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JACKLINE CHEROP’S JOURNEY TO MAKING YOUR DREAM DESTINATION A REALITY.

JACKLINE CHEROP’S JOURNEY TO MAKING YOUR DREAM DESTINATION A REALITY.

The love for adventure and travelling did not start yesterday. In fact it started a long time ago. Take for example, the story of Lord Egerton, a man who enjoyed hunting and travelling. Those two activities saw him tour different countries in Africa. His travelling inspired romance so he decided to build a magnificent castle to impress his fiance in one of his destinations,Kenya. Unfortunately, the lady turned Lord Egerton down and went on to marry another Lord in Australia. Just like travelling can inspire romance (hopefully with a better ending than Lord Egerton’s), it can also inspire a business idea among other things as it is one of those hobbies that many people share. Through traveling, people get to see and learn a lot from different cultures, view beautiful sceneries, try out different food and so much more.

Traveling has many perks, but it can also be costly and hectic. Since most people travel to places they have never been to before, finding the right mode of transport or just a nice hotel to stay in during their visit can be a hassle. This is the reason most people prefer to use tours and travel agencies when planning for a trip which makes work easier.

Jackline Cherop, the managing director of Densey tours and travel has always been passionate about the travel industry, so much that she studied tours and travels at Utalii College. Upon finishing college, she worked in the travel industry for 10 years before she decided she wanted some challenge in her career and that is how Densey Tours and Travel was born.

“Working in the industry I love was great, don’t get me wrong but I always felt that something was missing. I knew starting my own company would fill that void so I decided to register my company while still working and see what happens. That was back in 2013. The reason I registered my company and still kept my job was that I needed a safety net. I had to make sure that my company was doing well before taking that great risk of quitting my job. Eventually after a year I did quit my job so I could evaluate my life and see how I could focus on Densey Tours and Travel.”

The company offers two types of travel packages, inbound for those traveling to Kenya and outbound for those traveling out of Kenya. The young entrepreneur has also created employment for about twelve people in various departments of her company, both casual and permanent. When asked how she feels about competition, Ms Jackline says it’s healthy and shows that the economy is growing.

“Competition keeps you on your toes and makes you up your game. It also makes you want to learn new things. When more people are coming into the industry it means that more people are getting employment in this sector which is a good thing especially for our youth who are mostly affected by unemployment in the country.”

She may be doing well now but her life has not always been easy. Having been raised by her grandmother among 5 other children, Jacky managed to rise above the adversity she faced to start her tour company. Despite facing many struggles, she still never stopped dreaming and began her business with no networks. Since then, her vision has been to use Densey’ s story to motivate young people build their companies. Her life experience has led her to her current personal initiative where she  sponsors girls to school and mentors them through their school lives for career preparedness.

From a very humble beginning to the woman she is today, it has taken hard work and support from her family. Through this journey she has learnt that one needs to be patient, committed and trustworthy in order to be successful. She enjoys the world of entrepreneurship because it allows her more time to spend with her family. She doesn’t have to wait upto end of the month to get a salary and she has the freedom to make decisions in her company. The advice she has for potential entrepreneurs is “don’t quit your job without a plan!”


Blog business Entrepreneurial Stories

ECO MAKAA SOLUTIONS; SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT ONE BRIQUETTE AT A TIME

ECO MAKAA SOLUTIONS; SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT ONE BRIQUETTE AT A TIME

Earlier this year, the government banned unlicensed logging and charcoal production, leaving millions of people without an important source of energy. The government did this to try curb increasing deforestation, droughts and human encroachment upon valuable forests and agricultural land. Research shows that 82% of the urban population uses charcoal in their homes. What was going to happen to all these people after the ban? Use the alternative sources of energy like kerosene and gas that most consider to be expensive?

Three entrepreneurs received the news of the ban with excitement. They knew a solution had to be found and so they embarked on doing research on an alternative source of energy. Having worked in a research institute before gave them an added advantage. Rose, Kennedy and David put their findings together and realized briquettes was the way to go. So they came up with Eco Makaa Solutions. They knew this would provide an environment friendly solution as well as be affordable to the consumers.

“We understood that the government had to do this in order to protect our environment, instead of sitting around and lamenting on how people would be greatly affected we decided it would be better to find a solution. Besides wouldn’t the world be a better place if we all took care of our environment? We may not be able to see it now but it goes without saying that the future generations will appreciate our efforts of leaving them a better world. We play our part by making briquettes and briquette making machines.”

