How $11,000 in Sales Turned Into My Worst Nightmare
I always tell people: “Starting an online business is not for the weak.”
I learned that the hard way.
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It all started last year when I finally got tired of surviving on salary alerts that expired the next morning.
I wanted financial freedom, passive income, and that E-commerce success lifestyle I always see on TikTok: ring light, iced coffee, MacBook, vibes.
So I launched my first online business — a minimalist sneaker dropshipping store.
Elegant. Clean. The type Gen Z influencers wear while pretending they “just woke up like this.”
I built the whole thing myself:
- SEO-optimized product pages
- Mobile-friendly e-commerce store
- High-converting landing pages
- Online payment gateway that worked everywhere
Even AI-generated customer service scripts that sounded like a friend who cares.
Business was booming. My ads went viral on Instagram overnight.
Orders were flying in.
One customer messaged:
“Bro, this shoe is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. Where’s my tracking code?”
I laughed proudly.
This is what entrepreneurship feels like.
The next morning, my phone would not stop buzzing — PayPal notifications, Shopify sales, customers begging for early shipping. I felt like Jeff Bezos Jr.
I called my best friend:
Me: “Omo, I made over $11k in sales in 48 hours.”
Him: “Mad o! Me too I’ll start online business tomorrow.”
We celebrated like kings with shawarma and chilled Malta Guinness.
But…
No one told me the supplier from China hadn’t shipped anything yet.
Days passed. Then weeks.
I kept emailing him:
“Please, what is happening with the shipping?”
He replied with one sentence:
“Factory holiday. Please wait.”
Please wait?
11,000 dollars worth of sneakers?
People were already threatening online reviews that could bury my brand before it even grew feathers.
A customer texted:
“If my shoe doesn’t arrive by Friday, I’ll report you to EFCC.”
I nearly fainted.
Suddenly all my Customer Experience knowledge evaporated.
My viral success turned to viral disaster.
Refunds. Chargebacks. Complaints.
I went from “rising entrepreneur” to “suspected scammer”.
One night, around 2:30 a.m., while I was rewriting apology emails for the 50th time, my mom walked in with garri and groundnut:
“You see why I told you to become a banker?”
I wanted to scream.
The worst part?
My Instagram went from:
“Boss entrepreneur! Mentor me please!”
to
“Where is my shoe???”
I almost shut everything down.
But then… one unexpected message changed everything.
A famous influencer who ordered earlier finally received her package after a shipping miracle. She posted:
“Best sneakers on the internet. Trust me!”
Her video got 700k views in 5 hours — organic viral marketing.
Sales exploded again.
But this time, I did things right:
- New supplier
- Faster shipping
- Better SEO strategy
- Clear store policies
- 24/7 chatbot for customer support
- Stress-proof heart
Now?
I make more in one week than my old job paid in two months.
But I will never forget that first business heartbreak.
It taught me what online entrepreneurship truly is:
A constant fight for credibility in a world full of skepticism.
Every package delivered is a small victory.
Every 5-star review feels like a Grammy award.
And every time I hear:
“Oga, where’s my shoe?”
I smile like a veteran and reply:
“It’s on the way, boss — I promise.”
Key Lessons for Any New E-commerce Entrepreneur
- Never sell what you cannot guarantee to deliver.
- Choose a supplier like you’d choose a life partner — trustworthy and fast.
- SEO is not a luxury — it’s survival.
- Always be transparent with customers.
Don’t let early success deceive you — prepare for storms.
