It is small things that bring out
the ambiance that we need in our houses. Take for instance cushions, couches,
mats, stools, and other soft furnishers can change the outlook of your house as
well as that comfort one needs while relaxing at his home.
Robert Zvidza (RZ)
had an interview with the owners of T-Bags
Zim - Ms. Tanyaradzwa Makoni and Ms. Tanyaradzwa Mutepfa (TBZ) - a small
company who are specialists in dealing with what they called ‘functional frills’
meaning small things that also serve a purpose in our day-to-day lives in our
homes, offices as well as during tours.
Below are the excerpts of the
interview.
RZ: Who are T-Bags Zim and how did
you start the business?
TBZ: T-Bags Zim is a small business based in
Harare, Zimbabwe run by two energetic young women both named Tanya, who spotted
a gap in the market for an unusual yet functional product – bean bags! The T is
for Tanya, and the Bags is for Bean Bags. It was a risk, as it was a little known luxury
good, however, we were convinced that there would be a market for them, albeit a
niche one. Bean bags are comfortable,
portable and dynamic pieces of furniture, that some people can recall having
lounged on in high school common rooms and libraries or having sat on as a
child while playing video games for hours on end. The plan was also to hire out
our T-bags at events as an alternative seating option, and so the concept of
“Portable Comfort” was born.
Over time we diversified into other products as we
realized that furniture can be a way of expressing one’s uniqueness and
personal style. Our bean bags were already custom made, as we allowed people to
select the colour and texture of their bean bag and be part of the design
process, to ensure that they were satisfied with the final product. We then
extended this to other furnishings such as cushions, stools, seating, bedding,
headboards and ottomans that were all custom made, according to the customer’s vision
for their space.
Now our boast is that we provide both Portable
Comfort and Functional Frills. As the name would suggest, these are what we
consider to be “pretty things” that serve a purpose. Imagine owning something
in your home that you can truly say is one of a kind, and it is not simply for
decoration, but also functional, whether it be used for seating, storage,
warmth or simply comfort.
RZ: What range of products do you
supply and do you make them yourselves?
TBZ: Currently product
range includes bean bags, cushions, ottomans, stools, kists, headboards, sofas,
basically furniture and soft furnishings. All our products are sourced and made
locally by our team, with almost all the inputs being sourced within Zimbabwe.
RZ: What was the inspiration to
start the business?
TBZ: We are not quick to
call ourselves entrepreneurs, as the title has been so abused that it has lost
its true meaning. However, entrepreneurial theory suggests that opportunity recognition
can be born out of a desire to solve a problem, fill a gap, ease frustration, or create new and better ways of doing old things. In our case, initially, seating was the “old thing” that we wanted to do in a fresh way. After having
looked around locally for bean bags, and finding very little, we decided, “Hey,
why not make them ourselves, and tailor them to people’s specific needs so that
they have something really special and personal.” This could then later extend
to branded furnishings for business and other institutions, as well as
personalised gifts. The market is so flooded with me-too products, that everything
starts to look the same, that’s why custom-making quality furnishings appeals
to us so much. It really and truly enables us to provide products that are
difficult to replicate and represent individuality.
RZ: What's your target market?
TBZ: We do not claim to
be all things to all people, but we do cater for a broad spectrum of customers,
due to the diversity of our product range. The custom made element also means
that the consumer can decide how much they spend, as well as what product
specifications are most important to them.
A T-bag (bean bag) for example,
is an affordable seating option for a nomadic university student who may not be
able to afford a couch and is often moving from one accommodation to another
every semester. The same bean bag would be a perfect feature in a creative hub
or in a casual reading or learning space where people may be sitting for
extended periods of time. The same products can serve different purposes for
different people, although ultimately it’s all portable comfort.
A large percentage of our clientele includes
home décor enthusiasts, more often than not women, who desire both utility, as
well as a high aesthetic appeal in a furniture piece. We’ve discovered that
people like the reaction that our pieces often solicit, which is the “where did
you get that? (bean bag, ottoman, cushion),” question. It is a loaded question,
and the response that it is actually locally made is always one of disbelief
and pleasant surprise. Furthermore, we have made a decision to avoid exorbitant
pricing that has become characteristic of the Zimbabwean furniture market.
While we make sure that our quality is reliable, and warrantied, our pricing remains affordable.
