After obtaining her Senior Secondary School Certificate from Opebi Grammar School in Lagos, Nwamaka Gladys Echi could not further her education because of financial constraints. So, she went into teaching. When the stress wasn’t worth the pay, she left to do other menial jobs. But still, the pay wasn’t enough to cover her bills. She later went into hair making where she is currently creating waves.
By Eberechi Obinagwam
After obtaining her Senior Secondary School Certificate from Opebi Grammar School in Lagos, Nwamaka Gladys Echi could not further her education because of financial constraints. So, she went into teaching. When the stress wasn’t worth the pay, she left to do other menial jobs. But still, the pay wasn’t enough to cover her bills. She later went into hair making where she is currently creating waves.
While thinking of what to do next, a friend advised her to learn a skill and start her own business rather than depend on paid jobs. Gladys heeded the advice and went to learn hairdressing, a passion she had loved since childhood.
“Hair making is what I love doing. While growing up, I would style my own hair and my friends’. So, when a friend advised me to go and learn a skill because of the little pay I was earning from jobs I engaged myself with after my secondary school, hairdressing was the only skill that came to my mind,” she told TheNiche in an interview.
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Gladys went to learn hairdressing properly. She trained for a year and served her boss for three months. After that, she left to start her own business. She got a small space and launched her brand, Beauty Glam Empire. She stayed in that space for seven years, building her brand and gaining traction.
Seven years after, Gladys rented a shop in a better location. She also learned microblading and other skills to add to her business. Gladys is happy she made the right choice. “I am happy that I heeded my friend’s advice. Today, I own my business, and I can comfortably pay my bills.”
Capital
The CEO of Beauty Glam Empire said she started with her personal savings and money from braiding. “While I was training, I was also making hair for people, rendering home services. I saved up because I knew I had a budget,” she said.
Market
Gladys did not struggle to gain customers after learning hairdressing because she had already built a customer base. “I was already braiding for people around me, and because they trusted my work, they referred more customers to me. When I started my own business, they followed me because of the relationship I had with them. Aside from making customers’ hair, I made sure I maintained a good relationship with them. That kept them coming back and also referring people to me,” she said.
Breakthrough
Gladys got her breakthrough through home services. “I got customers for home service who paid well. The referrals and feedback have kept me in business.”
Experience
She had a nasty experience where her apprentice mistakenly burnt a customer’s bone-straight wig and had to replace it. “It was not easy for me to bring out money to replace a bone-straight wig, but I had to,” she said. Aside from that nasty experience, she has also had to deal with complaints from customers, which she tries to manage to keep her business running.
Challenges
Like every other business owner in Nigeria, Nwamaka is faced with high electricity tariffs and too many taxes. “The government keeps coming up with different levies to pay. To keep your business running, you must pay. I don’t let them affect me. I pay and take them as part of the business,” she said.
Japa
Gladys said she is still running her business in Nigeria because she has not yet raised enough money to travel out. “There is nothing wrong with japa if you know what you are going there to do. I have a good skill, and with it, I will make more money if I relocate,” she said.
About Gladys
Gladys is the CEO of Beauty Glam Empire, where she braids hair, fixes nails, and sells wigs, among other services. She was born in Lagos but hails from Delta State. She completed her secondary education at Opebi Grammar School, Lagos. She trains young people in her skill and also has staff working for her.
