Peter Peters’ mastery of cloth branding amidst frustration
By Eberechi Obinagwam
Peter C Peters spent nine years trying to gain admission into a university without success. It was a depressive experience for the youngster. “My life was like a standstill for nine years,” he recalled.
Rather than wasting time whining over his condition, Peters secured a job at an ICT lounge where he learned graphic design. This experience ultimately led him to venture into clothing branding, where he now successfully owns Pita Boutros, a popular clothing brand that also offers ready-to-wear outfits.
Starting up
Peters launched his cloth branding business in 2017 from his house, with N10, 000 he earned from a graphic design job, he had earlier done. He acquired the graphic design skills while working at an ICT lounge, a job he took after being unable to secure university admission for nine years.
According to Peters, those nine years were challenging. “For nine years, I could not secure admission into the university. I took JAMB, did pre-degree, etc but whatsoever reason that was causing the delay, I did not know. My life was like a standstill. It was more or less like moving in circles, until I finally got the breakthrough in 2016. I got admission to Yabatech. After my National Diploma, I applied for HND but didn’t get the admission. Later, after five years, I applied for part time. I got it but I wasn’t impressed with the whole thing. I just left it.”
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Peters’ ICT job was the opener that helped him discover his graphics design artistry. He later went for a certification at California Institute of the Arts to hone the talent. So, it was the N10,000 which he earned for a graphic design job that he used to start up his cloth branding line. “I was led by my spirit to use the N10,000 to start up my cloth branding business instead of spending it”, Peters said.
According to Peters, his inspiration for entering the cloth branding business arose from his childhood experience, which left a lasting impression. “Growing up, seeing people wear noisy outfit for their organizations was disturbing. So, I got into the business to make people wear classy outfit with cool designs,” he said. His graphic design background played a vital role for Peters, as it made the transition smoother.
Sourcing capital
The CEO of Pita Boutros said sourcing for capital was not too challenging. “I did a graphic design for a client, she paid me 10,000. It was a big money that time. I started with that. “With the N10,000, I bought fabrics, made samples. I gave them out. And then my place of worship was preparing for their yearly event, so I made different samples, branded and show them that this is my job and I can do it. That year, they gave me a job to do. I gave out a whole lot. From there, orders started coming in and the rest is history. I didn’t really have much challenges with capital,” he said.
Penetrating the market
The CEO of Pita Boutros, a clothing brand said it took him a while to break into the market, but got along with his commitment to excellence and attention to details, “Well it’s a normal thing for startups to have challenges penetrating the market because you are not known, and not yet trusted to deliver. So, yes it took me a while. But because I was very meticulous with my job and also made sure I gave it my best, it wasn’t long people started recommending me,” he said.
“I won’t say I’ve fully broken into the market but I’m not where I started. I’ve gone far but it can be better,” he added
Experience with customers
Peters’ striking experience while establishing his brand was branding T-shirts for a client that was rejected. He said, “We have had series with clients. At some point we quarreled and lost contact. We did a job for a client only for her to say that was not the colour they picked, and we’ve branded the whole thing. So, we went back to remake the whole T-shirts from scratch, branded and delivered. It was a big loss for us. Since then, before we go ahead with an order, we’ll first send you a pictorial representation of what you are expecting, then make a physical sample of it for you to confirm.”
Breakthrough
Peters’ breakthrough came when he got a contract to brand 3000 T-shirts for Polaris Bank in 2020 amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. When everyone was at home and businesses were shut down because of Covid-19, Peters was busy making money. He said: “During the Covid-19 pandemic, everywhere was dry, businesses were struggling and I was unsure if people would still be interested in branded clothing since many were working from home. I was looking for another business to do to sustain myself, but God came through for us, we received a contract to brand 3000 T-shirts from Polaris Bank. This breakthrough gave us the encouragement we needed to persevere. It was enough encouragement that God wasn’t done with us.”
Business challenges in Nigeria
Peter said the consistent increase in cost of materials and high cost of living is a challenge for him in doing business in Nigeria. According to him, nothing is stable in the country, high cost of electricity bills, increased cost of fuel, cost of raw materials, etcetera. “You buy at one price today, tomorrow the price goes up, and all these affects cost of production and profit margin,” he said.
Japa?
The CEO of Pita Boutros said his plans are to make money in Nigeria and travel abroad for vacations. According to him, Nigeria is home and a great nation blessed by God but bad leadership is making life difficult for the people. “But then I know there is money in Nigeria, and I’m here to take my own with God’s help geared with my Hard work and resilience. My plan has been to make money in Nigeria and travel out for vacations. Unless God has other plans for me, but till then, I am still here.”
Profile of Peter C Peters
Peters is the first born in the family of six. He lost his dad when he was nine years old. “That automatically made me a father of five,” he said.
He was born in Kano, had his National Diploma, OND in computer engineering at Yaba College of Technology, Yabatech. He tried to go further for his HND, but it was not coming forth. “When I finally got admission, I wasn’t impressed with the mode of teaching so I left the school.”
Peters has a certificate in Graphics Design from California Institute of the Arts. He learnt public speaking from the University of Washington. He is also a drummer and a gospel singer with seven singles. Peters is set to release his new single titled, ‘OBANLA’, this April.
