Tk 90,000 of a wife's savings started an online shoe business: now 90 staff and about Tk 8 crore turnover a year
A couple with jobs began selling shoes online with Tk 90,000. They first sold photos of other shops' shoes, then built their own brand and two branches.
In 2021, with the wife's project contract about to end, a couple decided to go into business. Using Tk 90,000 of her savings, both left their jobs and began selling shoes online. The husband at first kept his job and went to Elephant Road at night, pitching about 30 shops: he would photograph their shoes and sell on Facebook, and buy from them only when an order came. Twenty-eight shops refused and two agreed. Sales rose from two or three pairs a day to 15, and the idea of their own brand followed. They had a shoe-factory owner make 10 pairs in corduroy fabric of their choice; once posted, all sold in an hour, without any advertising. Four months later, in March 2022, they took an office and a warehouse. One day the factory owner said money owed to him was stuck and he would have to close; they asked him to work for them instead. Today about 90 staff work there, with two branches in Dhanmondi and Banani, and annual turnover is about Tk 8 crore. They plan two more branches.
Lessons
- 1.Selling photos of other shops' shoes without stocking lets you test demand with little capital.
- 2.Relying on other brands' shoes stops you building your own name; a small test batch in your own design was the turning point.
- 3.A small factory supplier can be caught by money stuck in the market; steady orders kept him going.
We published this with the person's permission, without revealing who they are.
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