Have you ever thought of having a side hustle? Building your own business online? Starting your own brand? Earning passive income while maintaining a 9–5 job or even running a business as a full-time job? Stick with me through this article because if you answered yes to those questions, then you are in the right place.
Earlier this year, I was conversing with my friend who has been running a business for over five years — Loveth Ochumba (@makeupbychalovey). While having that conversation, I thought of how amazing it would be to feature her in one of my articles, and boom, I decided to interview her and ask her some questions about running a business and being your boss.
To be honest, I have been with Loveth Ochumba (@makeupbychalovey) from the beginning of her business till this very moment, and I can say it has been such an amazing experience to witness this type of growth. From having no clients to landing her dream clients, traveling to different locations in Nigeria, and earning multiple 6 figures monthly. Whoahhhh! Such a blessing.
I figured that sharing her journey and experience will not only expose you to the fact that you can do it and more but also guide you on any entrepreneurship step you plan to take this year. Make sure you read this article till the end; if you snooze, you are definitely going to miss out on some important information that can take your business to the next level.
Q: How did you start your business with little or no income?
A: In the beginning, I did not have the passion for being a makeup artist, but I had a long holiday and decided to learn a new skill — learning how to slay people’s faces for events and parties. I started with the idea of perfecting my skills and learning this particular craft. I understood that my skills would be my power, so I decided to experiment with myself and friends around me by slaying their faces with the makeup skills I had then. I also did a lot of makeup for free while starting because it gave me a chance to develop social proof, and it allowed me to show others my work.
One thing I loved about this skill was the creativity and the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. When I started, I had little money because I was a student, but I had a goal in mind.
I would say three major ways to start a business without income are to learn a skill, perfect your craft, and upgrade your business and skill when you make any amount of money.
Q: What Inspires you to keep going?
A: The creativity behind what I do inspires me. The idea of traveling to different locations to make people happy through makeup is a true inspiration for me and also seeing the results of my hard work over the years.
Q: How did you pick between doing a 9–5 job and building your business in Nigeria?
A: This was a difficult decision for me, but I had to choose my passion against following the crowd. As the Best Graduating Student in my class from the University of Lagos, it was a no-brainer for people to think I would follow the bandwagon and move into the corporate world. This led me to question my intelligence and focus on what people expected instead of what I wanted for myself. I decided to attend job interviews a couple of times, but it wasn’t working. So instead of spending so much time looking for a 9–5 job, I decided to invest in my already growing business.
It was difficult for me to stop my business or not give it the required time it needed to grow. So I took the following steps:
- I questioned my growth and progress — I assessed how well my business was doing and the future of my business.
- I channeled my energy into my strengths which I was sure would yield results and increase my income.
- I shut the negative voices in my head and shut the noise from the crowd, and focused on myself and what I wanted.
Q: Following what you just mentioned, how did you manage the crowd’s voice and ensure it did not affect your career decisions?
A: Friends, family, coursemates, and other people expected a lot, but I will say this is how I managed to go past the crowd’s voices. First, I see them as things we worry about but do not think about — Think about the issue at hand. Mine then was what I wanted to do with my life after school, which led me to question myself. I asked myself these questions:
- A 9–5 job or growing my business, which of them will make me happy? I realized I was good either way, whichever decision I went with.
- I focused on myself more and not others.
- I showed up confidently for my business, ignoring negative influences.
Q: How could you identify yourself and make a name for yourself in a saturated market like the beauty industry?
A: I have practiced the following advice I will give right now, and it has worked for me for over 5 years that I have been in the beauty industry.
- Know what you like.
- Know what works for you.
- Identify and be confident in the value you offer.
- Let people know you for your brand and style.
Speaking further on this, I believe in identifying other sources of income in your niche. I am a makeup artist, and I have expanded beyond slaying faces to organizing make-up training and selling makeup products on @makeupbychalovey_store. Even during the lockdown, I kept on pushing my brand online, and I had a post-lockdown plan; I also conducted online makeup training.
It’s essential to increase your revenue while running a business. Research on how you can branch out in your niche. This will also help you identify yourself in your industry.
Q: How do you handle competition in your industry?
A: First, I understand that other people’s growth levels and mine are different. Also, I invest and put in a lot of energy and hard work because I want double the results, and I am ready to double the work. Again, I understand that everyone has different paths, I have identified mine, and I focus squarely on it.
Q: How do you land your dream Clients?
A: There are different ways to get clients, but I will speak of the ways that have worked for me so far:
- Owning my craft and being a badass at it.
- Also, people will know you when you become a boss in your niche, so I aspire to keep growing and getting my name known beyond where I am currently.
- Client satisfaction is key in my business because only a satisfied client will recommend and refer other people.
- I have identified my target audience, and I make myself known to them.
- I make use of social media — I ensure I create engaging content weekly.
- Sometimes, I conduct discounts and engage in strategic partnerships with similar brands and engage in cross-selling.
Q: I understand that many entrepreneurs and budding business owners struggle to reward themselves for their hard work. How do you pay yourself as a business owner?
A: Every budding entrepreneur or business owner should know their priorities at the beginning of their business. When I started, I was barely paying myself. I invested more in my business than paying myself.
Currently, I do four basic things at the end of each month: Invest in my business, Save for my business and personal needs, pay my tithe, and reward myself.
The more clients I get in a month, the higher my monthly reward. I dedicate 10% for my tithe, 40% for my savings, 20% for my monthly reward, and 30% for investment in my business.
Q: I have observed that most young millennials and Gen Z want to start a business and have a side hustle. What skill and advice will you give to every aspiring entrepreneur?
A: Entrepreneurship is not for the weak and faint-hearted, so I believe the first question should be: Are you patient enough to withstand the challenges of being an entrepreneur? Are you willing to be consistent and follow your passion? Are you ready to focus on yourself and ignore the negative voices of others?
After honestly answering the following questions then you should build on these skills:
- Customer-client relationship
- Emotional intelligence
- Be creative and have an idea of the businesses relating to your brand. Although this is relative and depends on your business, it has helped me grow my income from 0 to multiple 6 figures as a makeup artist.
Q: This conversation has really exposed a lot about entrepreneurship to me. To wrap up, what are the lessons you have learnt in over 5 years of being a business owner who now manages staff, clients, and makeup students?
A: Patience — Entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint, so you must be able to go through the process
- Consistency — Don’t stop! People are watching; keep doing you and building your business.
- Always upgrade your skills — You have to keep learning new things because growth is constant, and the world is ever-changing.
- Explore your industry.
- Be ready to work extra hard for extra money.
- Have a goal and a plan on how to expand your business and have a standard
I hope this article gives you direction, clarity, and the right strategies to implement in your business and choose a path for yourself.
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