Woman says selling ready-made hair has brought her good returns

Ms Grace Karuga with the wigs she has made at Pandit Nehru Road in Nakuru. She says the business of selling ready-made human hair is gaining popularity. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• A year ago she decided to try her hand at making wigs from human hair she bought from cosmetic shops.
• She has not regretted her decision as she now makes good profit every month.
• Ms Karuga knew she could venture fully into the business when she made profit from her first sales which she sold to college students.
• Her business, which she operates from her car in Nakuru CBD, has also helped her raise school fees for her three children

By MAGDALENE WANJA
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After realising that women spend a lot of time in the salons to have their hair made and at a high cost, Grace Karuga knew she could make a living from selling ready-made hair.

A year ago she decided to try her hand at making wigs from human hair she bought from cosmetic shops.

She has not regretted her decision as she now makes good profit every month.

“I realised that most women spend too much time in salons especially on weekends, something that was limiting the time spent at home hence weakening families bonds,” she says.

Ms Karuga knew she could venture fully into the business when she made profit from her first sales which she sold to college students.

After she was done with her course in catering, she started selling detergents within Nakuru, a business she says did not meet her expectations.

WANTED SOMETHING UNIQUE

“I have always wanted to do something unique and when I got a positive response from my new venture, I did not waste any time,” Ms Karuga adds.

Her business, which she operates from her car in Nakuru CBD, has also helped her raise school fees for her three children and also meet other basic needs.

Her experience has made her understand the market well and she is able to the meet needs of customers with different tastes.

She sells her products at a price ranging from Sh500 and Sh1,500 depending on the type of hair used and the demands of the customer.

“I start my day at 4am and by the end of the day I am able to make up to five weaves which I sell at a price of between Sh500 and Sh 1500,” she reveals.

Apart from cutting the costs incurred in visiting the salon, the hair style allows one to wash the head without the fear of spoiling the hair as it is “removable”.

She says that the hair style also allows easy growth of hair without straining it as compared to normal weaving.

“The kind of hair style is very convenient especially for busy women. This is also because it allows one to keep the hair clean especially for those with short hair,” she said.

This also involves blending of colours in order to bring out the required product for customers of various ages.

Grace Karuga sells ready-made human hair from the back of her car in Nakuru. She says it brings her good returns every month. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

KEEN ON TRENDING STYLES

The business requires one to be keen on the trending hair styles so as to meet the customers’ needs with ease.

Ms Karuga pointed that creativity is also a key element in the business especially for the custom-made wigs.

“On custom-made wigs lots of factors are considered. These include face shape, skin colour and the occasion it is intended for.

"This also helps in maintaining the customers,” said Ms Karuga.

Her customers who vary in age have increased with time due to her creativity generated by her experience in the business.

Apart from Nakuru, she supplies the products to other towns something she says has motivated her dream of establishing the business in various towns in the country.

Her dream is to train and empower more women in the business and enable them earn income.

“With the high cost of living, meeting the needs of all the clients is a key consideration in the business,” she adds.

EXPAND TO OTHER REGIONS

As her business expands, Ms Karuga is hopeful to expand to other regions in the country where she also hopes to create opportunities.

She also also hopes to acquire a machine that will save her time used to make the products manually and also enable her create opportunities for more people,” she said.

Like any other business, Ms Karuga has faced a number of challenges which include availability of artificial human hair.

Until recently, people viewed her business as targeting old people but she now says there is growing interest among the young people who are busy in school and at work.

“I now have clients who are young especially those in college and who do not have much time to spend in the salon,” Ms Karuga says with a smile