Who doesn’t love a good pair of shoes? We all know how it feels to step into a shiny new pair that hugs your feet and looks like a million dollars – pure bliss.
Ottawa resident Taimur Ghaznavi is clearly no stranger to the concept. Four years ago, he launched his very own custom shoe brand named ‘TG Shoes’ – and he hasn’t looked back since.
“Believe it or not, I started out selling door to door. The first six months, I sold only 30 pairs. Another six months and I was at 150. That was clearly a huge jump.”
Being a new entrepreneur often means one has to grit their teeth and accept failure may be around the corner.
Taimur is one of many trying to create a niche for themselves in a world where a ‘fad’ is all most trends can hope to be. But his idea has an interesting twist – one that has helped him make some huge strides.
TG Shoes is now Ottawa’s 2nd largest shoe manufacturer. So what’s Taimur’s secret?
“When I started out, someone suggested I shouldn’t customise. But I always knew that needed to be my main focus – the tiny details matter. They make your shoe stand out. We customise everything, from the leather and design down to the threads and logos.”
Taimur describes how he and his team have constructed a careful and meticulous quality control system. A small, tight-knit production team works on the products in Pakistan. The pairs are then counted and visuals shared with customers to glean their satisfaction and keep them appraised of the process.
The hard work has paid off.
His company now caters to an impressive set of clients: NHL stars from seven different teams including the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadians; NFL Indianapolis Colts; a number of Canadian TV celebrities.
When asked how his company was functioning during a worldwide lockdown, Taimur explained how a contactless assembly line of sorts had been established:
“Manufacturing hasn’t stopped. But it’s done in separate stages with a middle man who transports materials from one worker to the next. The leather is taken to the first person and once their part of production is complete, it’s picked up and dropped off to the second in line.”
He says this is so far working out great for them since employees aren’t out of work and the process – albeit a more time-taking one than before – hasn’t stopped. His silver lining amidst this rather grim situation is, if all stays on track, TG shoes will soon be entertaining more star-studded clients – this time around in Hollywood.
Check out the website here: https://shoesbytg.com/