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Rose looking on as her employees mix raw materials for the briquettes

Theirs has been a difficult journey, so difficult that one of their partners dropped out. They had each contributed ksh. 7000 to begin with as capital. They didn’t have briquette making machines so they had to outsource but that was the easy part the difficult part was getting the people to buy their briquettes because they obviously needed to sale to recover their money and take care of the production cost.

“Convincing people that briquettes were as good as charcoal and even better was hard. Kenyans are generally not open to change, it took a while for us to start making sales. This became too overwhelming for one of our partners who opted out. This did not discourage us, we forged on put in the work, hoped for the best and eventually made progress.”

Their resilience has paid off since they now have their own machines. They have also gone into machine manufacturing to help other entrepreneurs who may want to go into the briquette making business. The great thing about this business is that the raw materials which include sawdust, coffee husks and charcoal dust can be obtained freely since they are considered to be waste products.

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Briquettes being extracted from the machine before going to the final stage which is drying

Most entrepreneurs have a trick or two when it comes to dealing with competition, not ECO Makaaa Solutions. On the other hand they encourage more people to take up briquette making. They train people at a small fee and if you buy their machine training is offered free of charge.

On anyone out there who wants to venture into the world of entrepreneurship the partners agree on one thing, “If you don’t have all the resources you can always outsource just like we did and with time get your own. The most important thing is to start!”

 

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Rose Moses and Kennedy Omondi pose for a photo outside their establishment in Komarock Market

Related Article: http://www.kuzabiashara.co.ke/blog/briquettes/


Blog business Learning

5 Creative Side Hustles to Make You Extra Cash

Courtesy Freepik

There are millions of ways to make money and one great way to make extra cash is through side hustles. The great thing about side hustles is there are options for everyone and your financial status is not a barrier since you don’t need to raise capital.

So instead of limiting yourself, why not step out of your comfort zone and try out these ideas?

1. Running Errands

Running Errands is a great side hustle since it solves a particular problem for both businesses and individuals. Every second, there is someone who is busy and needs help delivering something from one point to another within their environs.

This is where errand runners come in handy. The main benefit of the errands business is it’s flexible especially if you do not have a full-time job and have extra time in your day. However, to make it as an errands runner, you need to always deliver and build trust among your clients so that you get recommendations. You can charge any amount from Ksh. 200 for every errand based on the transport, the item and your service fee.

Here is a success story from George Kamau who is building his empire one errand at a time; http://www.kuzabiashara.co.ke/blog/when-a-business-idea-comes-to-you-in-an-unexpected-place-run-with-it/

2. Private Tutor

August, April and December are the perfect months to start a private tutor hustle in Kenya. If you are a teacher or you have a genuine love for children, this hustle will be perfect for you. The main benefit of being a private tutor is its flexible and you can make extra cash while still maintaining your job.

It is advisable to start with your neighbourhood, build solid relationships there before reaching out to some parents. You shouldn’t also limit yourself to school subjects. If you are talented in other areas such as instruments or sports, you can offer to train the children on this as well for a fee.

Private tutors normally charge per hour or per subject and the price can range from Ksh. 500 to Ksh. 1000.

3. Vlogging/Youtuber

Vlogging is one of those sides hustles that with patience and working smart can eventually make you good money. It’s never too late to start a youtube channel especially because it’s one of the booming platforms for content creators around the world.

However, before starting a youtube channel, here are some critical questions to ask yourself;
What will your videos talk about?
Who is your target audience and why should they listen to you?
How often will you be posting?
What aesthetics will you need to incorporate to make your video more appealing?
What equipment will you need? Camera? Tripod?

To be a successful YouTuber/vlogger, start small, be authentic and with time, you will build your brand and can approach companies that you can work with. If you are an expert at something, for example, make-up and beauty, you can eventually organize or take part in events where people pay to come to learn from you.

4. Writing

Writing is a great way to make extra cash especially because it is flexible and you can work it within your schedule with ease and it’s not physically engaging. All you need is space, a laptop and internet. There are a lot of freelance opportunities online through sites like Kuhustle and Upwork.

You can also start a blog and once it picks up, you can consider affiliate links in your site where you earn a commission every time someone clicks on the link and makes a purchase.
To learn more about writing opportunities you can consider for a side hustle, read our previous article, 15 ways to make money out of writing.

