The Sweet Aura Of Novera Gathers
By ANGEL JAMES
Vera Adaobi Emedo, a fresh graduate of Mass Communication from Yaba Technology is making a statement. While her peers are gearing for white collar jobs after youth service, the Imo state born who is waiting for her NYSC Call-Up letter, has taken to her dream to do something of her own.
She started by inquiring about people’s needs for a bespoke product and she got huge followers in this regards, especially persons with busy schedules and whose work did not allow them time to go out for their needs. She collects their lists, buy the items, resell to them and make her profit.
Starting off as a pick and drop-off retailer, Novera Gathers is the story of Vera who gradually moved up to being a manufacturer, producing her line of perfumes and fragrances with supply from Dubai.
Vera who today sits atop Novera Gathers, a luxury brand that manufactures perfumes, also sells unisex accessories like female handbags, bracelets at what founders call ‘very affordable rates’.
“I started the business in 2018 with N6000 to buy two pairs of slippers which I sold and got a profit from”, said the young entrepreneur in her early twenties who now owns her brand manufactured for her in Dubai and which she packaged and branded in Nigeria.
Vera attracted followers and clients by posting pictures of her products on social media through which she gets order and delivers. “When I got more capital I learnt into buying from China”, said Vera who was scared to start business until she got a push from a friend.
Today as a manufacturer, Novera Gathers has four fragrance type named Mild Storm, Entice, Charmz, and Fame, which are the outcomes of her research into supplying what the market wants. The perfumes come in 25ml size which sells for N5,000.
“My research and review determined what fragrance to come up to meet up with people’s likes because we have different kind of personalities with different likes. Some like strong perfumes, some are allergic to perfumes, some like soft and cool scent, and even unisex perfume”.
The hard work is paying off for Vera who with the assistance of her siblings and friends, is building clientele from which she makes between N80,000 and N100, 000 monthly. For the last Valentine, business was good for Vera who made between N100,000 and N120,000 on a single day. The sales is made possible by her two distributors in Lagos and Ibadan.
I have got good commendations on that, I have customers outside Lagos, through social media, and referrals that have helped me to penetrate the market and growing my business to over a million now”
The young entrepreneur’s niche is the unique scent and packaging of Novera Gather products which make them more classy and the affordability.
The next stage for Novera Gathers is to make the products more affordable so as to increase the turnover.
There is no Start-Up without challenge and Novera Gathers is not excluded. “There were times when it felt like I didn’t know what I was doing. I get bad review from people because one cannot satisfy all the customers”.
“Another issue is when a customer orders a perfume and wanted it delivered same day without considering the logistics”
Speaking on her long-term plan she said “I intend to be a leading brand in Nigeria and be a household name that provides quality and affordable luxury”
She advised the teeming unemployed youths to “start what you have passion for even without capital just like the way I started with 6k which is like N5 now in Nigeria. It might seem like It’s not going to work but keep pushing, consistency is very important and continue to pray to about it”.
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