BusinessHABMitumba Business are very popular in many African countries.
This is because of the hash economic realities.
Low wages including the high cost of new cloths have opened a thriving second hand market.
The cloths are usually imported from Europe, America and china.
The business is big and millions of tons are sold in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.
The mitumba business is practicable full time or part time depending on the investor’s business plan.
It is ideal for small scale trade and only requires a moderate amount of investment.
You don’t even need a store to do Mitumba Business
In some countries such imports are banned.
However smuggling thrives because of the high demand.
Second hand cloths are not the only items found in such markets.
You have second hand utensils, bags, shoes and accessories.
1.Mitumba Business:Know about the Business background
The business is a bulk related and investors bring in the wears or buys from importers.
The best way to establish the business is to setup a store in a major second hand market.
Usually the small stores are shared to reduce costs.
And such markets operate only on designated days.
The wholesaler then sells to a retailer who in turn sells to directly to customers.
However some resourceful individuals find their way to such markets.
To buy directly from wholesalers.
One top used items market in Akwa Ibom State is Itam market.
2.Mitumba Business:Know the Exporters
Mitumba are shipped in bales from theses top countries.
Top exporters of used Mitumba are Germany, United States of America and China.
Others are United Kingdom, Australia Europe and Dubai.
It is a huge revenue earner for both import and export destinations.
3. Mitumba Business:Know about the packaging
There are unregulated standards of packaging.
The basic package is 45kgs to 55Kgs bundles of bale.
The prices vary depending of country of origin, weight and size.
The grade of the used Mitumba is also taken into consideration.
Importers of used Mitumba prefer buying from china because they are cheaper.
4. Mitumba Business:Know the types of Mitumba bales
The types of bales fall into 6 categories.
You have the jackets, shirts and jeans.
Others are chiffon tops, children cloths and trench coats.
The price range per bale is Ksh 15,000 to 25, 000.
Wholesaler’s have first choice of Mitumba before the retailers get in on the action.
- Women’s Underwear
- Children’s Cloths
- Shirts
- Skirts
- Leather Jackets
- Jeans
- Trench Coats Other Jackets
- T-Shirts
- importing used clothing
- start sewing alteration service
- cloths store business
Read also:12 tips to Start Clothing Business in Nigeria
5.Mitumba Business: Know the marketing strategies
Interesting aspects of the used Mitumba market are the tailors.
Some Mitumba are relatively new and discarded due to defects.
The tailors repair defects, adjust sizes, adds buttons and stitches.
They make steady income providing this service.
Some retailers make huge earnings from the business.
They clean them up, iron and sell in their shops and boutiques.
The profit margin is high however the level of patronage depends on the location and marketing.
Intensive marketing enhance the success of any business.
Choose the most suitable marketing strategy for your business.
For instance, for second clothing business, window displays will draw in more customers.
Also, the social media plays a major part in marketing.
Examples of such big social sites include the BusinessHAB, Facebook, and Whatsapp platforms.
Give a try to any or all of these marketing strategies and you will thank me later.
6.Mitumba Business: No education required
You do not need a degree or tertiary education to run a mitumba business.
There are many school dropouts minting millions from the sale of second-hand clothes.
However, you will need some financial skills to get ahead of the pack.
7. Mitumba Business:Determine target audience.
It is an initial step in starting a Mitumba business.
Although a vast array of audience could be potential client for your business.
It is important to identify specific clientele or a group of targeted clientele.
As a potential entrepreneur, conduct pre-visits to prospective competitors to determine a number of factors
Example their pricing systems, store designs, clients and client traffic among others.
In doing so, you are able to identify the uncovered audience and maybe work towards targeting such clients.
The location of the enterprise is determined by the identified targeted clients.
8.Mitumba Business:Draft a firm business plan.
Once you have identified your targeted audience, it’s time to come up with a business plan.
The business plan highlights informed factors like the prospected expenses, targeted clients, pricing structures, store design, labor, and marketing systems.
Business plan will vary depending on whether you will set up a store business or conduct door to door business.
A well-documented business plan goes a long way in enhancing the success of your business by providing a blue print of daily business operations.
Always ensure you develop a realistic business plan.
9. Mitumba Business:Hire employee(s).
Although at initial stages of business, most entrepreneurs prefer running their businesses solely.
Nonetheless, as the business grows, it is important to hire some employees.
Such employees do perform tasks such as hemming clothes, marketing the business and even keeping daily business records.
Conclusion
There you have it, what are you waiting for?
Take the challenge and start your own thriving Mitumba enterprise.
BusinessHAB