5. Leverage on your talents

Do you have a talent that is so unique to you or something that you do really well? It might be as simple as cooking, sewing or even singing. When looking for a side hustle, this is a perfect place to start. The best thing is you get to do what you love while making extra money out of it and it’s flexible enough to balance with your current job.

Besides talent, if you have any cool skills like negotiating, networking, etc., identify it and figure out how you can make extra cash out of it.

Final Word
Do you have a side hustle? What is it and how do you balance it out with your job? Let us know in the comment section below.


Blog business Learning Recruitments Team

Enrich Your Workforce With These Six Key Steps

Enriching Your Workforce With These Six Key Steps

If customers are the lifeblood of a business, employees are the primer that ensures each cog is working smoothly. Organizing training and empowering sessions for your employees may cost time and money but the investment is worthwhile in the long term.

However, how do companies empower their employees without overspending and possibly spreading themselves too thin? Here are six steps you can use to boost your employees’ skill set.

1.  Do One-on-One Consultations

Companies that consult with their employees one on one instead of through group meetings can obtain more accurate information that they can actually use to make improvements in the workplace. A conducive environment keeps your employees happy, keeps them focused, and allows them to grow personally and professionally. They can only tell you what sort of work environment they want and what’s wrong with the current one they have if they feel comfortable divulging that information. Foster an environment of free and open communication it by doing regular one on one consultations with your employees.

2. Keep Them On Their Toes

Stretch assignments are by far the best way for employees to learn and grow. As their supervisor or employer, you are in a spot to seek out opportunities that are aligned with your employees’ specific developmental needs and professional ambitions. You don’t have to pinpoint the most qualified employee for a challenging project or assignment. Instead, think about pairing the right project with the right person. 

3. Help Them Get Certified

Certification and licensure help build the credentials and trustworthiness of your employees. Not only does it help validate the competence and reliability of your workforce to your shareholders and consumers, but it’s also required by law to get certification to be able to work in certain jobs and industries. For web developers, getting a certification in IT systems is a good investment of business capital towards empowerment of employees. For businesses in the food industry, a food handlers card is a worthwhile investment that takes little time to prepare for and complete.

4. Fine-tune the Hiring Process

Bringing the right people on board is perhaps the first actionable step towards composing a workforce with the right skills. Employees with a high degree of motivation and involvement tend to develop faster as professionals. If you bring in people who don’t even want to be in the profession or industry they are currently in, it will be more exhausting to train and improve them. On the other hand, those who want to be inspired and supported can quickly grow into their role when offered even a small support.

5. Volunteer Your Time Into Mentoring

Based on an excerpt from a Harvard Business Review, today’s fleet of supervisors are mostly overworked and no longer offer their golden nuggets of advice and wisdom to subordinates in the form of mentoring. Companies should support and incentivize their department leaders to pass on their industry experience and techniques to employees.
Mentoring sounds overwhelming at first, particularly for high-level management staff that has little to no experience. However, today’s employees are more than just busy, obedient drones that are okay with being given a set of commands and then performing them no questions asked. They seek professional growth and support.

6. Be Willing to Put in the Resources

No real and lifelong change can start without a real investment of resources and commitment from the company. Enriching your employees’ ambition and skill set takes regular training, seminars, coaching and mentoring, and other educational tools and resources.

Final Thoughts

Being supportive of your employees can have far greater benefits as opposed to the initial costs over time. By empowering more of your employees, your business grows faster and is afforded more opportunities in terms of potential new ideas and more innovative solutions.

Author: Sia Hasan


Blog business Learning

4 Easy Ways to Raise Capital for That Business Idea

4 Easy Ways to Raise Capital for That Business Idea

“I have a game-changing business idea, but how do I raise capital?”

That is the one question in so many people’s minds and the reason why many ideas never see the light of day. To be an entrepreneur in this generation, you have to think outside the box when it comes to raising capital.

Below are a few ideas that you can implement.

1. Find a Business Partner

Having a business partner when starting out not only increases your capital but also boosts your borrowing power as a startup. A survey done by Inc that featured 500 companies stated that 28% of the businesses were funded by a co-founder. So if you have a brilliant idea but no capital, why not look for someone who has the money and bring them on as a partner?

Before engaging a business partner however, ensure their goals are aligned with yours and they add value by bringing something new to the table.

There are also other advantages of having a business partner such as having a brainstorming partner, sharing knowledge & skills and having the opportunity to grow your networks.

