As she helps her employees solve problems, Patie tracks her fashion business money better
- Company: Patie M Apparel
- Programme: Grow Your Business
- Country: South Africa
As a fashion designer who studied building construction, Patie quickly got employed in the clothing industry upon graduation. It
was then that she identified a need for more clothing businesses, so she quit her first job and opened Patie M Apparel in 2017. Patie M
Apparel designs and creates swimwear and lingerie for young working women as well as custom designs for men and young children.
The business also trains young men and women in her trade in a 6-week programme that equips them with technical skills in sewing and pattern-making, along with some basic business knowledge. This is a significant part of the business that Patie begun. She aspired to not only train her own employees but to help girls in her community, including
teenage pregnant girls without access to opportunities and education.
After the training, some girls either stay to work in her business with her or start their own. So far, three trainees have gone on to build successful businesses and four trainees (a man and 3 women) are currently employed at Patie M apparel.
As she updated her social media pages one day, Patie learned about the AMI training on social media. Through the training, Patie was able to work on her financial management. Now, she tracks her paperwork and takes note of financial details in order to keep a trail and make better business decisions. She has also started delegating work to her team.
“Before, I gave an employee a task and the moment they encountered a problem, I’d solve it for them and end up doing the work. But the AMI programme taught me to support them in finding solutions. That way, my do-it-all tendency was overcome, for the good of my business.”
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