Online tailoring, a journey of breakthrough

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DHAKA, June 7, 2020 (BSS) – Sadia Islam got married in 2010 during her study on computer science and engineering at Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST).

Family also put pressure on her so that she would join a god job with handsome salary after completing academic life.

Her father Aminul Islam, a civil engineer by profession, always wants his daughter to become a good engineer while his elder daughter Nazia will join medical profession to serve people. But, Sadia did not go through her father’s cherished profession rather she become an entrepreneur.

She casted whole family into anxiety over her online “Tailoring Service” and all of her family members concurrently said no to her move. But, Sadia determined to start business in new way pinning upon technology.

Before moving to new venture, Sadia started free-lancing and used to income handsome amount working in different firms, which was running well alongside managing home. But, she always wanted to do something new and unique.

To stand by her idea, her husband Engineer Kamrul Hasan encouraged her to move ahead with online tailoring service. Despite disagreement of her father, Sadia started online tailoring in 2015.

In an interview, Sadia said now it is time for information technology as digital Bangladesh campaign has changed fate of many people. So why not online tailoring?

With the encourage and financial assistance of Taka 50,000 from husband Kamrul Hasan, she launched her online tailoring service “Style Canvas”.

Recalling the initial days of new venture, Sadia said she at first opened a facebook page of Style Canvas. “Initially, I started to make baby’s dress with my own design and received good response. Factory means a machine and office at home with three workers, of which a tailor master, a sewing man and a delivery man.”

“While any order was come, tailor master used to take measurement visiting customer’s home and delivery man distributed dress,” she went on.

Talking on her initial marketing strategy, Sadia said as it was a new venture that was why “I informed different facebook groups and pages about my works, almost everybody received the initiative cordially as none was started till then”.

She said more orders started to come day by day due to free door-to-door sewing and free home delivery services. Now, she has over 300 registered women customers.
“Initially I had started only making, now providing tailoring, alteration, embroidery, readymade dress and others services,” said Sadia.

Getting good response, she hired three more workers in 2016. “Initially I used to receive order from Mohammadpur mainly, but now we are providing services to all over Dhaka,” she said.

About the working procedures, Sadia said Style Canvas mainly receives online orders.

“Our tailor master visits houses of working women and busy housewives in weekly holidays to collect their measurement, then we make dress and deliver those to clients according to their convenient time at home.”

The entrepreneur said at present she receives order worth Taka 1.5 lakh in a month.

Besides, she also makes special dress on the occasion of different festivals such Pohela Boishakh, Eid as well as Puja and uploads photos of the products on her Facebook page so that customers can choose dress and give order accordingly, which also helps her to income extra money.

“Now 15 people are employed in my Style Canvas and I have planned to expand it,” added Sadia who has now accumulated over Taka 15 lakh capital although she had started the venture with only Taka 50,000.

To new entrepreneurs, Sadia said: ‘ if I wish I could have got a good job, but I did not get freedom and that is why I am trying to do something even after so much hardship.”

She advised the upcoming entrepreneurs not to give up hope rather work relentlessly, which is a must to bring success.