Sales from 0 to 5,000 a month possible, unless you do not want to change

Sales from 0 to 5,000 a month possible, unless you do not want to change

Home 9 Tag: Business Plan
Update from 2017.
Sometime ago a client told me she wanted a redesign of her website. A redesign because she was not having any sales of the hair. I analyzed the performance of her current website and learned:

  • she had 150 visitors a month, most of the only visiting the home page.
  • You could subscribe to a newsletter, but without receiving any newsletter in your inbox after signing up.
  • But the most eye-catching observation was, it was not clear whose hair needs she wanted to solve. Who was her ideal client
  • ?

Website to generate hair sales between 5,000 and 10,000 dollars

She wanted a redesign of her website, that would allow her a monthly hair sale between 5,000 and 10,000 US dollars. And she wanted it as soon as possible.

I recommended her to invest time in the ideal client she wanted to support solving her hair needs. She needed to know what kind of hair her ideal client was looking for. And also what tone of voice to use, what social media did she use and how about her lifestyle?
All parts to make a clear persona to aim your marketing effort. Selling hair is more than showing pictures of hair bundles. You need to connect and engage with your ideal client.

Selling hair to College Girls

A few days later we had a chat. It was good to hear she knew the kind of clients she wanted to service. She was thinking of college girls.
She happened to work at a college and had the possibility to interact with these girls very well. That was the basis for the analysis of her ideal client. I prepared a general marketing survey about the Millennials. This is the marketing generation of people born between 1980 and early 2000s.

The young people who for marketing purpose are segmented as millennials have the following in common about online communication:

  • They are very active on social media, for example they have an average of 250 FB friends
  • They are more likely to listen to their friends than marketing messages from companies
  • Only 1 out of 5 feels you can trust the other person
  • They are good at self-promotion (selfies) and fostering connections through online media
  • Millennial’s text 50 messages a day
  • If they are happy, they give free and convincing PR! They will tell the world about you and your hair!
  • The ideal client

    This information formed the basis to hone the image of the ideal client. Now the actual findings and feedback from the College Girls would help to color in the first sketch of the ideal client plus the new mission statement of the company.

You can only sell the hair your client is looking for

If you want to sell hair, too many times start-ups begin the wrong way. They want to sell hair and start to search for the best hair they like. Too often they forget they must find a place on the hair market with clients in need of certain products and requirements first. This is your basis, your ideal client and not the hair you are selling. That will only work for companies like Apple, but if you want to grow your hair sales, or have any sales at all, you need to be ready to change.

Mercy

Mercy

The story of Mercy from Nigeria

Today, I spoke a very nice girl from Nigeria, named “Mercy”. She was looking for the funding for her hair business but did not want to wait until the finance part was settled. Mercy showed me some wigs she had made, and she told me about the love she had for hair. My recommendation was to start engaging with people that will need her wigs and weavons. She will open an Instagram account to post, follow and engage with others. In this time, she will create more wigs and post this. This way she can start to talk hair and to create a community of hair loving people. She will step by step understand her Ideal Client better and when the financing is ready, she will be able to sell her wigs because she knows her market very well. Nigeria will hear more about Mercy and her wigs!

Connect with your client for more hair sales

Not only mention you want to sell to a certain group in society. Also be willing to understand their needs, how they communicate, where they go for their information and of course what kind of hair they want. Define a corporate mission and look and feel that fits with your ideal client. Social media helps you a lot as people give insight in their journey through life for free. See who they follow, what they like and unlike and you are much closer in closing a deal, than when using only your own ideas.

How would a hair sales generating website for College Girls look like?

It makes sense to have website/shop and social media aligned, in style but also with topics these college girls feel attracted to. It would be very interesting to use WhatsApp or other text medium as a corporate communication tool.

This audience is perfect for sharing information about your brand, but make sure they find stuff valuable enough for them to share. Obtain images of happy clients using their confidence in taking and sharing images of themselves, instead of a dedicated page with happy clients, images of and testimonials from clients will be available all over the website.

