05/03/2026
😂😂😂 In December 2025 something happened to me that I will never forget.
A client slapped me and broke my phone 😭😭😭
All because I refused to release his outfits until he paid the balance.
At that time, I was still growing in my tailoring business and learning how to properly structure my work.
I had just started understanding an important rule in the business: before starting any outfit, collect at least 80% payment, and before releasing the clothes, collect the balance.
But this particular client had a habit of delaying payments, and it was not the first time he had done something like that to me.
So that day, I stood my ground.
I politely told him that I could not give him his clothes until he paid the remaining balance.
He became very angry.
He started shouting and saying he was old enough to be my father and that I had no right to hold his clothes because of money.
But I was only trying to follow the structure I had just learned for my business.
When the argument became heated, I decided to record what was happening. While I was recording, he slapped me and in the process broke my phone. Then he slapped me again.
It was a very painful and shocking moment for me.
But today, when I look back, I realize something important.
Many times, disrespect in business happens when there is no clear structure.
Thankfully, my friend is a police officer. When he heard what happened, he took the matter to the police station.
In the end, the client paid for everything he damaged and the issue was settled.
That experience taught me lessons that no business book could ever teach.
Lesson 1: Always have structure in your business.
Lesson 2: Respect yourself and your work.
Lesson 3: Never release a client’s clothes until the balance is paid. esp. tailors.......
Sometimes the painful moments we go through as a fashion business owners are the moments that build the discipline we need to grow.
Today, I run my tailoring business with better structure, clearer rules, and stronger boundaries.
And one thing I know for sure:
Every challenge you face in business is either a loss or a lesson. If you learn from it, it becomes a step forward.
I am the Symo Ngash Africdesign
