Tailor, Mirriam Munkanda
Mirriam Munkanda wanted to expand her tailoring business. Watch how Jacana guided here for 1 year.
The below video shows how Mirriam Munkanda started and what she wanted from Jacana (taken Sept 2015).
Guiding & Monitoring data
September 2015
- Mirriam finalized her Lean Canvas Model and before expanding her business she wants to test if people from other nearby communities are interested in her product. For that Jacana helped her designing a small flyer. She will give out 50 flyers and she expects an order from 5 persons within 2 months. Mirriam decided that her business name will be: ” Mimi’s Tailor Shop”.
- Jacana instructed Mirriam in how to record her incomes and expenditures. She starts in October.
- The council allowed Mirriam to build a small shop at the new market place.
October 2015
- Guided Mirriam in bookkeeping. At the end of October we balanced the income and expenditures. She had a small profit this month. New instructions were given for the month of November.
- Jacana went together with Mirriam to a Primary School in the neighborhood. This school wants to change all uniforms of 600 pupils. The head of the school allows Mirriam to sew the uniforms for grade 8 and 9. It is a big order for Mimi’s Tailor Shop.
November 2015
- Mirriam bought materials to sew skirts, blouses and ties for 50 girl uniforms for grade 8 and 9.
- She was admitted to the hospital, lucky she could go home after one day, but she stayed sick for a few weeks.
December 2015
- Mirriam was able to start working from 14 December. She works very hard to finish the 50 girls uniforms.
- She faces a lot of challenges because of power cuts from 6:00 up to 15:00 hours every day. It means that she works sometimes during night hours.
January 2016
- Mirriam was able to sell 25 girls uniforms. She asked a colleague to help her with the shirts. Unfortunate this man was not reliable. So she started with a delay.
- Many girls did not start school in January (maybe because of the high costs of the new uniforms the school demands them to wear). Mirriam beliefs that more girls will come and buy from her during the coming months.
- She got a new assignment from a new lodge nearby her house. She sewed the uniforms for the staff. She could work from this lodge. This was a big advantage because she had all day electricity.
- She started again with the bookkeeping.
February 2016
- Business wise it was not a good month for Mirriam. She did not get many assignments, but she is always optimistic and looks forward. In March is a big wedding and she will get some sewing work for that next month.
March 2016
- March was much better for Mirriam. She had some good assignments for a tourist, some work for a lodge and dresses for the wedding party.
April 2016
- Mirriam got an assignment from a pre-primary school and church in the neighborhood.
May and June 2016
- Mirriam worked last month for a business woman who wants to open a shop in Williams. Together with a colleague she sew place mats, table liners, aprons etc.
- Maybe she get more assignments in the future from her, but she will not do it full time because she does not want to loose her customers.
July 2016
- Mirriam rejected the job, because she wants to focus completely on her own business. She is afraid that she will loose customers when she decides to work two weeks per month for somebody else. It is a brave decision. This shows that Mirriam really makes a choice to continue her own business.
August 2016
Jacana evaluated last year with Mirriam. Look at the video at the top of the page to see the results.
Mirriam is a tailor for more that 10 years. She is a mother of five children and recently she became a widow. At this moment she works from her house. Her small working space is in a corner of her living room. She wants to expand her business by renting a workshop at the local market and attract more people from other communities. This is a big step for her and that is why she attended Jacana’s business, financial and marketing training. After the training she realized that she needs more help and is very grateful that Jacana wants to guide her during one year.
Business plan
Click here to learn how to read a Lean Canvas Business model.
Jacana will support Mirriam in:
- Business planning
- Implementing a practical financial system, whereby Mirriam: – Learns how to calculate the cost price for the dresses, suits, uniforms and other products she sews. – Learns how to maintain a practical financial system for incoming and outgoing money and profit and loss.
- Guiding her in marketing.
- Guiding the transition of her shop to the market place.