Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Entrepreneur's Cradle: SUCCESS STORY OF TUNDAY GOLD FASHION ACADEMY
Entrepreneur's Cradle: SUCCESS STORY OF TUNDAY GOLD FASHION ACADEMY: DESIGNING HIS WAY TO WEALTH – THE FASCINATING STORY OF TUNDAY GOLD FASHION ACADEMY The saying that “if you don’t dare, you won’t win” a...
SUCCESS STORY OF TUNDAY GOLD FASHION ACADEMY
DESIGNING HIS WAY TO WEALTH – THE FASCINATING STORY OF TUNDAY GOLD FASHION ACADEMY
The saying that “if you don’t dare, you won’t win” aptly captures the story of Tunde Afolabi. Tunde makes dresses for the high and mighty of the society in the Southern part of the country (especially Calabar and Uyo). He hardly walks into any place today without being recognized or saluted by satisfied clients who are proud to tell their friends that he made their clothes. Listening to Tunde share his vision and his current projects, one will not be left in doubt the passion and joy he derives in what he is doing. His next plan is to acquire a large expanse of land and build a fashion training academy in Calabar, in addition to expanding his capacity to train more apprentices.
A graduate of political science from University of Calabar, Tunde Afolabi hails from Abeokuta North in Ogun State. Growing up in the village, he was always thrilled about colour combinations and enjoyed cutting materials. His Father reluctantly gave him out to a tailor to assist him cut and “patch” clothes. This singular act was the turning point for him as he was satisfied and soon started sewing clothes by picking out left over pieces of clothes that was no more used by his master. With time, he was able to sew complete outfits and that was how he started making boxer short, trousers for his father, siblings and friends who became his first set of customers.
While still studying at University of Calabar, he pleaded with the school authority to allow him make use of a nearby bush and that gave birth to Tunday Gold Fashion Academy. He constructed a make-shift shop with planks and will go to other tailors to collect cloths they couldn’t sew due to workload. He will sew these dress for the tailors for free or sometimes, small charges and in-turn display these cloths at his “make-shift” shop before returning it to the tailors. What kept him going at that difficult time was the passion he had developed for designing and tailoring. Soon enough orders started coming from his classmates and lecturers who were very satisfied with his creativity and attention to details.
This was how Tunde Afolabi paid his school fees and took care of other responsibilities; The mentality of having a ‘good job’ made him abandon his passion and take up a job with an oil firm in Portharcourt after National Youth Service in 2003. While working for the oil company, he would sew his own cloths at night and soon he started receiving orders from his colleagues in large number. But something in him was still not satisfied with the work and he decided to quit and has never looked back since then.
Tunde’s business witnessed a phenomenal growth after he acquired the nitty-gritty of being an effective entrepreneur from South-South Entrepreneurship development Centre. “I was privileged to meet one of my former apprentice one afternoon in 2014 who advised me to enroll for CBN entrepreneurship development program at SSEDC”. My thinking and mind-set was transformed when I took part in a “tower” game during the progam and to God be the glory, the rest is now history” – Tunde recalled with excitement. Today, this father of four lovely children has 6plots of land in choice parts of Ibadan in addition to expanding his shop in Calabar. He has trained about 69 apprentices who have gone on to establish their own tailoring business and are doing very well today. In recognition of his creativity and experience in the business, he recently got an offer to teach Fashion and Designing at Entrepreneurship Development Centre of University of Calabar. Tunday Gold Fashion Academy have a staff strength of 11 permanent and other numerous apprentices. For Tunde, his advice to any desirous entrepreneur out there is not to put money first but to offer unique service and money will come as a reward of this service.
The saying that “if you don’t dare, you won’t win” aptly captures the story of Tunde Afolabi. Tunde makes dresses for the high and mighty of the society in the Southern part of the country (especially Calabar and Uyo). He hardly walks into any place today without being recognized or saluted by satisfied clients who are proud to tell their friends that he made their clothes. Listening to Tunde share his vision and his current projects, one will not be left in doubt the passion and joy he derives in what he is doing. His next plan is to acquire a large expanse of land and build a fashion training academy in Calabar, in addition to expanding his capacity to train more apprentices.
A graduate of political science from University of Calabar, Tunde Afolabi hails from Abeokuta North in Ogun State. Growing up in the village, he was always thrilled about colour combinations and enjoyed cutting materials. His Father reluctantly gave him out to a tailor to assist him cut and “patch” clothes. This singular act was the turning point for him as he was satisfied and soon started sewing clothes by picking out left over pieces of clothes that was no more used by his master. With time, he was able to sew complete outfits and that was how he started making boxer short, trousers for his father, siblings and friends who became his first set of customers.
While still studying at University of Calabar, he pleaded with the school authority to allow him make use of a nearby bush and that gave birth to Tunday Gold Fashion Academy. He constructed a make-shift shop with planks and will go to other tailors to collect cloths they couldn’t sew due to workload. He will sew these dress for the tailors for free or sometimes, small charges and in-turn display these cloths at his “make-shift” shop before returning it to the tailors. What kept him going at that difficult time was the passion he had developed for designing and tailoring. Soon enough orders started coming from his classmates and lecturers who were very satisfied with his creativity and attention to details.
This was how Tunde Afolabi paid his school fees and took care of other responsibilities; The mentality of having a ‘good job’ made him abandon his passion and take up a job with an oil firm in Portharcourt after National Youth Service in 2003. While working for the oil company, he would sew his own cloths at night and soon he started receiving orders from his colleagues in large number. But something in him was still not satisfied with the work and he decided to quit and has never looked back since then.
Tunde’s business witnessed a phenomenal growth after he acquired the nitty-gritty of being an effective entrepreneur from South-South Entrepreneurship development Centre. “I was privileged to meet one of my former apprentice one afternoon in 2014 who advised me to enroll for CBN entrepreneurship development program at SSEDC”. My thinking and mind-set was transformed when I took part in a “tower” game during the progam and to God be the glory, the rest is now history” – Tunde recalled with excitement. Today, this father of four lovely children has 6plots of land in choice parts of Ibadan in addition to expanding his shop in Calabar. He has trained about 69 apprentices who have gone on to establish their own tailoring business and are doing very well today. In recognition of his creativity and experience in the business, he recently got an offer to teach Fashion and Designing at Entrepreneurship Development Centre of University of Calabar. Tunday Gold Fashion Academy have a staff strength of 11 permanent and other numerous apprentices. For Tunde, his advice to any desirous entrepreneur out there is not to put money first but to offer unique service and money will come as a reward of this service.
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