… says kids’ll reap a lot from material
Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, Sherry’s Place Enterprises, Hajia Sherifat Olanrewaju, speaks with ADEBUKOLA OGUNFEMI on better ways of learning for the young ones, and craft business. Excerpts:
I started my craft business in the late 1990’s and got it registered in 2009. I started after my secondary school education because I thought of what I could do to occupy myself positively, instead of sitting idle, and I started trying my hands on some of these things.
When did you realise your interest in craft?
While growing up, I loved cutting, drawing, painting and creating. Then, I decided to use my talent for making money. When my mummy attended weddings and came home with cake boxes, the miniature ones, I would collect samples of the boxes and keep creating things from them. I am self-trained and I have a flair for craft. I got newspapers to make samples and create my own designs for the miniature boxes, because I was not buoyant then. I usually use A4 paper and marker and tried my best to use it to express myself the best way I could. I used the A4 papers for my hand bills and I took them from one door step to the other.
What are some of the crafts done by Sherry’s Place?
We are involved in bead stringing and wire jewelry, latch hooking rugs (Shaggy rugs), Interior decor accessories (wall hanging, throw pillows, terrarium, sand art, miniature garden, to mention a few), hair accessories and brooches, home-made hygiene products, Sherry’s quiet baby book, and Sherry’s 3d sensory cube toy, among others.
What are the benefits of the quiet book?
These are great books for kindergarten and nursery classes. Quiet books have developmental benefits, fine motor skills development, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, gumption attentions, partial imagination and logical thinking, among others.
Other benefits include quick learning skills, mathematical (numbers and counting) creative skills, main colours sorting and matching geometrical shapes, spelling and others. Finally, they have practical life skills, buttoning, zipper, shoe lacing, braid-making, weaving, tying bows and others. It is a great and better way of learning for our young ones and to encourage all young mothers and schools to avail themselves of the Quiet Books.
How do you get your clients?
I get them through family referrals and our social media platforms.
What are your future plans?
Yes, we have new projects such as the Sherry’s mobile kitchen, relocating to a bigger craft studio/store, attending exhibitions and creating awareness for our Quiet Baby Book. We also offer vocational training to interested schools and individuals. For instance, we have started Sherry’s Place summer craft training for people free of charge in Magodo-Lagos, here. Although this year I decided to charge people for the training, the turnout was not as expected. But by God’s grace, it will hold next year again because we do not maintain permanent staff for now. I only get more hands when necessary.
Where do you get your materials?
We source for our craft materials both locally and overseas.
What is your greatest achievement so far, business-wise?
Being the first in Nigeria to launch the Quiet Book, it is such a thing of joy. And this you can get for as low as N20,000.
What are the challenges you are facing in this business?
Well, just like any small scale businesses in Nigeria, we are facing a lot of challenges, because most financial institutions don’t grant loans to startup businesses like ours. Also, the cost of importation is so huge. If we could have Nigerians producing them, it will be better.
Who or what would you say motivated you?
I will say my mum, my husband and my lovely kids. They stood by me through thick and thin. My mum gave me money for my bead stringing business years back, my husband became my project partner and my twin daughters and my son gave me the will to go on.
How can we contact Sherry’s Place?
Sherry’s Place Enterprises can be contacted on WhatsApp, Instagram: Sherrys_quiet_baby_book, Sherrys_quiet_babybook_Nigeria, sherrysplaceenterprises, Sherrys_mobile_kitchen234 as well as our Facebook page. Great thanks to The Point Newspaper for encouraging young entrepreneurs.
