The Chief Executive Officer, Platinum J. Apparels, Ojei Omogie, tells TOPE OMOGBOLAGUN how social media helped him survive tough times
What type of business do you do?
The business deals strictly with urban fashion such as designing of shirts, polo and other casual wears. The business is officially a year and six months old. Though, I have been doing this for so long, I really took it as a business in the middle of 2011. That was in my final year when my mates were designing final year outfits. So, I did the shirts for them and that was when I started seeing it as a business. It wasn’t that the gain was much, but I was happy doing it for them.
Who are your target clients?
Our targets are young people in general; students or workers. When it’s time for them to unwind, they need to wear something simple and nice.
What prompted you to go into this business?
For me, the art has always been the driving force. I didn’t start as a business; it all started as an art and my passion for art made it a big thing. I started with sketches and drawings, and then I started doing this with the computer and that was how it all started. Some people go into the fashion business and other businesses because of money; but for me, it was because of my passion for art and creativity. I realised that I could draw and put things together when I was a kid. So when I grew older, I discovered that fashion was an area where I could make a difference. Basically, what prompted me was my thirst for relevance and money was never a driving force to begin with.
Considering the fact that you started this business while in school, how did you combine business with academics?
It was very hard managing business with academics, especially when you are in fashion business. That’s why you find people who are in school and are also doing other things like fashion, music and theatre, dropping out of school. This is because the demands of these jobs are high. I started fully in my final year when the course load wasn’t that much and I think that was my saving grace.
Having graduated, do you intend going into the business fully?
Yes. I don’t intend to get any white-collar job or work for anyone. Though some people have to do white-collar jobs for the country’s economy to function properly, I don’t think I’m one of those people. However, I must add that getting education is very important. It’s the key thing. Being in the academic environment for a given number of years opens your eyes to some things that you probably would have never known and these things will enable you to deal with certain situations appropriately. Though I’m not totally in tune with the concept of white-collar jobs, I’m fully familiar with the concept of education.
Is your business capital intensive?
No, my business is not really capital intensive. All that is needed to thrive in the fashion business really is a certain level of tenacity and dedication. One must be willing to sacrifice all the resources around one, not necessarily money.
I didn’t start this business with my own money really. I would get money from a client, do their jobs for them and take a picture of the job and post it on social media, which people would see and make orders for. And that was how I started without having much money.
How much did you start with?
I started with N60,000. That was in my final year when some final year students needed shirts. I was given an advance payment of N45,000 to work with. It wasn’t easy but I did it and I did it well.
What are the challenges you face?
There aren’t really too many challenges in the fashion business, once you have the requisite skills and you know what you are doing. On the issue of finance, some clients want the job before payments are made. Being young in the business, you may not be able to foot the bill for the job so you must be convincing enough to gain your client’s trust in order to get them to pay a certain percentage. It’s a big task, but this is where the strength of your presentation comes in.
Being young in the business, how do you beat competition?
Creating a difference helps you beat competition. Pick a product in the market, examine what is missing in the product, put it in and that’s the difference. In Nigeria, we don’t have urban fashion; all we have are made by westerners.
Do you think government is encouraging young entrepreneurs enough?
I think entrepreneurs need the kind of discouragement we get in Nigeria because it drives and motivates us to success and not just sit back and enjoy what government has to offer. Countries like United State run a people-based economy because the individuals chose to work and make something for themselves, not relying on government. Now, the government relies on them for their economy to thrive. That’s what we are supposed to work towards. There are a few initiatives that the government and some non-governmental organisations have put in place; but they are not really enough. So we the people must work on the ‘indirect encouragement’ that the government has put in place, no matter how small they may seem. Young people should be the reason for the economy to move and not you moving because of the economy.
What is your advice for graduates in search of jobs?
If a graduate is in search of a job, it is fine but such a person should also look at his/her innate ability. We all have one; that is what stands you out in the midst of crowd. When you find it, you then acquire skills to polish the talent. You must relate your talent to the needs in the society and try to meet those needs. Any graduate can do this. A graduate doesn’t have to work for anyone. A graduate can be an employer of labour instead.
What are your surviving principles as a young entrepreneur?
There are really no principles. One must just know the job, possess the required skills and most of all have a passion for it. It is only the love for the business that will drive a designer to desire a difference that will make the person relevant.
And most importantly, as a designer or a business owner, one needs to have a brand. The brand represents what you stand for; and if you don’t have it, then you don’t stand for anything. People won’t reckon with a product that comes from such an individual.
