Moradeke Kupoluyi is the Chief Executive Officer, Radek Fashion House, known for maternity wears and accessories. In this interview with Haulat Afolabi, she says passion, perseverance and knowledge of one’s limit are key to growth in business. Excepts.
How did you start this business?
I started the business from a need. I actually had a dinner with my husband almost 13 years ago when one of my friends was having her 10 years wedding anniversary and I was heavily pregnant with my first child, so we needed to go for the dinner and I searched everywhere I couldn’t get a cloth to fit in my tummy. If it fits the body, the tummy will not go in and I didn’t want to wear my husband’s shirt or boubou.
What people normally do is to wear their husband’s shirt or sew a kaftan. There was nothing like maternity wear. That was what prompted me to start the business. I sell female clothing, from corporate to casuals, dinners and maternity wears but I specialise in pregnant women’s wears because it is a line of fashion that people don’t look at and where we have need for every day because people get pregnant every day. I’m actually one of those people that started the maternity wears business in Nigeria, and today, I remain number one in the business because that is where I find passion.
What are your challenges in the business?
The challenges are enormous, but at the same time, I usually tell people that if you don’t have a challenge in what you are doing, there is no way you can move forward. You can’t get to the top without challenges. Those challenges are what will tell you to do well, to grow and to expand in business.
The number one challenge we have in this business is the capital to expand because everyday you grow, like I’ve been in this business now for 17 years, and if I tell you how I started, you will be humbled because I actually started the business from the booth of my car to getting a small shop, then to the first, second and third branch. So, to do all that requires a lot of capital and you know if you grow in business, your customer base expands.
Secondly, government policy is another challenge. In all, we thank God because those challenges propel us to do well and because it is the only job I have, when you are passionate about what you do, your passion will actually bring you money and you will be fine.
What are you planning to do next?
I plan to have more branches because I have customers in Abuja, Benin, Owerri, Port Harcourt. At times, I have to go to Jibowu to send clothes to Abuja and my driver would come back and go and send to Okenne. So, if I have branches in all those states, it will make the work easier for me because being in Lagos alone is limiting my job. If I have branches in Abuja, Port Harcourt and others, it will make the job easier for me and that is where capital comes in.
What advice do you have for the younger ones who want to start this type of business?
I have people looking up to me and what I always tell them is that they should not be in a hurry because slow and steady wins the race. You can’t make profits in one day and you can’t have branches in one day. Like I always tell my friends, if your husband wakes up today and gives you N20 million to do clothing business, it doesn’t mean you will excel.
There is no business in Nigeria today that is not challenging. So, if you cannot endure, if you don’t find passion in what you are doing, you won’t be able to endure the trying times.
If you want to grow in business, you will know your limitations. You will know when to expand, you will know when to put a stop and will know when to grow and everything will be fine with hope in God.
