Faith Ajeyi: Pre-degree student making money from laundry
Starting a laundry business has become an in-thing among young entrepreneurs. It is now seen as a profitable venture for smart and hard-working young people willing to make money.
With the growing busy and demanding lifestyle in major cities like Lagos and Abuja, more people are becoming increasingly willing to have others handle their laundry services.
From workers to traders, students to artisans, many people wish to look cute but rarely find time for their laundries.
The situation provides an opportunity for Philip Faith Ajeyi, a 22-year-old pre-degree student of the University of Calabar, who now earns a living from it while still in school.
While many of her mates look to mums and dads for money, Faith runs her own company, Phoenix Laundry Service, providing laundry services to Nigerians living in Lagos. Her ultimate aim is to provide mobile laundry services to Lagosians but lack of a vehicle has restricted her from reaching this target.
According to Faith, her company is not just about providing freshly cleaned clothes but is also creating wealth and employment for other Nigerians.
“The whole laundry service started with the desire to make money for myself despite being in school. I also seem to have a liking for washing. I first nursed the hope of running my own car washing company, but the need to own a land discouraged me,” she said.
For Faith, who is based in Akoka, Lagos, washing people’s clothes could be more fulfilling than washing a car as it affords one the opportunity to play an important part in human hygiene, dignity, and respect.
Speaking on how she started the business despite the huge capital involved, Faith said that her parents, seeing the enthusiasm in her towards starting the business, decided to assist her with N100, 000 which she used to purchase two washing machines.
“The big space in my parents’ compound today is my office and I already have two workers. With hard work and commitment I can say that I have made good profit,” she told Start-Up Digest.
Faith said she has a positive feeling about her laundry business.
“I see this business moving forward because my clientele has increased over the month. I do not have a precise number of clientele. Everybody deserves a good laundry, including the average person. This is what I can offer. I pick up clothes and also deliver within two days. With this I am making life easier for those who don’t have time to do their laundry and even those who
do not want stress,” she said.
Speaking about the challenges she encounters in the course of the business, she said, “Transportation and electricity are major challenges. I do not have a bus yet. It has been really affecting me especially when I have to deliver so many. There is also a challenge with cost of fuel, but we are pulling through.”
In spite of the challenges, Faith hopes business will become bigger in a few years.
“I see it becoming a big company in two years to come. By the grace of God I will have had two outlets by then,” she stated.
She urged young people to wake up and do something to create wealth and employment.
“I think it is time for people to realise that they are not too young to do something. There are 17-year-olds who are making millions, so, if you think you are too young to work, then you are not living,” she added.
Angel James