SAS Textiles: A soaring trans-generational organization

It was started as Sola Adedeji Merchants, a relatives business enterprise by the late Mrs. Sola Adedeji, in 1978 and incorporated as a constrained liability in 1995. Extra than four many years soon after, SAS Textiles Ltd., a one particular-end shop for high quality materials, has evolved from a single-area to a chain of five merchants throughout Lagos with a staff energy of around 30. Its Chief Running Officer (COO), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Bakare, is making upon her late mother’s legacy and values of tricky work, integrity and outstanding purchaser assistance. Assistant Editor OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE tells the story of the increase of the family members small business.

At 14, she experienced cut her entrepreneurial teeth. At that tender age, Oluwatoyin Bakare (Mrs.), an entrepreneur, accountant and chief running officer (COO) of SAS textiles Limited, a a single-cease shop for exquisite and high-quality fabrics, learnt the ropes by understudying her mother, Mrs. Sola Adedeji, now late. The younger Bakare shuttled amongst faculty and her mother’s store, Sola Adedeji Outlets, which she launched in 1978.

Recalling how it all started out, Mrs. Bakare mentioned: “I just experienced a enthusiasm for serving to her and, of class, in individuals times my mum did not have a profits girl so, we the youngsters have been her workers and I learnt every little thing about the business from her. I simply call her my mentor and my finest instructor due to the fact she taught us how to attend to clients and the ability to promote. At age 14, I was previously next her to the industry every working day for the buy of fabrics to replenish her stock and also going to the bank to make deposits for her.”

Partly because her mom worked as an accounts clerk under the Accountant-Common of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) and perhaps, because of the eager desire she confirmed in the company, Bakare explained to The Country that when it was time for her to go to the college, her mother insisted she need to examine Accountancy. “She just preferred her daughter to be a chartered accountant so, I went forward and studied Accounting, and by the time I was 18 yrs old, she handed on and as a family members we made the decision to go on with the business and her legacy,” she claimed.

On completion of her scientific tests at Yaba Faculty of Technology, Lagos, Bakare, curiously, accomplished her Nationwide Youth Assistance Corps (NYSC) with SAS Textiles and, immediately after that, started working with the business, which was included as a limited liability enterprise in 1995. It was in 1995, a year just after her mom handed on, that SAS Textiles opened its very first branch. From that a person branch, we consolidated and created the small business dependent on our mother’s goodwill and we have been in a position to solidify our community of shoppers,” she said.

In fact, below Bakare’s cost, SAS Textiles has been increasing in leaps and bounds in the earlier 43 years. For instance, it has turn out to be a one-prevent for various materials, which include Swiss Voiles, Organzas, Polished Cottons, Guinea Brocade, Tafettas, Guipiures, Damasks, Headties and so on. Bakare has also aided steer SAS Textiles from a just one-space keep to a chain of 5 stores distribute throughout Lagos, with a workers toughness of above 30. Nowadays, SAS Textiles is the largest supplier in Aso-Ebi in Nigeria.

From the initially branch in 1995, it threw the door to the second retail outlet on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi open. That was 10 yrs in the past. Since then, it has been growing across Lagos, Nigeria’s business capital. Aside from its outlet on Adeniran Ogunsanya, Surulere, the firm boasts a fourth branch on Victoria Island. And about a calendar year ago, the fifth branch arrived on stream at Lekki Phase 1.

Bakare described the brand’s outstanding development trajectory as “a tale of hope in adversity.” In accordance to her, SAS, which usually means Sola Adedeji Suppliers,’ was started by her late mother, who was so passionate about having her individual company and was also decided to succeed as a business enterprise female. “So, I grew up in a residence where we have been providing fabrics and it was just a a single-place in the household called “Yara Itaja” (the Product sales Home) and I was normally fired up serving to my mum go to to her clients,” she said.

Apparently, that “Yara Itaja,” or the profits home has blossomed into a flourishing trans-generational company that deals in top quality fabrics and equipment. Bakare attributed the accomplishment of the small business so considerably to God’s aid, top-notch customer provider, innovation and insistence on excellent. Her phrases: “With God’s support, we have managed to stand out from the group. One particular thing we have learnt in this sector is that client services is really important.

“We have learnt how to empathise with our buyers just as our mother taught us and we are frequently improving and innovating on our brand. We have learnt not to compromise on the high-quality of our materials based mostly on the actuality that ideal now there is so a great deal compromise on good quality. People worth quantity over good quality. The truth of the matter about materials from SAS is that our fabrics stand the check of time.