2. Join A Chama

A chama (merry go round) is an investment group where members contribute a specific amount of money monthly. After each month, one member is awarded the money and the cycle continues until every member receives their share.

Chama’s are not only a good way to save but they are also an exciting investment platform either as an individual or as the group.

However, before you partner up with a couple of your friends or family to start a chama, here are 3 important things to consider;

  •  Have a shared goal of what you want to achieve to avoid issues down the line.
  •  Run the chama professionally with designated roles for each member with accountability systems.
  •  It’s all about the choices you make. Make wise investment choices for the long term sustainability of your chama.

3. Take A Loan from A Family/Friend, Not the Bank

For those who have successfully launched a business, you know how difficult it can be to secure funding. For young upcoming entrepreneurs in particular, getting a loan from a bank can be quite challenging and that’s why some entrepreneurs turn to their friends/family for help.

Some advantages of taking a loan from a loved one are;

  • You don’t have to go through tough hurdles that banks and other financial institutions put you through.
  •  You two can agree on a flexible repayment system that might give you a little grace period when paying back.
  • Lower interest rates are also an advantage.
  • You get to not only grow yourself but grow your family/friend as well and they will be proud to be part of your journey.

However, there are also a few disadvantages. Legal issues might arise especially if expectations are not met and your family/friend may also feel a huge sense of entitlement and control over the business.

We strongly advise that before getting any support from family/friends, ensure you are legally protected, there are clear terms for repayment and defined roles.

Another way you can involve friends and family is starting a crowd-funding campaign on sites like gofundme.com where they can send in their contributions and support your cause.

4. Join Start-Up Competitions/Awards

The business world is competitive in itself but for startups, the stakes are even higher. This is a challenge that start up competitions and awards aim at addressing by giving this upcoming entrepreneurs a platform to prove their value and get funding.

As a young entrepreneur with an exciting business idea, joining a startup competition is a great way to meet the right people, secure funding and build your brand. Another advantage is the funds do not come with tough expectations such as collaterals and high interest rates from other financial institutions. One other thing to note as well is winning such competitions is not a guarantee of success, you still have to work smart, have a great team and make wise choices to scale up.

Some popular local competitions you can take part in are;

  • Kenya Startup Cup by Mount Kenya University
  • DataHack4i by Nairobi Garage
  •  KCB Lions Den

Final Word

Keep in mind that you’ve got to be flexible and open minded when looking to raise capital and if one method does not work, you can try others.
Do you have any other capital raising ideas? Feel free to share them in the comment section below.

Related Article: http://www.kuzabiashara.co.ke/blog/6-creative-ways-to-raise-capital-for-your-small-business-in-kenya/

 


Blog business Learning Recruitments

3 Ways To Simplify Hiring for Your Small Business

3 Ways To Simplify Hiring for Your Small Business

The success of a business ultimately depends on the people who work for it. Nothing can compensate for poor employees. However, good employees can be the difference between your business succeeding or failing. It’s sensible for businesses to put a lot of effort into their hiring decisions, but they often spend more time searching for the right employee rather than screening and researching the applicants.

Fortunately, there are a few ways that businesses can simplify the hiring process.

1. Use Software

As with every other aspect of modern business, there is software that can help with the hiring process. Recruitment software can be used in several different ways, from tracking applicants to posting job details in areas that are likely to attract those applicants.
In many cases, they can also help to sort and manage the applications as they come in. Some programs are even designed to work with other programs that hiring managers tend to use during the selection process. The vast majority of these programs offer a degree of customization to their users, so they can automate some parts of the process while handling others on their own.

The precise tasks that the programs can handle for their users will also vary from one program to the next, so smart managers will look through all of their options to see which one can cover the largest portion of their needs.

2. Use Video Interviews

There is no substitute for a good job interview, but it can be difficult and expensive to arrange one for applicants who need to travel a long distance to do it in person. Video interviews allow hiring managers to conduct the interview over the Internet, which saves a great deal of time and money while also making it easier to schedule the interview in the first place. That makes them a valuable tool, especially for early interviews before the pool of applicants has been narrowed down to the top few options.

That having been said, it is vital to conduct these interviews properly. One-sided interviews, which have the applicant answering questions that are asked by a computer, are both common and largely useless. They’re frustrating for the applicant, and they rarely provide anything that isn’t available from a written application. Instead, it’s best to use video interviews exactly like traditional interviews. It makes a better impression on the applicant and provides more useful information, so it is certainly worth the effort for most managers.

