Sofa Repairs spearheads 'convenience manufacturing' model
Lewanika Timothy | Tuesday August 15, 2023 06:00
Sofa Repairs is a manufacturing company with a niche expertise in the creation of family couches and repairs of a plethora of home and office chairs. Fixing and making sofas is not novel in its nature, but it is the manner in which Boitshwarelo operates his process that sets him apart. “We operate an unconventional business model, one that has moved the factory to the customer’s house.
It is a model that enhances convenience and allows us as a business to leverage on customer assets,” he told Business Monitor. According to Boitshwarelo, the company gives customers a chance to participate in the creation and repair of their property by operating a one-day repair solution that involves the customer watching and advising on how they would like their family couch or office chair designed.
Sofa Repairs opened its doors in 2018 and has been gaining traction in the home and office market since then, boasting of soaring sales year-on-year. According to Boitshwarelo, the journey began long before the company officially opened its doors.
“My mother was a tailor and I watched her singlehandedly support the family from her skills,” he said. “That inspired me so much that I even learnt sewing from her and at times I would help her knit school uniforms for her customers.” Proving indeed that the apple does not fall far from the tree, Boitshwarelo has since grown his company in leaps and bounds from the skill he learnt from his mother.
Speaking on Sofa Repairs’ competitive advantage, Boitshwarelo says their cheap pricing model has opened a lot of doors for them especially in the home furniture space where they currently enjoy a large market share. “Because our model does not involve a lot of financial liabilities like paying rent, our leveraged assets allow us to pass a friendly price to our customers and this has led to us getting a lot of referrals to other customers by satisfied clientele,” he said.
Currently Boitshwarelo says the only hurdle standing between them and greatness is the absence of raw materials like leather which is a principal raw material. The vision for the seasoned entrepreneur is to lead Sofa Repairs to being a household supplier of furniture, unlocking the whole manufacturing value chain.