This group of potential clients is also concerned about social justice and the environment. Promote “green” and get involved in a community activity. Good example “Everybody Dance now” from Jackie Rotman. Perhaps there are initiatives in your own town or area.

What about you?

Are you ready, like Mercy, to invest time in knowing your client to use this as the basis to get more hair sales, or do you prefer not to change your concept because the right client will eventually show up one day? I would love to read your comment below this post

I am ready to inspire you to run your hair business again

I am ready to inspire you to run your hair business again

Home 9 Tag: Business Plan

You never have to run your hair business alone

Today I want to take away one big misunderstanding. The impression you must run your hair business all by yourself. This is not true; you are not alone. You are not alone, when you get the idea of starting a business. And you are not alone when you must make all kind of business decisions later. For example, because the sales are lacking behind, or if to rent a larger space for your store.

The art of running a hair business

Okay, let us start to talk about what doing business is. If you are running a business, you have a solution, that can be a service, or a product other people need. You did your market research; you talk to many girls and women and you know:

  • my town lacks a good hair and beauty store, or
  • due to this lockdown, women tell me on social media they want to still look good and they need wigs, handmade wigs! Or
  • in your country there are many resellers. They want a better offer for their clients, so they need a reliable wholesaler. Or…

Would You Like to Make $ 30.000/month for Only $ 29/month?

Other people formed your business

The first idea for all businesses come from conversations people have. Not a dream that pops up in your head just before you wake up. Or when you sit in the bus driving home and you stare out of the window. The idea you want to run your hair business, pops up when

  • your friend is complaining to you about hair and online hair stores or,
  • when you talk to a store selling hair and they do not understand what you need.

Only then the thoughts start to evolve in your head. You start to get those beautiful and pleasant dreams. Dreams that proof you can solve the problems of all those girls. Dreams that make you wake up in the middle of the night, grab a piece of paper and write down the game changer of the hair industry.
These dreams you must cherish. Because they help you to work out the solution you are going to deliver to the women and men in need of better hair. These dreams help you to run your own hair business without spending money. Without the risk to lose money.

Use the needs from others to create your business

Your ideas on paper are the model of your hair business. But like any good model or prototype, you need to challenge it, you need to test the assumptions. Suppose you heard people need more human hair in your county. You have talked to three girls at college and they all tell you the same. Take it home and start thinking about the why, and what you could do to solve this need. You do not have to do anything, but for sure you will start to dream about it. Your brains will help you to solve the problem and with beautiful dreams you will wake up. But be aware, a dream is not a nightmare. You will not wake up in sweat your idea is not working, or nobody is asking for your hair. Dreaming before you start is without risk.

Talk hair at breakfast before you run your hair business

Now you start to talk to people. First at breakfast when you tell your family or your partner about the idea you must run a hair business. Your enthusiasm gets rewarded because your table companions give you feedback. They feed your passion and with this fuel your ideas grow. Your solutions come even closer within reach.
You plan your first market research. Is what you think what women need? Are there enough ladies in town or on the internet who need your solution? How much are they willing to pay?
You can do an online market survey, but I recommend, to also talk to people face to face. Go to the mall, go to events and ask some for their opinion. If you cannot go out, you can use social media to start to connect and use DM or chat to interact.
It will surprise you how positive people are if somebody tells them they want to start selling hair and beauty products. Always nice to talk hair and about your stress and frustration. Always nice to know there is somebody who will solve your needs. Believe me you will get so many positive reactions.
Note or record their feedback, if possible, make pictures you later use for your web store. You are going to solve all the nasty problems in hair land. You will get some much energy and great input for your business.

You are in hair business girl!

And you start. You start selling hair, add some cosmetics to it. Have a catchy name for your hair business and with the hair they need you start selling online and in store. Or in any way you worked out the solution for the needs of your market, your ideal clients.
The business picks up, people ask questions, buy some bundles and now you know this concept is working. You are in business girl!

Keep on talking hair to run a successful hair business

But when you are in business, when you run your own hair business, you still must check if your model, now being a real store, is working. Regardless if the store is online or a brick and mortar store. You must know what tomorrow’s needs are, you must know how a crisis might affect demand and how to keep in touch with your ideal clients and your visitors.

