How June Started a Clothing Business With 100K Near Kiriri University

By Kivaya Josiah

Sometimes it starts with WhatsApp status uploads, hostel deliveries, and a few loyal customers who believe in your hustle.

That’s exactly how June built her biz near Kiriri University: slowly turning campus sales into a real clothing business through consistency, customer service, and understanding what customers actually want.

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According to June, inspiration yake ili-came from watching sister yakei aki-run biz kama hii while anachuom’ pale KU.

Ku-check vile biz ilikuwa inam-supported financially, ilimfanya ku-realize biz ya clads inaeza actually work.

Halafu kitu ingine ilim-keep going ni support ya mabeste wenye wali-believe in the hustle from the beginning.

Read also: How Jenevieve built her Online Clothes Shop.

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Before akuwe hadi na a physical shop, June alianza kuuza directly to classmates.

Alikuwa ana upload clothes on WhatsApp status na ma-stude wanauliza:

● “Ni how much?”

● “Unaeza fanya delivery?”

Hii time hakuwa na shop.

Riba ya hostel-to-hostel hustle slowly ili-became her first customer base.

Kutoka kwa hizi early sales, akaanza ku-raise capital ya physical shop.

One of the biggest lessons alijifunza early ilikuwa ni customer service matters just as much as the products.

Ana explain quality products iliokolea customers ku-bring mabeste zao, which slowly grew the biz through referrals.

Kwa wasee wengi wenye wako in biz in Kenya, repeat customers are what keep the biashara alive.

Cheki pia: Reality of Mtumba Business: Experiences On Ground

June alianza biz na around KES 100,000.

Half ilitoka kwa siz yake, while hio ingine alikwa already ameunda from selling mtumba clothes around campo.

After combining doh:

● Aka buy first stock

● Kulipa rent

● Kununua display dummies

● Ku-set up the shop

Na hio ndio ikakuwa beginning ya her store near Kiriri University.

Kwa msee ana fikiria ku-starti a fashion biz, June anadiasha research ni very important.

According to her, kabla ya kufungua shop, unafaa kuelewa:

● what clothes wasee wanapenda

● what trends zina move fast

● where to locate biz yenyewe

● who your first customers will be

Pia anadaisha ni important ku-build customers kabla ya kufungua the shop itself.

Hio customer feedback huokolea ku-avoid buying stock wasee hawapendi.

Read also: How Hellen is Building her Clothing Brand Business in Kiambu

One important money habit amejifunza ni ku-separate biz profit kutoka kwa biz capital.

Instead ya ku-mix everything pamoja, yeye ana recommend:

● ku-save profit kando

● ku-keep pesa ya stock untouched

Ana explains ku-mix the two inaeza collapse biz through unnecessary spending.

For many small biz owners, poor money separation ukuwa one of the fastest ways biz loses direction.

Like many clothing biz in Kenya, sales hazikuwagi always consistent.

Some weeks ukuwa slow. Nazingine zina move very fast.

Time ya low seasons, June yeye hu-:

● discount old stock

● kupena offers

● saa ingine ana sell at buying price

Then ile time ya high seasons, ana brings trendy stock anajua customers wanaulizia.

Hii strategy huokolea ku-keep stock moving instead ya letting products ku-stay too long kwa shop.

According to June, weekly earnings usually range between:

● KES 10,000

● KES 20,000

Hii doh ina-depend na customer traffic na season.

Like many hustles, income sio fixed kila week.

Ku-run biz ukuja with emotional pressure.

June says sio kila msee ukuwa happy seeing her progress.

Some people:

● Walim-discourage

● Kubonga badly juu ya biz yake.

● Wengine hadi ku-try stopping customers from buying kwake

At some point,alikuwa almost ku-gave up.

But ile supportya:

● wazae

● loyal customers

● close friends

● prayer,

helped her ku-continue pushing through.

One major challenge ukuwa ku-keep up na trends.

Customers constantly wanadai:

● new designs

● trending outfits

● latest fashion styles

Hii ina-mean old stock zinzeza quickly stop moving.

Pricing inakuwa pia ngumu.

Sometimes yeye hu-buy a classy item at KES 1,400 expecting good sales, only for customers ku-negotiate heavily after arrival.

Ku-balance trend, pricing, na profit ina-remain one of the toughest parts of fashion biz.

Like many entrepreneurs, June learned some lessons the hard way.

At one point, ali-buy too much stock zenye customers hawakuwa wanadaisha

Hii li-tie up doh in products zenye zili-move slowly

Another mistake ilikuwa ku-allow mabeste kuchukua clads on credit. Wengine wali delay payment for too long, affecting ability ya ku-restock.

For small businesses, cash flow delays can quickly create pressure.

June’s journey ina-show that many successful biz in Kenya hazianzi perfectly.

Sometimes inaanza na:

● WhatsApp status

● hostel deliveries

● mtumba hustle

● support from a few loyal customers

But consistency, customer service, understanding trends, and managing money carefully are what help the business survive long term.