Biz Lounge: How a casual conversation at the gym birthed lucrative wig business
Angela Lavenda runs a human hair business in Nakuru city.
“They say never despise humble beginnings. That is the virtue I am living by now,” says Angela Lavenda, a business woman venturing into the beauty industry.
Lavenda shares that before 2020, she never thought she would be sitting on a sewing machine making wigs for women in Nakuru and beyond.
“Before the Covid pandemic struck the nation, I was supplying stationery to public high schools. However, the business was affected by closure of schools during the lockdown period. I would say the situation was a blessing in disguise, as it presented a self-employment window for me in the beauty industry,” she says.
Angela Lavenda sewing a frontal wig at her shop using a wig cap and human hair.
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Asked how she cast her net into the wigs business she says, “The business idea sprung from two wig purchases I made from China. One for myself and another one for my sister, each at sh 2,500. I wore the wig to one of my gym sessions and a lady at the gym liked it and asked if I could get her a similar one.”
“With no hesitation, I told her I would make arrangements for that. Since I did not have the wigs around, I sold her the piece meant for my sister double the price I got it for, making a great profit, “she explains.
Lavenda notes that she got more wig orders, prompting her to service hers and resell it. With no wigs at her disposal and continuous orders coming her way, she decided to take a risk and order more wigs.
Samples of pixie human hair made by Angela Lavenda.
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“I took sh 40,000 from my previous business and imported wigs through a supplier I met online. When the wigs arrived in Kenya from China, I had a quick sale and again I was out of stock,” she notes.
Realizing the business opportunity, she scaled up her orders from five to ten pieces and now dozens.
Asked how she learnt to sew wigs; her answer is the 'school of YouTube'.
Lavenda notes that she would watch hundreds of tutorials online on how to sew wigs, how to colour and dye hair and make wig installations.
Angela Lavenda showcasing a frontal human hair she made at her shop.
“After understanding the technicalities of sewing wigs, I took a week-long course with a tailor using an electric sewing machine to make clothes and get familiar with stitching techniques. After that I started sewing wigs in July of 2023 rather than importing wig that were ready made,” she says.
At the moment, Lavenda makes customized wigs for her clients with the cheapest going for sh 3,500 and the highest sh 25,000. Her products include frontal wigs, 360 wigs, pixies among others.
She says it only takes her one hour to assemble a wig, a skill she has perfected over time.
Revealing her setback in the business, Lavenda notes that in 2022 she suffered sh 60,000 in losses after her supplier sent her a wrong package and she had to meet the cost of shipping the products back and get her order again.
She is however quick to note that she has been quite lucky not to be duped by getting a shipment of low-quality human hair, noting that it is a popular loss many people in the human hair business suffer.
Other than making wigs, Lavenda also services wigs by washing them and styling them for her clients. She reveals that on a good month she can make around sh 100,000 of sales from selling wigs and servicing them.
An electric sewing machine used by Angela Lavenda to make human hair wigs.
“My advice for anyone looking forward to getting into the wigs business is to do market research and understand the quality of human hair they would want to sell. There is a vast market in China, Vietnam among other countries. It would now be up to you to get a connect supplier and choose whether you would want to import your hair by sea or fly it to your destination,” she concludes.