What if the Coronavirus slows down your sales because you cannot find the hair? Or clients stay at home, so they do not visit your salon? What if there is a new bigger store that opens its doors around the corner. What if your web store does not attract enough visitors anymore?

Why do you stop talking?

Now most people keep the worries for themselves. It is nice and easy to talk about potential growth and new things. But if things do not work, you prefer to solve it all by yourself. It is your store, so you must solve it. You do not want others to know things are not going that great.
But why would you ignore a method that has proven to work? Why wouldn’t you go back to the source that gave you energy when you started selling hair? Do you still remember waking up in the night, and you started to write down awesome business ideas? You wrote the solution for other people’s problems, based upon input form the talks you had with others.
Why not anymore? Why would you now stop drinking from the well that gives you energy and the power to find new ways that will change the hair industry?

Get energized and get awesome ideas from talking again

Ask your clients if they are happy. First in general, but also about your business and service offering. Do a market research. Add some questions about how you now run your hair business. No need, or better not, to tell people, this is what I offer and why don’t you buy? Think of questions that are very much related to your business. Next to questions that should give you an insight in the dreams and needs your clients have.

You are unique but why don’t you use that?

And now comes the most important part, you need to zoom in on every positive note. It is easy to see only the negative when things go rough. But every store, every hair business and more important, every store owner, I mean you has something unique. Something that help you to connect with people, and that will bring something new to your clients. Find it and make an advantage of this. Most often it is only an outsider who can see this. I am sure your mother can list at least 50 things that make you unique but consider asking somebody at more distance.

I love to help you; I know everybody has a unique selling point and GOD inspires me to find that in every person. It is so rewarding to chat with somebody who is looking on how to be unique and how to come with a solution other need. And to find that unique thing, that unique message she gives. Let me inspire you to work on your hair store and to grow your sales to a higher level.

I am ready to inspire you to run your hair business

Have the results of the market survey and let us chat, talk or face time. Or leave a comment. Inspire me with your story so I can inspire you to successfully run your hair business. Because you are the boss, but you are never alone!

Sell the hair experience your client is looking for!

Sell the hair experience If your client comes to your shop, or if she visits your website, she is not just looking for extensions, she just wants to feel great. She wants to be the star on the party or just the talk of the town, to feel the celebrity she really is!...

How to Grow Your Hair Business Offline with Little Money

Selling hair often goes online, but do not forget a lot of money is still made by good old hair business offline. In a brick and mortar store or salon. Marketing is the art of getting your hair in front of the eyes of your ideal client, at the time and place they are...

This blog is number 7 of the best Hair Extensions Blogs: Expertido!

Our blog is number 7 of the best Hair Extensions Blogs: thanks Expertido! Every time when a visitor or client gives me their feedback, it means a lot to me. Especially when the feedback is positive. I started the How to Sell Hair Extensions Website to support you. You...
Covid 19 news. Clients need hair but suppliers miss the orders

Covid 19 news. Clients need hair but suppliers miss the orders

Covid 19 news, high demand for hair, but nobody sells!

Here is some Covid 19 news if you are sitting home and waiting for the lockdown to end and the virus to leave the country. Or is your strategy to win from the Coronavirus by waiting until everything is back to normal?

Then I have bad Covid 19 news for you, a big chance you will wait too long. Big chance your clients and leads will be gone and lying in the hands of the competition. The market is not waiting, and your clients did not stop buying hair, hair care and cosmetics!

L’ Oreal has good Covid 19 news

How do I know? Why would I know better? All you need to do is to check for example the first quarterly results of a hair and cosmetic giant like L’Oréal. I will tell you more about this. But again if you think the market is asleep, wait until I tell you about an increase of 50-60 percent of online sales!

After the good news about the hair and care market, I will share some ideas to enjoy from this higher demand. I do not want you, my loyal viewer, to miss the opportunity to start, and grow your hair business so you can make nice money.

I will complete this post by sharing what some of my clients, leads and other nice ladies and men are doing right now. Again, no need to believe me, let the market tell you what is happening!

Ready for the good news about COVID 19?

