Mitikie Getana, 23
Bahir Dar ICT, Bright Future & New Venture Creation 2012
"Previously I was only thinking about being employed. But now it is all about becoming a good businesswoman."
Enterprising Ethiopia with Alchemy World Addis Ababa & London facebook.com/enterprisingethiopia twitter.com/EntEthiopia
My name is Mitikie Getana and I am 23 years. Finished Alchemy World ICT, Bright Future and New Venture Creation in 2012.
After I graduated with diploma in automotive electricity and electronics from Bahir Dar TVT College, all I focused on was to become employed in a government office. I was searching for a job and then I read the announcement from Alchemy World about the entrepreneur training.
My family runs a small restaurant business, and so I began thinking about opening my own business rather than only being employed by the government. Now I am no longer thinking about the government employment.
After being involved in the family restaurant I asked my family to open my own business – and I so opened a juice house with cultural coffee. But it is difficult to be successful on such business alone and I wanted to change the business. I made an assessment: what kind of business would be good? And I came to the conclusion that selling clothes is a good business. I had a small amount of money saved up and in addition I got a little money from my parents. So I had enough to open the business. It is definitely better than the previous kind of business.
My shop is a small clothing shop in the Mercato in Bahir Dar where I sell clothes for girls. Now I have had it for 6-7 months. As an employee in a government office you are paid maybe 1000 birr per month, but with this business I earn maybe 4-5000 birr and so I can pay my expenses. Previously my parents supported me, but with my current profit I can now support them. I have expanded the product range and am able to make a little saving, maybe 1.000 birr per month.
Previously I was only thinking about being employed. But now it is all about becoming a good businesswoman. I used to be a member of an association that is building a new business center; after getting involved, I became a member. But it cost 8.000 birr, which was too expensive for me and I sold my option.
The competition is very strong in Mercato, so to attract the customers I follow the fashion. Every week I introduce new clothes to be more competitive. And the customer approach is very important; the customers appreciate good and friendly service.
The way I set the prices is this: if the product is found in other shops around here, I will sell them cheaply. But if the product is only found in my shop I increase the price. And if a customer asks for something I will bring it and give the customer a call. I have learned to think this way by observing how the competitors do. And from my training with Alchemy World I have learned how to attract customers, how to be more business oriented and how to bread a good business idea.
I have a special character and a way of my own on how to attract customers and how to convince the customers to buy; I tell them about the product features and benefits of the clothes and use a strong words to convince them. And it works.
I am 23 years old and an entrepreneur. I think I am in the right place and I want to continue in this line but I also want to become a wholesaler. And I am good at selecting the things that the customers want and the customers like the selection of clothes. I have a plan to open a second shop, and this will then be together with my parents. It will be similar to this one but only with clothes for men and it will be even better than this one.
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