Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in fashion but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Flavie Vodounou, co-owner of ViRè, located in Houston, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
ViRè is an online boutique that sells African and African-inspired clothing and accessories. Our materials are sourced and mostly made in Benin (some made by me personally)! Our customers are women and men who want to connect or be inspired by African culture.
Tell us about yourself
My sister and I started ViRè. Our goal was to connect back to African roots. We were born in Benin, W, Africa but raised here in the States. All of our extended family still lives back home (Benin), so when we were younger and would visit, we would always come back with tailored clothing and African accessories. As we got older, we wanted to learn more about the material, the meaning behind certain accessories, etc., and the more we got connected, the more we wore our items.
Eventually, people caught on and started asking us to buy. So we started getting items made and supported local artisans back home by buying supplies from them and bringing them back for people to buy. 4 years later, we are now able to continue supporting/buying from local businesses in Benin and bringing goodies back for our #virefydbabes!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Being able to connect to our culture and support Béninoise businesses. This isn’t just about us; this is for a community.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Unknown cost and events. Nothing could prepare us for Covid. It definitely took a big hit for us due to all our materials being sourced from there. Due to us not being able to travel, we had to eventually adjust and incorporate items locally.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Just start! You never know what can come from it if you don’t try.
- Connect! It’s important to connect to other like-minded individuals who are willing to help you and bounce back information.
- Pray through the process and take care of yourself. This journey is not for the weak. Lol. It’s easy to get distracted and overwhelmed by everything that you have to do. So it’s important to stay connected to God (or whoever your strength comes from) and take time to self-care and be clear-minded.
Where can people find you and your business?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shop.ViRe/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shop.vire/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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