Fashion is bought; style is what you do with it. These are my thoughts on fashion in a nutshell.
Meet Chandre, owner of Hoppity Apparel.
Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
I am Chandre Abrahams, the owner and mom of the brand, Hoppity Apparel.
We are a clothing manufacturing company based in Cape Town, specialising in kids and women's clothing and have just launched our baby products range.
How old is your business now?
We are just over 4 years old.
How did you come up with the idea of and name for your business?
This will surprise you but initially the brand was called “My lil shop” we were meant to only resell wholesale clothing and it was supposed to only be a part time “hustle” until the dream of manufacturing kids clothing and creating garments was born.
What is that “one thing” that this Lockdown period has taught you and that you will be using in the future? How will you be doing business differently?
Lockdown has taught me so many lessons personally and in business, but the biggest lesson I would say is that failure is not an option. The fact that we were able to expand and grow our business during these tough economic times gives us hope for the future.
What makes your business unique?
Every single garment is made uniquely for every client. When we receive an order the client’s name is attached to it from the beginning of the manufacturing process until it is packaged and delivered. Our clients are our biggest assets and we treat them as such.
Are you a solo-entrepreneur or how many members does your team currently comprise?
We are a team of 4 currently.
How do you market your business, and which methods have been most successful for you?
We make use of social media platforms, but word of mouth has been our most successful way of marketing.
What does a typical day look like for you? And how many hours, on average, do you work daily?
I don’t have a typical day as such; every single day varies. My day starts when I prepare the night before by prioritising orders for the next day. Setting out urgent tasks and then important ones. My biggest struggle the past few weeks has been to keep up with the new demands, but this week somehow, we seem to have adjusted to the new level of expectations from our clients.
How has being an entrepreneur affected your life?
I always tell people I have been an entrepreneur since birth, always thinking of ways to sell a product or provide a service (haha)! Being an entrepreneur with a family is an entirely different tale to tell. I have realised that you must be intentional about everything in your business to make it a success - from your clients, your staff, your vision and your product.
If you could go back in time and start up your business all over again, what would you do differently?
I wish I didn’t cry over spilled milk as much as I did in the beginning. I took everything very personal and didn’t realise that business is just a learning school where your failures become your weapon to succeed in future.
What is one piece of advice you’d like to give to someone just starting out?
It gets harder before it gets easier (not that business will ever be easy or smooth sailing) but it’s important to not give up during the tough times! You are more resilient than you think you are. Train your emotions to come into alignment with your vision.
Where can we find your business on social media?
Facebook page link: https://www.facebook.com/hoppityapparel
Instagram handle: @hoppityapparel