This week on CNN business an inspiring story about of the largest hair and beauty companies in the world. L’Oreal. The title “People aren’t leaving home. But they’re still buying beauty products” immediately draw my attention. This great piece of journalism from Hanna Ziady was exactly what I was looking for. Hanna is the south African Financial journalist for CNN. (follow her on Twitter @HannaZiady). Her article has what I needed to inspire you all to act. Last week I already told you only you can get the whole world out of the Corona crisis, this article confirms it!

Higher hair and beauty sales despite Coronacrisis

Okay, only facts matter. L’ Oreal, know from African Beauty Brands, Garnier, Ralph Lauren, Maybelline New York, Proenza Schouler, Atelier Cologne reported a 6 percent higher sales in China the first quarter of 2020. That is higher sales in a period everybody is talking about lower business thanks to the Corona crisis.

Strong appetite for beauty products remains intact!

L’Oreal understands what is happening perfectly well. “as the example of China has shown, the current situation does not call into question consumers’ strong appetite for beauty products, which remains intact”.

China, the first country hit by the Coronavirus, or Covid-19, saw online sales that have skyrocketed! 67% growth L’Oreal explained to Hanna Ziady. That is a figure you can be proud of! The main products? Skincare and haircare. So, lockdown, or no lockdown, here is Covid 19 news “” there is a clear demand for beauty products!”

Now the country is reopening its economy, the demand for other products has bounced back strongly. Hanna wrote L’Oreal predicts a double-digit growth in the second quarter!

Lesson to learn from L’ Oreal and Darling Hair

Here is a lesson to be learned, the same as you did from Darling hair, invest in your online presence now! Focus on wigs and other hair installments your clients can do themselves.

You want better Covid-19 news to convince you?

Okay, let’s repeat there was a pretty quick bounce back of the consumption of beauty products.

But also, it is not a demand crisis, it’s a supply crisis. In other words, your clients are in desperate need for hair and beauty products! But they cannot find them!

The CEO of L’Oreal, Jean-Paul Agon, predicted a “rush to salons everywhere” once the lockdown is over. Black Friday will be like a kid’s party! This is only good news if you do something with this business opportunity!

Contact salons, nearby and elsewhere and team up! Tell them you can support them with the demand for hair and beauty products. Share the business and make both extra profit!

On Fox news, yeah, I watch a lot of TV, I saw a lady in the US who complained about the lock down. Her hair was growing out! She had a natural ombre. Grey on top and coloured below her ears! She was ready to protest the lockdown to be over, so she could visit the salon again!

I bet you know more examples near you!

Business Opportunities

Okay, there we go. If you have the time, the ambition and the passion to launch or grow your hair business, this is the moment!

Online Sales

If you are still in lockdown, use the time to start preparing yourself. Benefit from the huge demand for wigs, clip ins and other easy to DIY install hair. Sell Online. Help your clients how to select the best product, be their expert and sell. If you are ready to sell them the hair they need today, they will return to you when we have more positive Covid 19 news. Or when the Coronavirus will have less impact on our daily life.

Team up with salons

Connect with local salons and offer your help. Work out together the needs your mutual customers will have once they can have their hair done again.

No salons you know, consider how you can help your clients finding the best hair they need. Look for ways to interact with them on social media or WhatsApp. Be patience and most importantly listen to them.

What others say about the hair market

I want to share some of the chats and calls I had the last week. They inspired me and I think they can also help you to understand what is going on in the hair market. It is not only Covid 19 news, but most of it is related to the Coronavirus. How are other hair resellers and start-ups thinking or doing and how can you learn from them?