“A great deal of our consumers nonetheless inform us that they still keep onto the fabrics my mother offered to them since individuals materials have stood the test of time. The quality of our fabrics is incredibly critical to us and we consider it by an inner approach of high quality handle. We have also learnt to meet up with our customers’ wants and our selling prices slash across all our stores. We are in a position to fulfill the desires of anyone and we do the job according to your funds.”

Bakare also explained leveraging know-how helped. “We are now on-line full time and we have a program that works throughout all our branches. So, technological innovation has served us to regulate our inventory which was a person of our biggest troubles again then.

“Technology and social media has presented us much more exposure to a significantly even bigger environment out there. We started as a full retail retail outlet, but today, with the ability of social media, it has specified us additional industry to faucet into. It has also assisted us in streamlining our logistics and warehousing troubles,” she explained.

Without a doubt, SAS Textiles has been catering for a vast range of clientele, giving textiles needs to wholesale and retail, significant net value individuals and the company world. It has also emerged a regularly imaginative and innovative corporation that has positioned its values on providing excellent materials at competitive rates in a client helpful setting.

On the other hand, in propelling SAS Textiles to its current vantage place in the competitive business, Bakare relied so a lot in personalized improvement. Aside from currently being a graduate of Accounting and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), she is an alumnus of Fate Foundation’s Rising Entrepreneur’s Programme (EEP), LEAP Africa’s Enterprise Leadership’s Software and Lagos Enterprise College (LBS).

Bakare also a short while ago did a Small business Management Plan at Harvard. She also sits on the board of Genesis Dwelling – an arm of Freedom Foundation that shelters and rehabilitates disadvantaged women. The astute entrepreneur is also an associate member of the Women in Administration and Enterprise (WIMBIZ).

“The globe of company is changing so rapidly and you have to have to always boost on oneself since that definitely assisted us. Right now, we have a sturdy administration staff produced up of my siblings and I,” she mentioned.

Results nuggets for aspiring business people

Possessing carved a area of interest for SAS Textiles in the materials organization, Bakare is naturally at a vantage posture to mentor and suggest existing and aspiring entrepreneurs on how to commence and grow their firms. For instance, she stated that to do well as an entrepreneur required difficult work, getting focussed and fully commited to one’s organization.

“You should be dependable and also be incredibly good with powerful values. Master to set goals for by yourself and preserve tough by yourself that you can make it. Just take pitfalls and find out to be impressive and continue to keep improving you. As forthcoming entrepreneurs, do your market place investigation and know the behaviour patterns of consumers, item knowledge is so significant so as to be on top of your sport,” Bakare recommended.

According to her, the notion of her spouse and children business is to make clients pleased. “At SAS Textiles we make sure we have the correct solution blend, the correct cost and in the most conducive surroundings, she mentioned, incorporating, “Never shy away from your failures, no make a difference how quite a few instances you unsuccessful because your failures are basically your individual understanding ropes which will assistance you to master the craft of turning out to be a seasoned and profitable entrepreneur.”

She mentioned a great client company approach could not be above emphasised, as it is the essential to sustaining any business enterprise in the environment. “Please go digital as that is the new usual in the planet we are living in now. Do not guarantee what you are not able to do as that is where by your integrity rests. Empathise with your consumers as nicely as celebrate them. Be pretty innovative, proactive and ground breaking if you really don’t want to be static in enterprise.

“Avoid the deceit of compromising on your high quality, as that will guide to the conclusion of your company. Most of all, find out to rely on in God, be incredibly prayerful, imagine in God and be pretty hardworking. Finally, study publications in the spot of your expertise and have an open intellect so that you will often be ahead. Be focussed, have a high feeling of commitment and make positive you have being energy. Really do not give up, really don’t get no for an remedy and never acquire items private,” Bakare recommended.

Sound and clever counseling no doubt, Bakare’s entrepreneurial journey has not been without the need of worries. She listed growing overseas exchange, hold off in arrival of goods in Lagos, and high priced logistics cost are difficulties.

“Fluctuations in greenback rates and authorities regulations even now keep on being our greatest problem in the enterprise, as we are an import-centered small business,” she included.

Bakare acknowledged the cordial connection the firm has with its producers who give its orders a higher precedence by delivering to them as at when thanks this sort of that the firm has been capable to maintain abreast with the demands of the business.

She discovered other issues to incorporate obtaining the appropriate persons on board, various taxations, decrepit infrastructure, as well as the way her company’s designs are becoming copied. Bakare, on the other hand, said despite the worries, “We have decided on to stay resilient and intend to start out output of our materials in Nigeria pretty shortly.”