A Year of Aromatic Ecstasy

Do not start what you cannot finish. How do you feel when this is being said to you? Does it encourage you or have the opposite effect? To me, it depends on whatever I am planning to do at the moment.

I took up the challenge to dive into the world of aromatic ecstasy.

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The brand, kariMART, didn't begin as a joke, nor did it start as a serious business until I found myself fully dedicated to the venture and receiving compliments from both friends and family for possessing great energy and zeal for the business.

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kariMART is a scent boutique that specializes in selling perfumes and fragrance accessories, as well as recommending scents that match individual preferences.

Image is mine

To begin with, during the last eight months of the ASUU strike, I was at home helping my mom with her business, but I felt the need to engage in something as well. So my mom provided me with some money to start with.

Together with my sister, we embarked on the longest journey of my life – from Ibadan to the far end of Lagos – to meet someone who was supposed to guide me to the place where they sell the goods. However, something came up, and we had to rush back home to Ibadan. Did the mission fail?

I was disappointed, and I questioned why I even needed to start a business in the first place. Interestingly, my phone started acting up a few days later, and the issues couldn’t be corrected, so I used the money my mom gave me to purchase a new smartphone. But I still had 15,000 naira left.

A few weeks later, my cousin, who had been in the business during her undergraduate years, introduced me to her supplier in Ibadan, and that’s how the business started.

Together with my sister, we visited the supplier’s store, and I immediately fell in love with the business because the store wasn’t just a store; it was a perfume mansion. The staff were welcoming, and the CEO herself was cheerful. I brought out my 15k and bought what my money could afford. A few months later, I got to know many other suppliers and finally found a direct supplier. As I got closer to all of them, I realized that there’s no amount too big or too small to start a business.

Continuing on, when I got home with my 15k worth of goods, my mom happened to be my first customer, followed by my sister, then my co-movie watcher, sister Amaka. Eventually, my mom’s customers bought everything. I was overjoyed and thought that’s how quickly it works. The second batch of goods I purchased stayed with me for months, though not everything sold.

I did all of this during the 8-month strike, and I never stopped posting on my WhatsApp status to create awareness before school resumed. During this time, I took care of all the necessary branding, including my logo, flyer, T-shirt, and cap designs, among other things. This contributed to the rapid visibility the brand gained when school resumed.

I started taking my goods with me to large gatherings I attended, showing up at events that required vendors, and promoting my brand wherever necessary. This effort led the brand to win the Nigeria Association of Animal Science Student Promotion Award in 2022.

It's a gradual process, but we are still on the journey to make it big in the business. This is my way of encouraging all student entrepreneurs out there and showing appreciation to all our customers for allowing us to serve them a year of aromatic ecstasy.

Image is mine