3. Leverage on Social Media

A large part of the population use social media in some way, and many businesses do use it during the hiring process to find new applicants. At the simplest level, recruiters can use it to publicize new job openings in a way that ensures that many people will see them. This is a great way to find younger employees with technical skills since that demographic tends to have more experience with the Internet than with traditional recruiting techniques.

Some businesses also use social media to conduct background checks on potential hires. That can be valuable, since social media holds a great deal of information, but businesses do need to be careful with it. All of the rules that govern applications and interviews still apply, which can complicate the process. As with every other type of background checking, social media investigations can be a powerful tool for businesses, but they do need to be conducted with care and awareness of all legal requirements.

Final Word

Even a single employee can have a big impact on a growing business, so it makes sense to take the time to make good choices. It’s also an expensive and complicated process, so it pays to find every advantage to make it easier. Using the right techniques will cut down on administrative work and make it easy to spend more time on the decisions that really matter.

Author: Sia Hasan

 


Blog business Experiences Learning

CAN A WOMAN HAVE IT ALL? A FAMILY AND A GREAT CAREER?

CAN A WOMAN HAVE IT ALL? A FAMILY AND A GREAT CAREER?

Purity Gicheru a mother of two and a wife one day decided to make invitation cards for her niece’s birthday and that turned out to be the birth of her entrepreneurship journey. “When my sister in law saw the cards I had created she was convinced I had to do it as a business, and though I had been thinking about it I had never really thought to act on it.”

Purity is the founder of a Party-cular World, a company that designs cards ranging from birthday and wedding party invitations to greeting cards. She adds that her plan was to start a party design and planning business, but because she was short on capital, she had to start somewhere and designing party cards was the most affordable way to get into the business. With a little financial support from her husband and motivation from her sister in law, she was ready to get a Party-Cular world off the ground.

Her major marketing strategy is online through her social media platforms but this is also one of her greatest challenges because Kenyans are skeptical of online business. However, she has partnered with other businesses that have made a name for themselves and this creates some level of trust among her potential clients.

Asked what she enjoys about being self-employed, Purity said,

“I love that I get to do what I love and I also have flexible timings so I get to spend more time with my family.”

She owes her success to her support system which is her family friends and mentors,

“My family is the best. My mother being an entrepreneur herself understands me and is constantly checking up on me just to know how the business is doing. My clients have also been amazing, I have two types of clients those who know what they want down to the smallest of details and those who leave everything up to me because they believe in my expertise. I appreciate them all equally.”

The young entrepreneur points out that there is no formula for being successful; there is no one size fits all when it comes to entrepreneurship. One needs discipline, passion and to ensure customers are always satisfied.

Purity is hopeful that with all the effort she continues to put into a Party-cular World she is going to get to where she eventually wants to be which is being a party designer and planner.


Blog business Learning

Do You Want to Buy a Business? Here Are the Top 5 Crucial Factors to Look Out For

Image Courtesy: Freepik

Some people prefer buying businesses because they want to avoid the hassle involved in creating one. Starting a business is pretty hard compared to buying a profitable business. Besides this, starting a business is risky and time-consuming. An entrepreneur has to look for capital, employees, and all resources required to enable the business start operating.

Therefore, people buy businesses because they enjoy the fact that everything is in place and they enjoy having the business bring in profit from day one.

If you don’t have the energy and time for starting a business, you can still own a business by buying one. However, you must consider these 5 factors before buying any business.

1. Competition

Before buying a business, evaluate and analyze the intensity of the competition that it faces. Do not buy a business if you realize that the competition is so intense for you to handle.

All industries always have at least one or two companies that have the larger share of the target market. Buying a business in that same industry that does not show potential of living up to existing competition may be a decision you end up regretting later on.

2. Know and Learn the founder’s skills

When taking over a fairly successful business, there are definitely factors that went into making the business successful. One such factor is the organization culture set by the founder. You are definitely your own person and have your skills and experience that you bring to the table. However, you can blend these into the existing culture.
Therefore, always find out what worked and what didn’t work so that you are more aware of what changes to make.

3. Political stability

Always ensure that the region or country in which you are buying the business is politically stable. Sometimes people sell their business enterprises after sensing political instability in their regions.

Always know the reasons for selling the business. Sometimes some entrepreneurs sell their businesses after noticing a big problem that the business might encounter in future.

