By Eberechi Obinagwam
Udori Ekemini Gift, who holds a National Diploma (OND) in Computer Science, launched her business during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in pursuit of financial relief. She began by selling data online, but when she realised it was not profitable, she switched to women’s fashion on the advice of another woman she consulted while searching for a more lucrative venture.
As she posted her brand consistently online, Udori started receiving referrals. With her strong online presence and quality products, she didn’t have to struggle to build an audience. What began out of boredom and a desire for financial independence has grown into a thriving business, with customers from within and outside her state patronising her store.
Today, she is the brand owner of Pearlify Hub, where she sells stylish women’s wear. “Anything that makes the girlies look beautiful — count me in,” she told TheNiche in an interview.
Sourcing capital
When starting her online store, Udori said she didn’t need funds. “When I started, I was posting things I knew were available. When customers saw them and liked any, they would pay me and I’d get it for them,” she explained.
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She said her business model didn’t require capital because it was strictly online. As a result, she faced no financial struggles in getting started. She also disclosed that she had no challenges penetrating the market because she was not fixed on a particular product.
Experience as a newbie
Starting out as a newbie in the online space, pre-orders were the trend, so she joined in and began making pre-orders for her customers. Not long after, the supplier she relied on for pre-orders was duped. Following the incident, she stopped all pre-orders and decided to visit the market herself to meet suppliers directly rather than rely on middlemen.
“After the whole pre-order saga, I told myself never again,” she said. “I decided to go to the market, talk to suppliers, get their contacts, take pictures and share them on my WhatsApp status and other social media platforms. Everybody on my contact list became my first customers before I officially started my business.” The brand owner of Pearlify Hub said she also struggled initially with sourcing good-quality fabrics and the right sizes.
Breakthrough moment
For Udori, her breakthrough came when she started receiving referrals, leading to improvement of sales every week. “Like every day, a customer reached out. It was a breakthrough for me because I was pleased with it and I had that satisfaction that I was doing well,” she said.
Running a business in Nigeria
Udori identified fluctuating prices of products in the market as a major challenge. “When prices are not consistent, it affects our sales because most customers won’t understand when you hike your prices,” she said. She also contends with the issue of trust as an online vendor. According to her, people hesitate to trust sellers because they worry about quality, whether they will receive exactly what they ordered, and whether it will be delivered.
She said; “It’s just like opening an Instagram account and trying to gain an audience. And because most people have been duped before online, they will not find it easy to order. For instance, my cousin bought an air conditioner online. She paid ₦300,000, the vendor promised to deliver within a specific time, and up to now — almost three years later — the vendor has not delivered the product. So, it’s hard for people to trust. Instead, they prefer to buy through people who have bought from the seller before.
“It’s hard to find somebody who can trust you enough to buy from your brand. What I do most times is ask my customers to make a half payment. Once their package is at their doorstep with the rider, they complete the balance. It’s a risky one because it’s an online business.”
Japa
Udori said she is still in Nigeria because she does not yet have the means to travel abroad. “If I ever get an opportunity, I will definitely japa,” she said.
About Udori Ekemini
Udori is a young entrepreneur who first started her business as side hustle to supplement her 9-5 job after her National Diploma. She later dropped the job to focus fully on her business. She is currently pursuing a BSc in Computer Science at the National Open University of Nigeria. She holds a National Diploma (OND) in Computer Science from Lagos State Polytechnic.
She is the brand owner of Pearlify Hub, where she sells beautiful women’s wear. She can be reached on Instagram: @Pearlify_hub.
