Essay Jachike: Combining studies with business has made me strong
Essay Jachike is a young entrepreneur who combines studies with fabrics business. This has proven to be a great source of income for Essay, who is a final year student of Prosthesis and Autistics, School of Health of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). She has been in the business for two years.
She started selling fabrics with just N10,000, which she saved up over a month. The money was insufficient but she was able to curry favour from some of the dealers who gave her materials to sell and pay later.
One of her reasons for starting this business was that people often admired her whenever she dressed in the traditional way.
“I used to sew my clothes with ‘ankara’ materials and people would always make positive comments about them. So I decided to start selling these materials to them since, obviously, I needed to market what I wore. Another reason was that my aunty sells materials as a full time business, at a low price and with good quality and it is guaranteed that it will never be worn out going by the confirmation of some of her customers. That is where I learnt how to do the business,” she told Start-Up Digest.
Speaking about how she marketed her products, she said: “I had to carry these materials to classes after lectures. I market in classes, move around offices in school. Presently, I don’t get to move around with the materials anymore because I sell online. I show people pictures and they choose what they want and I supply them,” she said.
She said this business did not affect her studies, which she often created enough time for.
She said one factor that had helped her was an ability to command other people’s trust.
“One should just be a trust worthy person. No business man or woman wants to hand over goods to one who is not consistent. Consistency is important and that is how I was able to get more materials without paying immediately and my business is worth over a hundred thousand now,” she explained.
Speaking on the challenges she encountered, Essay explained: “There is always this part of you in the business that wants a turnover supply, get your money back and restock .I don’t really get so much of the turnover. I will have to wait for some time and explain to my suppliers and they understand because they know the state of the country as well.”
“I plan to expand so much even after school. I plan to work and as well own my business. The business is not just all about giving out just one material for sale. I have also supplied a whole lot of materials for ‘Asowebi’, and birthdays.
She said the business had helped her a lot.
“At some point, I had to pay my school fees through this business and take care of bills coming up, and I was also very conscious not to spend the capital. I couldn’t have come this far without God. This was my main source of income in school so I had to put in more efforts. I try to have cordial relationship with my friends. I got some of my customers through referrals and it is faster that way,” she said.
Essay finally advised students experiencing financial challenge in school to toe her line.
“If you are determined to be a graduate, you can do something and balance the both or if you are about to be in school, learn handwork like phone repairing or hairdressing. It will definitely be of help to you,” she admonished.
Angel James