There is a thing about me and making money, I am always in the mood for it. Back in school, a lot of people knew how much I loved money, but it had to be through a legal source. You won't see me doing anything illegal for cash, but when it comes to proper trade, I am always there.
I sold snacks before it became something you will find at every corner of the school, and later settled with taking orders for students' mini events. I made a birthday cake, snacks, chops, and some drinks too.
Due to the nature of the trade, there are times when I don't get any orders throughout a week. Those weeks aren't my favorite because I need money, I know what home looks like, and I can't be calling for every little thing I need.
I started looking for other trades I can venture into. At that time, there were many oil perfume vendors on TikTok and I spent a lot of time learning about the trade, where they get good prices when purchasing, identifying quality products, and others.
After thinking about the business idea for a while, I told my friend about it and she thinks it's a good idea.
"You will make a lot of money from the business because I haven't seen anyone selling oil perfume around here," Aishat said to me after I showed her the business details in my diary.
"I know, but something is bothering me," I replied, putting away my diary.
"What's that?" She asked, curiously.
"What if people join and the competition becomes something I can't handle," I replied.
"You would have made a lot of money and loyal customers before that time. You know I will help you with marketing too," She replied, assuring me like she always did.
Aisha also ran a business in school, selling cheap data subscriptions, and I trust her judgment always because she's good with business.
I had some money that was enough to start the business so I contacted one of the oil perfume vendors in the town where I was schooling. My goods came the next day, and I insisted on paying on delivery because there are so many fake vendors.
After unboxing, I was satisfied with the delivery. I reached out to the vendor again and she sent me lots of pictures I can use for advertisement.
I flooded my WhatsApp status with pictures of the oil perfume and many people on my contact list started asking questions.
I took the time to answer the questions and started making my sales gradually. The perfume bottles were small and could fit into my handbag, so I always went about with them for adverts and sales.
The sales improved gradually as I went from one class and department to another, privately talking to students who looked like they would be interested.
Two months had passed, and I noticed there was another brand in circulation, it was cheaper, and the sellers were hot with their advertisement. They even ran a promo, and I started asking questions. I found out that they always buy in bulk and sell directly to final consumers instead of retailers.
I wasn't happy about the development but Aishat always encouraged me not to give up.
"They can't continue their sales pattern for long, so just continue selling the little you can for now," Aishat always said this to me, and I stayed strong.
I didn't stop thinking about other ways to beat my competitors because I couldn't buy in bulk. One morning, something crossed my mind and I texted Aishat immediately.
"I thought of something that could help me make more sales, and it's good," I hit the send button after typing.
"What's that?" Aishat asked.
"I can sell on credit or they can just pay me installments," I replied.
"Are you out of your mind? Don't even think of that because that's the end of your business," Aishat replied.
"I think it can work if I take details like names, phone number, ID number, and others," I replied.
"It won't because nobody will give that much detail just for an oil perfume, and what will you do if they refuse to pay? This is a risky move and it's like throwing caution to the wind," Aisha warned me thoroughly but I believed she was overreacting.
She even reminded me that the perfume was just a side hustle to my real business but everything fell on deaf ears. I went on with my plans, selling on credit while some students paid installments after making a deposit, usually a token out of their purchase.
I was in the limelight again, making big sales weekly but the money wasn't coming back. My hopes were high, but they gradually vanished when the payment wasn't coming back as expected.
Sometimes, I call and text people for hours without getting any positive response. I got very stressed from walking around asking for my money, and lost interest in the business, but my money was stuck. I can't fight everyone owing me, so I stayed patient while retrieving my money, but that was the end of my oil perfume business.
Of course, I didn't get all my money back. It was a huge loss and I learned my lesson the hard way.