Let's talk business: From Creativity to Business; Building My Beading & Millinery Dream

Have you ever looked at something you made with your hands and and then think, “What if I turn this into a business?” That is exactly how I feel recently about my beading and millinery journey, initially I learned it as hobby, yes something to ease boredom.

But now, I think creativity is more than just making beautiful things with your hands. I feel that it's a skill that can generate income, especially in a country like mine, and it build confidence, you know that feeling of fulfillment seeing the beautiful piece you created with your own hands, it provide opportunities and, hopefully, may grow into something bigger. It is my soul desire is to build a creative business where beautiful handmade pieces(of different kinds including beaded handbags, purse, headpiece, facinators, bridal accessories, ear rings, bracelets, gift cards, hanging decor, fabric beading, etc) can meet good customer service and Nigerian craftsmanship.

For now, I would be working from home, and online, but my long-term goal is to have a physical creative studio where customers can see, choose and even learn how some of these beautiful pieces are made.

My business will focus mainly on beaded accessories like bags, necklace, bangles, ear rings, waist beads, fabric beading, bridal accessories like fan, umbrella etc and millinery products, including handmade fascinators, hats and other fashionable accessories. It will include resin products like ear rings, hand bag, hanging decor, gifts. I am currently taking online classes to improve my knowledge of resin making.

As the business grows, I plan to introduce, handmade crafts cards, and hair products/services. Like wig making and hair styling, I already have good knowledge of the hair business.

My goal is to gradually bring these creative skills together under one brand.

To create beautiful, affordable, quality and customise handmade fashion accessories and lifestyle, while using creativity and craftsmanship to satisfy customers and create sustainable income.

To build a recognized Nigerian creative brand known for unique handmade products, excellent customer service and inspiring other people to turn their talents into profitable businesses.

My main customers will include:

• Women and girls who love fashionable accessories
• Brides and people attending weddings and special occasions.
• Students and young professionals
• People looking for unique gifts
• Event planners and fashion designers (for fabric beading)
• Customers who appreciate handmade and customized products.

My main aim is to serve customers who want something different from ordinary mass-produced accessories at the market. That's why I will not really make mass production, rather, I would be communicating with my potential customers, getting to know their dreams accessories, noting all the details and then making their dreams a reality.

I want to start small and then grow gradually.

First-year Goals And Milestones:

My goal for the first year is to build a reliable online brand, test my products and build a loyal customer base.

For now I've finalized my brand name and simple logo which is Goodybest Luxury Creations; as seen in the cover photo. I will create social media pages, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsAppand Tik-tok, and make 15-20 sample products and photograph them neatly and added to the pages. I will collect my first 10 customers reviews and feedback and post on the pages.

By 5 to 6 months, I will introduce customised bridal and groom occasion packages, and build a catalogue of at least 30 products

By Months 7–9: I will Aim for 10–15 orders monthly, I will collaborate with at least two event planners, fashion designers or makeup artists, and begin saving specifically for studio equipment.

By Months 10–12: I would have reach a target of 100 cumulative orders or sales, I will maintain monthly sales of at least ₦150, 000 - ₦300,000 only and I must have complete a feasibility plan for a physical studio.

I will be reviewing my sales, expenses and best-selling products monthly, also my customers feedback, My first-year priorities includes consistency, quality, customer service and reinvesting profit rather than going into expansion so quickly.

Since I will begin online, I won't need to rent a shop immediately. My estimated initial budget is approximately ₦500,000, this is because of the quality and quantity of materials I will purchased. I will go for the best, because that's what I want to be known for. The products I'll purchase include:

• Beads, wires, threads, clasps and other materials: ₦80,000–₦120,000
• Millinery materials such as sinamay, felt, feathers, veiling and hat bases: ₦60,000–₦100,000
• Basic tools, glue gun, pliers, scissors and measuring equipment: ₦35,000–₦60,000
• Packaging materials, labels and thank-you cards: ₦20,000–₦35,000
• Product photography or a simple phone-lighting setup: ₦20,000–₦40,000
• Internet/data and initial social media promotion: ₦25,000–₦45,000
• Training, samples and contingency funds: ₦30,000–₦50,000 (I will be going for an upgrade on fabric beading and makeup).

