear, think about having loads of clothes on the rack with no one buying them before you start. Spend more time building your client base, with adverts, videos and things that will attract them to you first.
last point for today will be, Never stop developing yourself, your skills and your knowldege base. i have been in this industry more than 20 years and i never go a day without trying to learn something new, not just for myself but also to teach my students at Ibadancity Fashion College. it keeps you fresh, it keeps you updated and knowledgeable when talking to others about what you know.
follow my Instagram handle @dgvstyles to learn more tips daily
and the handle of the fashion college @ibcityfashioncollege
to know more about the fashion school email ibcityfashioncollege@gmail.com
This is one area I enjoy discussing with startup business owners. It interests me and catches my fancy almost anytime. Maybe because I’ve had to deal with so many business names during my Entrepreneurship Development trainings for business owners
There are names and there are names. Let me say.
I’ve heard names that made me check ten times if my eyes were still working well lol 😆.
Have you heard a business name that didn’t sound like what you thought it should? Or let me say you heard the name and had another business in mind? It’s like naming a child with another culture’s name. Or like in my yoruba culture in Nigeria. Only twins can be called “Taye & Kehinde”, now imagine you meeting someone who says his or her name Is Taye. And the person isn’t a twin?
Now you get it. I suppose.
Watch this short video in the link below to hear my tips on choosing business names.
DGVSTYLES- Ibadancity Fashion College. Our Blog 