POLOKWANE – “There is nothing as good as clean shoes. It says a lot about a person.” Phuti washes and cleans shoes for his customers and he says the best part about his job is seeing the smiles on the faces of customers who collect their kicks. He told BONUS that he wanted to be straightforward in naming his business so that people know what he does, and don’t have to second-guess it. “I love shoes, especially sneakers,” he added.
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His daily routine includes washing sneakers, tekkies, suede and nubuck shoes as well as boots, formal shoes and high heels. “When I clean and wash the shoes, I use various products, depending on the kind of shoes I’m washing. Leather sneakers or tekkies are different from suede and nubuck tekkies, so I make sure I use suitable products so that I don’t damage the shoes,” Phuti said.
Aside from Shoe Wash, Phuti has a home-based internet cafe, and he’s also learning how to use a sewing machine for his next business venture. “Before I started with the shoe business, I used to sell custom-made caps and hats, where I would print the customer’s name on a product. It was a successful business but has been temporarily discontinued,” he said.
He concludes that in life, one must be creative and in order to be successful, you must start small and eventually you’ll grow.”Don’t be embarrassed about the business you start, as long as it puts bread on the table. Entrepreneurship is not as easy as people think. It takes hard work and dedication. Entrepreneurs want to glamourise it and then become depressed, because they think it is easy. Just focus on what you’re doing.”
