Q&A with Aleksandra Dennis of AleksandraD Fashion & Design
For this Business Profile we chatted with Aleksandra Dennis as she answers questions so you get to learn more about AleksandraD Fashion & Design and a little bit more about Aleksandra too.
GENERAL
What is the name of your business? AleksandraD Fashion & Design
How is the business registered? Sole Trader
Who owns the business? Aleksandra Dennis
Is this a family-owned business? No
HISTORY
How long have you been in business? 2022 makes 18 years
Who originally started the business? Me
Where did the business originally start? At my mom’s house in Washington Gardens
What did you do before you got into this business? Nothing. This is the only thing I have ever done
MARKETING
What is your business tag line or slogan? We make you look good in any piece of clothing
What products and services do you provide? Fashion design, dressmaking, alterations and sales of clothing, accessories and shoes
What’s the main problem you solve for your customers? Getting the latest fashion trends at an affordable price
Why should customers choose you over one of your competitors? They get exactly what they want with a very friendly service
Where does your business operate from? My store is in Premier Plaza in H.W.T., and I also have a workshop at home
Why did you go into this business? Growing up I would alter my own clothes which later grew into making my own clothes. So when I left school and couldn’t easily find a job, I started to offer my services to friends and people in the community
How many locations do you have for this business? One main store and a workshop at home
Do you serve customers outside of Jamaica? Yes, I have customers in over 15 countries
Can customers order your products or services online? Yes
How many employees do you have (including the owners)? 6
OWNER
What is your family status? I am a single mom of 1 child
Which area do you live in? Havendale
Where were you born? St. Joseph’s Hospital
Where did you grow up? Washington Gardens
Which schools did you attend up to High School? Obistan Prep School, Dunrobin Primary and Excelsior High School
Which College or University did you attend? None
What sports are you a fan of? Track & Field, Cricket, Netball and Football
What are your hobbies? Reading, watching movies
Are you a Christian? Yes. I attend Church on the Rock
OPERATIONS
Do you provide special discounts to any special groups? Yes, to teachers
Do you personally or via the business support a charity or do any volunteer work? Yes
Are you a member of any special groups, associations or clubs? Not really, just a few special outreach programs at church
Are you a part of any local business networking groups? No
Do you have any special license, certifications or awards, personal or business? PSOJ’s Women in Business Award, 2008, 2013 and 2017
SUCCESS
How would you describe your businesses success so far? I have experienced growth every year since I have been in business. So I am blessed and remain thankful.
What would you say is the reason for your success? I would say the main reasons for my success is that the business was built on my dressmaking services which was in high demand, and then grew into the retail side of things to complement and support it. Also, my revenue goals are not dependent on retail sales from the store, which can sometimes be a hit-or-miss roller coaster ride.
What motivates and drives you in business? I love what I do. I would still be doing it even if I had another job (if even just as a hobby)
What is your favourite saying or quote? “You can have anything you want in life if you dress for it.” – Edith Head
Did you have a mentor or coach to help you through? If so, who? I didn’t really have a mentor or coach. My dad provided a lot of business advice especially when I started the store
Are there any books that had a major impact on how you do business? If so, which? I have read quite a few books, but they mainly helped my personal development and not directly with the business
What single piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out? Don’t rush into business. Take your time to figure out what works before you throw a lot of time and money into it
COVID-19
How did Covid-19 affect your business? The store sales suffered badly, but then I saw an increase in my dressmaking services, which offset the store losses a lot. I am blessed
How did Covid-19 affect your industry? The industry suffered a lot, and many couldn’t even recover because they couldn’t serve their customers online, so they lost out a lot to places like Amazon
How did Covid-19 affect you personally? I must say I personally have not had much issues because of Covid, I only had to make some minor adjustments. But like everybody else, I have lost some people too
WHAT IFS
If there was a Reset Button to start all over in business, would you do it again or do something else altogether? I would definitely do it again
If you received an extra J$10 Million in your business today, what would you do with it? I would buy more stock for the store, especially accessories
If you had the chance to speak to the entire Jamaican population all at once, what would you say? “As a nation we need to be more responsible and follow the guidelines set by the government so we can better handle Covid and recover from it”
Visit the AleksandraD Fashion & Design listing for their contact information and to learn more about the business and what they have going on right now.
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