JOHOR BARU: Holding a key post in a leading property developer in the state does not hinder her from pursuing her dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur, and the success of her boutique, DHamizah by Bawal Exclusive is proof of that.
Her keen interest in fashion, especially in ‘tudung bawal’, saw Daeng Hamizah Abd Aziz, 32, rake in as much as RM400,000 a month in sales as a reseller of ‘Bawal Exclusive’.
Sharing her story with Bernama recently, this petite lady with a sweet smile said her foray into the business began about six years ago with only RM6,000 as startup capital.
“I was looking for embroidered headscarves from Kelantan when I saw this Instagram account - ‘Bawal Exclusive' - and I thought the headscarves were unique, adorned with Swarovski crystals,” said Hamizah.
Adding that she believed she had made the right choice as ‘tudung bawal’ was considered an evergreen headscarf and suitable for all ages, she contacted Bawal Exclusive Sdn Bhd founder Haliza Maysuri to become their reseller.
However, she admitted, it was not always easy as she had to juggle between her business and a full-time job as chief operating officer at Astaka Padu Ltd.
“About two years ago, I was so busy ensuring the completion of projects that made me pay less attention to my business, and although there was an upturn (in sales), it was not significant.
“However, last year, I had everything restructured, changed the strategies, and I made myself as the face of the business because today people want to know who the (business) owner is, therefore I made a comeback via a media social. Alhamdulillah, we now see a threefold increase (in sales).
On sales, she said the highest monthly sales recorded by Dhamizah by Bawal Exclusive was RM400,000 and for this month-long Aidilfitri celebration, she eyed RM1 million in sales.
On criticism that Bawal Exclusive was too pricey with some headscarves being priced at thousands of ringgit, Hamizah said the price was determined by the design and number of crystals on it as requested by customers.
“Prices are actually from as low as RM57 to thousands of ringgit with no maximum price set. If a customer ordered a RM50,000 headscarf, we can do it per request, but so far, those in my boutique are priced between RM57 and RM10,000, while the most expensive headscarf we ever sold was priced at RM9,000,” said Hamizah.
Elaborating further, she said the headscarves were made from the best quality material - voile fabric imported from Japan.
According to Hamizah, Bawal Exclusive was one of the major brands in Southeast Asia that partnered with Swarovski and was the only Swarovski-studded ‘tudung bawal’, thus had its own market.
To meet the high demand, Hamizah was planning to invest in new and bigger premises, as well as expand into Singapore. - Bernama
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