You are not alone

Just some chats I had last week:

  • Mo from Kenya, she was happy with the post “God will help you to fight the Coronavirus”. A post I wrote on the 8th of this month inspired by her and some other women, Always good to hear somebody is happy!
  • Tecla from Nairobi, she just contacted to check on me, how I and my family were doing, so nice!
  • Rachel from Ghana is busy preparing her business plan. Next to her busy job as a midwife. Did you know many nurses and other people working in health care are also very interested in selling hair? Could be an interesting niche.
  • Cyntia from Namibia, she is already selling hair with her business and wanted to expand. She did not want the Coronavirus to slow down her business, she wanted to help her growing number of clients. But now some weeks later the lock down in her country forced her to slow down, at least till the 5th of May
  • Kevin from Central Kenya, contacted me some weeks ago to start selling hair. But this week he was so much in need for money to buy food for him and his family. He could not invest in setting up his own business anymore. I promised I will pray for him and will think hard on how to help him.
  • Simone from North Caroline USA, is eager to start selling hair and beauty products. I already prepared her web store and
  • Iphy from Nigeria, from Jannis Hair Line, who is talking to Simone about providing wigs. Check her web store, our design by the way, if you also need wigs! And of course
  • Vivian, who is working hard with us on her web store Elizabeth Hair World with the most beautiful hair in Nigeria for every target group.

See What Others Also Read

And you, what will you do>

So, again so many ideas. So much opportunities and so many possibilities to make your clients look and feel good and to make some nice money!

Do not wait until the competition has taken over your place on the hair market. Act now with a business plan, web store, wigs and building your network. And please, please do not forget to stay in touch with your clients and your community. Make sure your name will be heard, throughout the crisis.

And if you need somebody to listen to you, to support you and who loves to pray for you, let me know in a comment or by WhatsApp!

You are the only person to stop the Coronacrisis!

You are the only person to stop the Coronacrisis!

How hair resellers and beautystores can fight the Coronacrisis

You can stop the coronacrisis, why? Read how you can help to fight the Covid-19 crisis.

The last weeks, I receive:
– many comments under my blogposts,
– a lot of apps messages through WhatsApp and
– a pile of emails in my Mailbox

from girls and women who are afraid to wear the wigs they acquired. Or are to scared to even unpack the wigs they bought and received by courier.

Imagine, that is such a waste! To buy a wig or hair extensions and after you paid and waited for so long to get the hair. And when the wig arrives, you are too worried to open the package! Because you’re afraid you will get the Coronavirus!

<iframe style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=how20ed-20&marketplace=amazon®ion=US&placement=B01DCG0GPC&asins=B01DCG0GPC&linkId=0e15160628284af3dd9fc464fae88898&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>
<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- blog --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><ins class="adsbygoogle"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> style="display:block"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> data-ad-client="ca-pub-3387013842134385"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> data-ad-slot="3070188262"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> data-ad-format="auto"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></script>

Coronacrisis spoils our life!

Receiving your wig should be the happiest moment of the year! And for some weeks ago, it was! Youtube and TikTok are full of clips of girls jumping in the air because they received the parcel with the hair they bought! You still remember?

Somebody has to tell them, there is no reason to believe the hair will give somebody the virus. It’s better to feel and look good and to fight the virus then to be afraid for the wigs you bought. This fear for the Coronavirus has crippled our economy! People are afraid to buy hair or hair extensions or braids or wigs because they fear that they will get sick! There was even a nurse, Susan from the UK. Susan was fighting in the frontline protecting people who are sick with COVID-19. Because of the coronavirus she was is doubt about the risk of wearing a wig made of synthetic hair. A true hero, Susan is for me. It is so bad she was afraid wearing the hair would transfer the virus to one of her patients. That pains me.

That is so wrong, so wrong! I told her with the link to the website of the health organization in her country, she should not worry. People should not worry to open the package with your hair. You should not worry about your hair business.

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- blog --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><ins class="adsbygoogle"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> style="display:block"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> data-ad-client="ca-pub-3387013842134385"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> data-ad-slot="3070188262"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> data-ad-format="auto"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></script>

Nobody else but you can get us out of the Coronacrisis!

There is only one person who can end the negative spiral to stop this and to make people buy hair again. And that person is …. You! Believe me, only you can stop others from not buying anymore because they are afraid of getting the sickness through the hair. Nobody else but you!

How? What should you do? Talk hair! Talk to your client, engage! Talk about the coronacrisis, talk about everything that is worrying her. Talk about the kids who are not getting the education they need. Talk about her parents that she needs to take care of, but she can not get close enough to hold them in her arms. Because she has to stay outside of the house! Talk about social distancing and how bad you feel when you automatically step backwards when people you trust come to near you. What world we live in?

