The Bar Woman Who is Also into Fashion Designing and Event Planning
“I am a fashion designer and I am also into Event Planning. I decide to do the three together, but the beer parlor business fetches me more money.“
What is your name?
My name is Ibukun Oluwasegun and I am from Akoko, North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Tell us about your education.
I attended Methodist Primary School in Ikorodu and also attended the Government College in Ikorodu. I gained admission into Adekunle Ajasin University to study Banking and Finance.
Where do you live and how much is your rent?
I am staying in a self-contained room and parlor self-contained at Agric in Ikorodu where I pay N250,000 yearly.
How did you start this business?
I started this business with just an idea. When I moved newly into this community, I found out that people spend N400 on transport to get to the closest bar parlor. So, what I did was to ease the stress and cost. Instead of them going outside the community to have fun, they prefer coming to my shop. I am a fashion designer and I am also into Event Planning. I decide to do the three together, but the beer parlor business fetches me more money. People only bring clothes during the festive period and getting an event job has not been easy because I do not have the right connection and links. That is why I invested in the beer parlor business.
How much capital did you start with?
I rented my shop for N60,000 yearly. To attract customers, I want my shop to be up to standard. I spent almost N500,000 to furnish my shop. I bought some fancy chairs, and I also did some lighting, with an air-conditioner to cool my customers. I bought different brands of beer, wine, vodka, and some soft drinks.
Who are your customers?
Everybody is my customer, single, married men, married women, the youth, and anyone who desires to enjoy life.
When do you have the most customers – weekdays or weekends?
I can’t predict, sometimes during the weekdays, the sales are massive and sometimes sales are more on weekends.
Also Read: Working Lives: This Bar Owner Who Wants Her Business To Become a Conglomerate
What’s the most popular brand of beer everyone buys?
We have different people with different choices. The common brands people buy are Trophy, Goldberg, Stout, and 33lager, but the number one demand is Trophy.
How many crates do you sell daily/weekly?
It depends. In a day, I can sell up to 5 crates and sometimes I sell more than that. When people come here to mark their birthday with friends, in that situation we record more sales. That Is why I said it depends, but in a week where there is nobody celebrating anything we sell as much as 20 to 25 crates.
Do you have any sort of affiliation with any of the companies selling beers?
I don’t have any sort of affiliation with any company selling beer. I only buy my beer from wholesalers and stores like ShopRite and Justrite when I need empty bottles and during black Fridays.
How much do you make in sales daily/weekly?
There is no fixed amount on the sales we make daily or weekly. I can sell up to N12, 000 on some days and there are times we do not get up to that amount. There are times when I open my shop and nobody will come. This happens mostly on Mondays. But in a week, we make nothing less than N40, 000 to N50, 000.
How much profit do you make on each bottle?
Most people staying in my area are big men. This place is like a mini estate. I sell my drinks between N400 and N700 and my profit ranges between N100, N150, and N200. The brand you are buying will determine my profit for each bottle.
How many hours do you work in a day?
I open my shop around 11 am and I close by 11 pm except on days my customers refuse to go home early. There are also times when my customers call me to open the shop earlier than my usual time, I go there to answer them.
Also Read: Working Lives: The Supervisor Who Resigned to Open a Beer Parlor
Have you ever had situations whereby a customer started misbehaving because he/she was drunk?
No, most people here are big men.
Apart from beer, do you sell other things?
Yes, I sell cigarettes and I also sell C-way water, pepper fish and cow skin (ponmo), catfish, and cow-tail to support my business.
Did you have to register with anybody or a union before starting the trade?
No, I don’t register with anybody or any union.
So, if I wanted to start the trade today, what do I have to do?
Just get your capital ready. A sum of N350,000 will be okay for a start.
For how long have you been doing this and for how much longer do you see yourself doing it?
This is my 4th year in this business, and I am not planning on quitting soon.
Tell me about your dreams or plans to venture into something else.
I plan to get enough money to buy more goods and expand my shop. I want to rent shops in other locations to attract more people to my shop. My shop needs to be upgraded and I want to show off my shops on social media. I am hoping to be a wholesaler soon.
