Want to start a fashion business? learn from Neil Shem


Hi MESHERs! Hope y’all are doing great.
We’ve got something special for anyone thinking about getting into the fashion game. We caught up with someone who built his biz from the ground up, fresh off a job loss.
His story? Mad inspiring. Eye-opening. Real talk from someone who’s been in the proverbial trenches.
Check out the full interview transcript below.
Prefer video? Watch it in two parts, here and here.

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Please Introduce Yourself…
Hey guys!
Neil Shem hapa.
I’m a bag designer. Napatikana Jericho Market. Tuko store 69 block U.
Tunashona bags, tunadesign bags, na tunafanya branding ya bags.
How Did You Get Into the Bag Making and Branding Biz?
Mimi ii shughli nakumbuka nilianza 2022 after nimepoteza job yangu. I was once employed — sitasema ni job gani but nilikua employed. Venye job iliisha nikarudi back home. Nikawa sina another life where to start up.
Then my aunt akani-approach akaniuliza kama naeza kua interested na fashion design under bag making. Nikakaa chini nikafkiria “Maybe I can do something kuliko kukaa bure.” Nikaamua kuenda training kwa polytechnic school nikajifunza about kufanya bag making.
So from there my aunt alinisupport na kubuy machine. Alinipea around 30000 nikanunua machine. So nikatafuta place penye nilianzia.
Tell Us About Those Early Days
Actually, nilianza kwa nyumba na nilianza na machine peke yake. So what I did, nilishona bag moja na nikaanza kui-advertise. Client akapenda.
Pesa yenye nilipata ya io bag moja (nakumbuka ilikua travelling bag. Niliuza around 1800, I remember) nikachukua material. That time tulikua tunachukua material ya rexine — the leather one. Tulikua tunabuy at 500 per meter. So nikachukua 2 meters na nikashona bag zingine 2.
I also posted on my Instagram page, my Facebook page, and my TikTok. I also got a client. Nikaanza tu kupenda kushona bags,ku-create something unique, na nikajipata niko hapa.
Where Did Your Get the Initial Capital?
Capital nilikuwa supported by my relative. What she did, alinipea job yenye iko worth price ya kubuy machine (around KES 30,000).
So nikafanya job yenye alikua amenipatia, and the amount I got, I bought this machine here (gestures to one of the machines), at around KES 27,000. So izo KES 3,000 zenye nlibaki nazo nilitafuta hizi vitenge, some fabrics like this one here, the canvas (gestures to a nearby collection of fabrics).
So nikaanza kushonanga tubags tudogo tudogo nikifanya kama display niki uza uza from that 3000.
Do you need capital for your biz? Check out MESH’ tips.
How Did You Land Your First Customer?
My first customer pia alikua my aunt. My aunt has been so supportive to me. Yeye ndiye alikuwa mtu wa kwanza kuni-support. Yeye ndiye alibuy that first travelling bag yenye nilikuwa nawaambia.
From there nilianza kupata clients. Wengine ata sijawai patana nao ju mostly mi biashara yangu nafanyaga production hapa then napost my products online.
What Strategies Do You Use to Retain Your Customers?
Kuna wale customers wenye ni one-time (wenye wanabuy alafu wanaenda). Na kuna wale wenye wanakuanga resellers — they buy from me, then they go resell them. So hao mimi chenye nawafanyia, nafanyanga na low price.
Then another thing, nafanyanga product yangu inakua so unique then na-remain the standard ya kitu uwa wanataka. Wakipata client mwenye pengine anataka kitu hao hawana wao hum-refer kwangu.
And that’s how mi u-retain customers.
What Fuels Your Passion For this Biz?
Napenda ii biz coz inafanya na-earn a living. First of all, najaribu kukumbuka venye nlipoteza job. Kama singei kua na ii biz sijui saa hii ningekua wapi. Ii biz imefanya at least sai naonekana kuwa person — I talk to people, I meet new people, I make my earnings, I pay up my bills.
So I’m doing what I’m doing with passion. Because I love my work — I’m just doing it out of passion actually. Sikuwai jua nitafanya kitu kama hii. So mi naeza sema ni God sent job.
Have You Faced Any Challenges in this Biz?
Challenges tuko nazo…
Kunakuanga na ii logic inasemekananga mafundi ni wakora. Haikuwangi ivo.
Sometimes client anaeza ni-approach aniambie anataka bag by Monday anatravel. Then unapata naeza kuwa na orders zingine. Sio yeye peke yake naeza mfix mahali nipate nime-deliver na time yenye anataka.
So unapata anataka bag by kesho jioni na hio jioni imefika haraka kama sija-complete kufanya bag yake. But in real sense hatuko hivo. That’s our first challenge.
The second challenge is about material. Unapata material material this time unachukua na kes 500 per meter ukirudi kesho unapata ni Kes 600.
Then, pia ku-access some of these materials. Unapata material yenye nilikupatia jana nayo bag nikipost kuna client atataka the same same bag na hiyo material ikue haiko kwa soko.
Another thing ni unapatanga sometimes — mostly sisi wasee tunafanya online businesses — ni trust issues na wasee wenye hawajai tuona na hawajui mahali tunapatikana. So ku-create trust na client mwenye hakujui, hajai kuona, na hajui physical shop yako inakuanga very very hard to us.
Some MESHERs Might Be Inspired By What You’re Doing. What Advice Would You Give Someone Interested in Your Line of Business?
Fellow MESHERs, if you’re interested in business yenye mi nafanya, first of all, you have to develop a passion. Kwa fashion and design lazima ukue na passion na kitu yenye unafanya. Ju ukiwa na passion, creativity itakam automatically.
Then, second thing you have to believe in yourself. Hakunanga shortcut in life, unaona? Just keep on pushing. Halafu nimeambia wasee wengi “put God first”. Everything will work— itakam automatically. Then ukiwa na support ya family, kila kitu ujipa. That is it for MESHERs