Make your client feel at ease, no need to have an answer on every question. No need to be the doctor, or the head of state! But show you care about her, tell her you will pray for her and her loved one. Listen to her!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JzWiCNwO2Rw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

See What Others Also Read

<script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- blog --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><ins class="adsbygoogle"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> style="display:block"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> data-ad-client="ca-pub-3387013842134385"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> data-ad-slot="3070188262"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> data-ad-format="auto"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --></script>

No war has ever been won with bad hair, and we are not going to win from this virus if we neglect ourselves. This virus does not only make people physically sick, it also makes us feel down and depressed. And that is very bad too, because it will over time erode our immune system. When we are in lock down, when we are supposed to stay away from other people that makes us feel very bad. And do not forget all the worries, what about my job, what about my house, what about everything? You can only fight this part of the coronacrisis by looking and feeling good!

You are in the business of making people feel good, and to make them feel confident. You are not simply selling bundle deals. No, you are working on a much higher level than selling hair strands!

Women and girls selling hair extensions are in the frontline to get us all back into business! Why? Because you make us feel confident.

You can make and break people. Sell them the right hair they need. Sell them the wigs that make them strong enough to be:
– mother,
– newly promoted home teacher,
– lover and
awesome BFF! Empower women and get us all out of this coronacrisis!

And if you need somebody to listen to you, to support you and who loves to pray for you, let me know in a comment or by whatsapp!

In Nigeria You Need a Husband to get Capital to Start Selling Hair

In Nigeria You Need a Husband to get Capital to Start Selling Hair

Home 9 Tag: Business Plan

How to Start Selling Hair in Nigeria without a husband?

It started with an app, on a Monday morning. Blessingfearless told me she was ready to start selling hair in Nigeria. She found a great business opportunity that will change the hair market in Nigeria for ever. But she needed a husband to get the capital!

Because that is the way it goes in Nigeria. Men get loans and women must beg. You can have a splendid idea, but if your gender is not male, too bad girl!

But Blessingfearless, as you can see on her Instagram account is full of passion. She really made me fall for the idea too. I wanted to help her, with or without a husband!

The fact is if you want to start selling hair in Nigeria, women are second in line compared to men. The World Bank is fully aware of this. They started to develop programs to support women because Africa will only see major improvement if African women are empowered.

So, I started my quest for capital to help Blessingfearless finding a husband. Sorry, I mean finding a loan.

Why would someone need a husband to start selling hair?

“There is growing global evidence that shows that ensuring economic opportunities for women is an important entry point for addressing gender inequality and ensuring better education, health, and nutrition outcomes for families”. This sentence, in a report of the World Bank, tells the male part of the world that by empowering women the only way up for many areas in the World.

Imagine, the growth of the total economy in Nigeria, that is now around 2.1 percent for, could have been 3.3 percent if gender equality would have been reached. This means the Nigerian economy would grow faster than the US economy under Trump or Obama!

To reach this equality between the sexes quite some regulation has or had to change. Some examples are the law on prohibition of inhumane treatment of widows (2001) in Edo state and the Child Rights Act 2003 in Ogun. Nigeria is in the top ten of countries with the highest levels of gender discrimination!

As small producers and asset holders, Nigerian women have greater difficulty reaching economies of scale, which affects their competitiveness. In other words, Nigerian female entrepreneurs face a lot of difficulties to grow their business. As a result, they have limited bargaining power with suppliers and buyers, restricting their ability to earn profits.

Would You Like to Make $ 30.000/month for Only $ 29/month?

Time to Change, Empower women

The Nigeria for Women Project

Through the Nigeria for Women Project, a project initiated by the World Bank, 324,000 women will benefit through investments in comprehensive skills training, the leverage of financial and technical resources, and support to policy dialogue on women’s economic empowerment.

This first World Bank-assisted standalone gender operation in Nigeria was approved in June 2018. This also created and strengthen Women Affinity Groups to facilitate social networks and increase women’s voice and participation in the economy.

