The LONDON E-Business Programme is funded by the UKSPF and helps small business across London develop their digital skills through 1-2-1 advice, webinars, and events. Our E-Business Adviser, Corinne McGee, recently supported Sunil Khosla, the owner of Sahiba Jewels, with getting his online store set up to give him access to even more customers.
Thank you for taking the time to talk to us! Could you start by telling us a bit about your business and the work that you do?
We import Asian-style jewellery like necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and hair accessories and hijab accessories from India and China which we retail that through our physical store in Whitechapel. We also have an online store called sahibajewels.com where we’re selling more every-day jewellery to our customers.
We used to have a shop in Eastham Highstreet, but we’ve gone back to Whitechapel market now. It’s physically hard work, but the overheads are very low and there’s more flexibility.
Who or what motivated you to start your business?
I started the business together with my brother back in 1988, out of need. We had relatives who did similar things, like one who was doing knitwear and had connections with people who made products for Marks & Spencer. So, we were able to get what Marks & Spencer didn’t take. Then we started importing things like hair accessories ourselves.
However, when my brother got married he decided to try and do his own thing. It didn’t work for him, so he became a bank manager instead, but I wanted to keep going. It was hard because my brother and I were getting regular orders in our joint business, and I think we could’ve grown quite fast if we’d continued. That part finished with the split. We also each had unique qualities: I was the ideas person, and my brother could sell. But you only find out after you split up that you needed each other to grow.
I learnt to sell, but I wasn’t as good at it as my brother. It was a long time ago, and there wasn’t much of an Internet or online business support available at that time.
That must’ve been really challenging for you. What are some other challenges you’ve faced in the years you’ve been running your business?
When we first started we didn’t have the infrastructure in India to continually develop new products and supply companies like Claire’s Accessories who always want what’s new and different. We also didn’t know how to deal with these companies who are professional and have professional buyers. We just went to see Claire’s at their headquarters, and they asked us where the factories were and what their names were. I had to say, there are no factories – we go to individual houses and get stuff made. They also wanted a certificate that we complied with regulations, so we got that.
Managing suppliers in India was another challenge. We got involved with a new company at one point, but the stuff they sent us wasn’t good enough, so Claire’s returned the whole lot. All the losses ended up on us. That kind of thing stopped us from developing the retail side, and it was too much to do alongside the wholesale side. Managing suppliers is easier nowadays because they can send us a video of what they’ve made before we pay them.
Now, I’m discovering that trying to go the online route is like a full time job as well. Running a online store is not just about opening a website and putting products on it – it’s so much more involved.
I guess that’s why you’ve received support from Corinne through the LONDON E-Business Programme. Could you tell us about the support you’ve received and how it’s helped you?
It’s helped to have somebody looking in from the outside and giving a different perspective. Corinne’s been very helpful with getting different types of information and resources, but obviously I still have to do all the work or get somebody else to do it.
We’ve got the website up, but compliance has been an issue because the stuff we import from India doesn’t comply. So, I can’t put the jewellery we sell to our regular customers on our website, which has delayed the process. We could easily direct our regulars to the website, but the stuff I have that complies is more Western style rather than the Asian style I sell in the market. I’ve discovered that ladies wear Western style for everyday use, so there’s some interest, but it’s a matter of balancing. We also can’t get the keywords on our website for what people would search for hijab accessories or bridal jewellery for Asian brides. So I’m stuck between the two and can’t get the SEO right.
Corinne was saying to optimise with what you’ve got, and having attended some seminars I think the route is that we start with our customers and their everyday use. It’s just taking so long and I’m trying to juggle so many balls with the physical store and this, so it becomes quite frustrating because I can’t see the results of all the work we’ve done yet. But just having someone else to speak to gives a different perspective and I know I can call on her anytime or with anything.
“If you start your first day and you don’t sell much it doesn’t mean that you won’t sell on the next day. There’s always other customers, so don’t get put off by that. Be very observant of customer behaviour. I look at what my customers are wearing, what they’re buying, and what purpose they’re buying for. “
On a more positive note, what do you feel has been your biggest wins over the years you’ve run your business?
We know the customers, their needs and habits, and they’ve known us for a long time, so there’s trust and authority. The council made a video about me and put it on TikTok which customers recognise me from, and they also recognise me from over the years, saying things like “we used to come with our mum and buy from you”. There’s emotion attached to that and a relationship we’ve built.
There’s so much noise and crowd for customers now and everybody is trying to get their attention. But I think because we have a base where we can see our customers physically and interact with them, that should give us an advantage online.
We also have unique products that our customers want. Selling jewellery, our margins are high so I’ve been able to play around with it. That’s why I went to India to try and buy stuff that our competitors might not have. I found all those small manufacturers where we got stuff made that our customers really like and nobody else has in the market – which means we can sell it at a higher price.
So we have all the knowledge there, all the experience is there – it’s just a matter of trying to replicate it online.
It’s been great to hear from you, it’s inspiring to see how you’ve grown and run your business for such a long time! As a final question, what advice do you have for anyone thinking about starting their own business?
If you’re selling products, the market route is an easy way to start your business and get to know your customers without having to commit to a lease. It can be hard work, but it depends on the items you sell. Even within jewellery, you can have higher value items so you have to make fewer sales.
Another thing I would say is to always look at the compliance side. It’s easy not to know about things, but there’s so much information available now. We learnt the hard way that it’s a criminal offence to sell non-compliant goods. They can go back 10 years now, and they can take all the money you’ve earned back. People don’t realise that.
And final thing is understanding your customers. If you start your first day and you don’t sell much it doesn’t mean that you won’t sell on the next day. There’s always other customers, so don’t get put off by that. Be very observant of customer behaviour. I look at what my customers are wearing, what they’re buying, and what purpose they’re buying for. For example, during winter, people might buy less hair accessories. You need to think about where you’re selling and what the customer base is, so do your research before you start.
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