Our hiring suite targets
outdoor events, such as concerts, festivals, theatre or barbeques, as well as
corporate team buildings or casual gatherings. Private hires are also done for
birthday parties, braais, games nights and most recently engagement surprises
at Domboshava!
RZ: What are your major highlights
of your business so far in terms of successes and projects undertaken?
TBZ: We have found that
whenever we push ourselves into new territory, it is extremely challenging and
maybe even stressful, but always rewarding.
Some notable firsts for
us were:
Partnering with Chippers
Chips to provide a prize for their Taste Untamed Promotion.
Doing T-Bags and
cushions for Gateway Primary School.
Becoming a constant
feature at Unplugged consistently selling out all year
Hiring out T-Bags
regularly at various Open Air Cinema movies,
Contributing to the
redecorating of Hillview Lodges
Doing Bean Bags for
Highlands Halfway House – rehabilitation centre
Doing bean bags for St
John’s College learning area
Photoshoot styling for
Eden Villas
Becoming a furniture supplier
for Dusk Studio
Private décor projects
for individuals.
Each one of the projects
listed above has stretched us in some way. The learning curve has been steep,
but fulfilling. We feel like we have learnt more in our one year in business,
than we may have in 3 years of doing our respective degrees.
RZ: Being a small business, what is
your vision for the future in terms of growth and market expansion as well as
diversification?
TBZ: We see
T-bags as a one-stop-shop, to meet all of your interior decor needs. The vision
is to harness technology and streamline our business by innovating our supply
chain and route to market. We wish to position ourselves as the online
furniture hub for customized furniture within the region. Through blending
e-commerce solutions and digital customization options, a person in Zambia for
example should be able to go on our website choose a bean bag design, their
fabric texture and colour, the filling, complete the purchase and have the item
delivered to them affordably within a reasonable time frame. Over and above
that, we wish to establish ourselves as interior decorators, both digitally and
physically. Ideally, we will get to a stage where a young bachelor can upload a
picture of his new apartment, and we can virtually decorate it for him, provide
a cost estimate, and then make the vision come to life in reality, still using
largely custom made works.
We believe that there are so many undiscovered
gifted hands in this nation, Carpenters, and artisans who can fashion top
quality pieces, but simply have no outlet or capital. This online portal will
also serve to provide such people with an outlet for their work, thus providing
opportunities and employment for many.
So with that in mind, Zimbabwe is our test market before
we launch out onto the international scene. It would be great to one day come
across a T-Bags Ethnic Ottoman being stocked in IKEA UK. We would like to
export our authentically Made in Zimbabwe products, so that people can come to
appreciate what our people are capable of. Honestly, nothing is too hard for
God, we limit Him at times by thinking too small. What we need to do is keep
the end in mind, and take each day at a time, not despising our humble
beginnings.
Apart from that, we would like to make furniture
shopping more convenient by providing flat pack, easy to assemble staple
pieces. Flatpack furniture, as the name would suggest, is a deconstructed
version of a piece of furniture that is compact and can be transported in a
small vehicle. The furniture is then re-constructed in the most user-friendly way
possible, using minimal tools and easy instructions.
RZ: Any words for our lovely
Zimbabweans who might be interested in your products?
TBZ: If you are looking
for functional frills i.e beautiful furniture with a purpose, as well as
customized furniture and portable comfort, you know who to look for. Express
yourself with something bespoke, and be the envy of all your friends and fellow
“Lovers of Things”. We provide quality, convenience, comfort, and a
personalised shopping experience.
We are always up for a
challenge, so even if a person has something that they want but can’t seem to
find anywhere, come and see us! Those are the types of projects that excite us!
Recently we had a client who wanted a Teepee tent made for her child to play
in, so after a few attempts, we were able to craft what she wanted. And now she
knows that she is the proud owner of something that is most likely not in any
other household in the whole country! Our products are proudly Zimbabwean, so
buying from us is a way of supporting the local industry, which is how the
revitalisation of industry will start; by locals seeing the value in, and
supporting other locals.
RZ:
Thanks for your time and wish you the best in your endeavours.
TBZ: Thank you
please call again.
T-Bags Zim can be contacted
at 0734542085 or 0735145500 or tbagszim@gmail.com, https://www.facebook.com/tbagszim/
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