The benefits of starting online is that it will reduce overhead costs, so I will put that money into the actual products. As I said before I will start small, record every expenses and restock the materials that sell fastest.

Luxury Fascinator	Beaded bag

I will calculate the cost of materials + labour + packaging + other expenses, then add a reasonable profit margin, between 20-50%.

For example:

• Luxurious Beaded bag cost about ₦35,000 in materials, packaging and labour may sell for ₦60,000 - ₦70,000.
• A simple beaded bracelet costing about ₦2,000 in materials, packaging and labour may sell for ₦4,000–₦5,000.
• A customized necklace set costing about ₦6,000 may sell for ₦12,000–₦15,000.
• A simple fascinator costing about ₦8,000 to produce may sell for ₦18,000–₦25,000.
• A more detailed bridal or event fascinator costing about ₦15,000 may sell for ₦30,000–₦45,000.
• A customized hat may range from ₦35,000–₦70,000, depending on the materials, design and amount of labour involved.
• A beaded shoe and cap for Bride-groom costing about ₦15,000 - ₦40,000.
• Beaded Necklace, and bangles for men costing ₦10,000 - ₦30,000 per stran.

The estimated prices may change, due to what the customer needs, in case of complex designs, the materials used, delivery charges etc. For customized orders I will request atleast a deposit of at 50% before production begins.

This pricing method will help me avoid underpricing my work simply because it is handmade.

I will be modest and realistic in my first year sales target, below is my estimate:

• First three months: 10–15 orders in total
• By the sixth month: 8–12 orders per month
• By the twelfth month: 15–20 orders per month
• First-year target: 100 completed orders or sales

If my average order value is approximately ₦15,000, 100 orders could generate about ₦1,500,000 in gross sales during the first year. My actual profit will depend on material costs, delivery, marketing and other operating cost.

I will be tracking the number of enquiries I get, conversion rate, average order value, repeat customers and my monthly profit. This will help me to identify which products deserve my attention the more.

My regular expenses will include materials, internet, transportation/delivery, packaging, marketing and replacing tools and equipment

I also want to be setting a small amount for business maintenance monthly, for example if I reach ₦150,000 monthly sales I may locate 50% of the money to materials and production, 15% to delivery/packaging, 10% to marketing and data15% to saving/expansion and 10% as available profit. I will adjust the percentages as the business becomes more stable.

I plan to separate myself from the business, meaning I won't take the money from the business anyhow I want, instead I will be paying myself monthly salary from the profit I make, part of the profit will go to savings for expansion, and the remaining one will be used to restock materials.*

My long-term goal is to save at least ₦1,000,000–₦2,000,000 for the opening of small physical studio. This money will cover 1.6 year rent advance, basic renovation, shelves, display tables, chairs, lighting, storage, signage and additional tools. I will only do this only after achieving a consistent online sales for at least 6 months to one year. And building an emergency reserve for operating costs.

Because I am starting online, social media will be very important. I plan to market my products through Facebook, WhatsApp, Tik-tok and steemit using short videos of how I made the product, and the final outcome, clear pictures, short video of customer reviews, and behind the scenes content and tutorials.

I will take my market on my head, I will be wearing my designs, I will make weekly educational posts about beading/millinery, asking weekly trivia questions, rewarding winners with tokens, daily WhatsApp status updates, and customer testimonies. Styling ideas or complete orders. I will also run small promotional campaigns around weddings, birthdays, festive periods and graduation seasons.

I know sometimes people enjoy seeing creativity, patience and effort into action, so I will be making short videos and post to show them the process behind my products.

As I said before, I will prioritize quality, because a satisfied customer can be my best marketer referring people to me, this is so important. I'm planning to encourage referrals with small discount, loyalty rewards etc, I believe this will not reduce my price heavily.

I don't want my business to be just another accessories business. I want creativity, customization and personal service to be the heart of my brand. I need a situation where customers will choose their colors, styles and designs that suits them and the occasions.

I believe that learning is a continuous process and expanding is inevitable, so instead of remaining limited to one skill which is Beading and millinery, it will only, my starting point, followed gradually by resin art, paper crafts and hair

My journey may be starting from a small online business, but I see a much bigger picture.

One bead at a time. One customer at a time. One skill at a time. That is how I intend to turn my creativity into a business.