Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonia Dunbar.
Tonia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My entire life I have been a “hustler” of business and extremely focused on how to create wealth for my family as well as generational wealth for my daughter. As a result I have been an entrepreneur since the age of 21 where I not only worked a corporate job but began an entrepreneurial career in real estate. Over the years I have continued to expand my entrepreneurial focus with several businesses. I have been focused on using my 9-5 to fund my 5-9 to one day have my 5-9s fund my 24/7!
Well 2 years ago at the height of the COVID pandemic my family and I like many others were in need of masks to provide protection to this unprecedented virus. I could not find masks to purchase like most people around the world and I was struggling to connect with those I knew who were making them. Well being the innovative problem solver that I am I decided I could try to make my own masks for my family. We had a starter sewing machine in a box that my 10 year old daughter at the time had requested 2 Christmas’ prior as she had a desire to learn to make clothes but never took the machine out the box. I went on the hunt and found a pattern and some fabric on Etsy. Ordered a small variety of the fabric packets with the pattern and pulled out the sewing machine. Now I had no clue how to use a sewing machine. I had taken economics in school and was well versed in sewing with a needle and thread by hand but not a sewing machine. So I enlisted the help of my friend and YouTube to decipher this machine.
After getting a lesson on bobbin, I finally figured out the basics of the machine and how to operate it. I sewed the first set of masks which were just ok. But I was determined to perfect them. So I kept trying for a couple more days and I had finally sewed a few masks I was proud of. Well around this time my 9-5 corporate job had forced pay cuts like many organizations to help avoid layoffs with the uncertainty due to the pandemic. As a result I said well these masks look pretty good, I will post them on my Facebook page and I can probably supplement a small portion of income by sewing a “few” masks. I made that post at about 4 am one morning and went to sleep. I woke up around 9 am and my inbox was full of request for masks. I was overwhelmed with shock and excitement at the same time. The masks business grew so fasts that I had to enlist help from cousin. My kitchen had officially turned into a sewing factory. I spent evenings and weekends cutting patterns and sewing around the clock when not working my corporate job. Any free time was consumed with making masks.
People began requesting customizations on their masks such as names, various designs etc. The entrepreneur that I am saw an opportunity to continue to increase income so I did my research and purchased my first cricut machine and vinyl. Well May 2020 arrived about 2.5 months after I began to sew masks and the tragic death of George Floyd occurred. My 10 year old daughter who is artistically gifted used her drawing ability to channel her emotions of the tragic event through some pretty powerful drawings. I had shared a few of them with some people who said you should put those on t-shirts. I immediately thought to myself t-shirts? Not a bad idea because clothes should be representative of who you are and what better way to express your personality to the world than through t-shirts or other clothing. I discussed the idea of starting a business with my daughter, Kyndall and she liked it. From that point The Factory 10 by MaliaMonique was officially birth on July 13, 2020 as a shared owned business by her and I.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No growing business has a smooth road. If anyone says otherwise they are lying…Lol! So of course this has not been a smooth road. First because we are self taught in this business we have made many business decisions that have not always been profitable to start. We have had pricing to margin challenges. We also had other typical business challenges such as process challenges and need for better systems to support business flow and order processing.
But the biggest challenge which is a good struggle was the massive growth so fast that we did not have enough people (or hands) nor equipment to keep up with production. We began the business out of our home. We made an investment in some professional machinery from printers to a heat press. But by the end of the first full year I realized that we could have doubled our income had we had additional help and more space for bigger equipment.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Express yourself and show the world who you are with The Factory 10 by MaliaMonique custom apparel and merchandise. At F10 we fulfill all your custom apparel and merchandise needs from custom tees, bags, hats, dresses, cups etc. We customize items to allow you to show your personality to the world or showcase your business.
We use only the best materials and use the best equipment to produce your custom orders. We are a Family Owned and Operated Business where we are focused on making your visions a reality one design at a time!
Every order is produced with love and great care to ensure it is reflective of who you are.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My daughter, Kyndall. She has been helping grow the business marketing footprint with creative ideas from social media advertisements to encouraging our first billboard marketing venture. She has also been instrumental in developing new creative product ideas.
But the people who deserve the most credit for our success are our customers! Especially our repeat customers who continue to entrust us with their apparel and merchandise fulfillment as well as continue to refer us to many others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://TheFactory10.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefactory_10/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefactory10/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/thefactory_10/