How to get access to female friendly financing?

Thanks to the above-mentioned movement, there are several initiatives and organisations active to support women empowerment. This helped to change the mindset and inspired several organisations to develop women friendly loan facilities.

FEMFUNDS for women selling hair in Nigeria

Femfunds is a social enterprise that provides interest free and collateral free loans to women-led micro, small and medium enterprises (also called MSMEs) in Nigeria.

They give women with small businesses everything they need to build profitable businesses which in turn creates a cycle of empowered women who go on to empower other women.

The vision of FEMFUNDS is to create sustainable female-led businesses that can contribute in a positive way to the economic development of Nigeria. Thanks to the important role of women in society.
They provide funds, or capital, to enable business to grow, to replicate a business in another location and to provide capital a business needs to survive.

There are various lines to support women, like interest free loans, with no collateral and advisory to female run small businesses, like mentoring, coaching and workshops on branding, marketing and other intellectual resource to help the businesses.

FemFunds promises hassle free financing.

Evaluation criteria

FemFunds follows the next evaluation criteria when evaluating a business in need of capital:

  • Stage of Business, they look for businesses that are already operational
  • Sector, FemFunds invests in businesses across sectors
  • Revenue, FemFunds is interested in businesses that are post-revenue, have a clear pathway to profitability and possess strong growth trajectory
  • Product Market Fit, FemFunds looks for businesses that will work well in the Nigerian context
  • Structure, properly structured and where this is not the case, if a business is selected, FemFunds will help the business become better structured
  • Competitive Advantage, the business should have a clear competitive advantage and a unique value proposition

It is clear, FemFunds offers great financing possibilities, but only if you have the capital to start a business. Blessingfearless has the idea to start selling hair in Nigeria and will not qualify for this program. Let’s continue our search for capital for women with plans to start selling hair in their State.

W Power loan Access Bank if you want to start selling hair in Nigeria

This offer seems to be much more what Blessingfearless needs. Access Bank understands the position women come from. They have set up a financing that answers all their needs if they want to step into business. Within 30 days after opening a corporate bank account, Blessingfearless can apply for the W Power Loan.

The W Power Loan package comes with benefits such as:

  • business advisory services,
  • a flexible repayment period
  • a low interest rate as well as
  • flexible security options, to ease the minds of the passionate business owners in their own words.

Access bank has taken measures to accommodate women in need of capital to fund their business. On top of this they share some advice, that will be helping you finding a loan from any other bank or organisation.

Understand your business and convince others

Woman are great in organizing, that makes them great entrepreneurs because doing business is all about connections. But sometimes this stand in the way to document the business processes. To get a profitable business you need to be able to understand the environment, the market and the processes. Before you make any appointment with anyone who can give you access to a loan or capital, come up with a business plan.

Your hair business deserves more attention than a side hustle

Microsoft started their business in a garage, and many successful hair businesses started in the living room. If you want to make serious money, you need to take the business serious. Register your business before you apply for a loan. If you do not take your business serious, why would the bank officer do? Some banks can help you with the registration.

Be real, have open a corporate account

Keep your personal financial means separate from your business, do not mix private and business on your bank account. This will also reduce the expenses for the bookkeeping and tax calculations.

Do not ask your husband to do the bookkeeping

Bookkeepers and accountants are not known for their sex appeal, but you need them anyhow. Monitor your business is only possible with a reliable bookkeeping system in place. You can outsource the hard work, but make sure you understand better than your bookkeeper where you make your money and how much! Find a good bookkeeper before you start selling hair in Nigeria.

Join a business community and build your network

It is always good to share your experience with others, join a business community and learn from others. This network can also be of great benefit in times of crisis.

Only borrow what you need

The business plan is the base for the loan or capital request, only borrow the money you need for the business activities. Protect yourself against excess cash, that you must repay later. Use the cash flow forecast in our all-in-one hair business package.

I hope this post will help Blessingfearless, but I will keep my eyes open for more financing possibilities. If you need money for your business or you want a low priced website, leave a comment below so I can help you to find the money,