4. Profitability

Lastly, always check the profitability of the business because profitability greatly determines the price at which you will buy the business. For instance, if you discover that the business is not profitable, you have the right to buy it at a low price. On the other hand, the business owner is justified to sell the business at a high price if it’s a profitable business.

Final Word

Purchasing a business enterprise is better than starting one. However, it might be a risky decision if you don’t check the above factors before buying one. Lastly, I believe there are several other factors to check before purchasing a business. You are therefore free to add some of them in the comment box below.

Good luck with buying your business.

Author’s Bio
Isaac Wechuli is a Kenyan entrepreneur, professional research writer, and founder of www.unboundedwisdom.com. He loves enlightening people on the factors that could help them live a happy, and successful life.


Blog business Learning

Would You like to start a Butchery business? Here is All You Need to Know

Image courtesy: Freepik

If there is one thing Kenyans love, it’s having a great meal inclusive of meat. Whether it’s meat stew, nyama choma, wet fry, mshikaki, meat balls or even meat in delicacies such as shawarma and burgers.

This is what makes a butchery business both attractive and profitable. Operating a butchery is extremely easy but before you start up, it’s important to have these questions answered;

What operating licences will you need?

Where will I get a good supplier?

Which location is appropriate?

How much capital do you need?

Getting Started

One key thing to figure out before opening a butchery is where you’ll get your meat. If you are starting out, you don’t need to stock a wide variety of meat, focus on beef and chicken and grow to other varieties gradually.

The best places to get your meat supply is licensed slaughter houses in your area. For those within Nairobi, you can find a trusted meat supplier in Dagoretti, Kajiado and City Market. For those out of Nairobi, ensure you find a slaughter house or supplier that is safe and licensed.

Licences

To operate a butchery legally, ensure you have these three licences;

Single Business Permit – The cost varies from county to county. In Nairobi, a permit for a medium trader is Ksh.10,000 valid for a year.

Food Handling Certificate – It costs Ksh. 600 and is valid for 6 months.

Fire Safety Certificate – Valid for a year and costs Ksh. 3,000.

Total – Ksh. 13,600

Basic Equipment

When starting out a butchery, you will need some basic equipment to start with before expanding to more equipment with time;

Meat Cabinet – Ksh. 75,000

2 Butcher’s knives – Ksh. 2500 each

5 Butchery hooks – Ksh. 500 each

Cutting block/Wooden stump – Ksh. 5,000

Digital weighing scale – Ksh. 5,500

Wrapping materials – Ksh. 500

2 White lab coats – Ksh. 850 each

Cleaning materials – Ksh. 1000

Total – Ksh. 96,200

All prices are approximate.

Location

The most profitable location for your butchery should be a high traffic area preferably shopping centers within estates which are at a close proximity to households.

A decent space will cost between 20,000 – 40,000 monthly rent depending on the location.

Once you find a suitable space, you can renovate and brand according to your preference.

Investment vs. Profit

Considering all the expenses listed above from licenses to equipment and rent, the total approximate investment we are looking at is

Licenses – Ksh.13,600

Equipment – Ksh. 96,200

Rent – Ksh. 20,000

Total – Ksh. 129,800

Now let’s assume your butchery is at a busy neighborhood and you bring in 200kgs of meat that you bought at a whole sale price of Ksh.250 a kg. That comes to Ksh. 50,000.

If you have a good day and sell 150kgs at a retail price of Ksh. 400 per kg, you make a good Ksh.60,000 daily and make a Ksh. 10,000 profit. In a couple of months you’ll have your return on investment and can expand to better equipment and a variety of meat.

Final Word

Is a butchery a business venture you would consider? Let us know in the comment section below.

 

 

 

 

 

 


Blog business Experiences Learning

YOUNG C.E.O COMES UP WITH INNOVATIVE SOLUTION FOR ONLINE SHOPPERS

YOUNG C.E.O COMES UP WITH INNOVATIVE SOLUTION FOR ONLINE SHOPPERS

E-commerce has really picked up in Kenya since it brings the consumer a variety of online shops at their convenience and shopping is quite easy. All one needs is internet, a smartphone/laptop and the comfort of your home. After placing an order the products are delivered in a given address but if the products are for resale the challenge comes in when you don’t have a central place for your clients to pick up their products.

Njeri Wainaina identified this challenge and decided to come up with a solution for it. She is the founder of Wachia Agencies, a storage unit for e-commerce merchants as well as anyone who may need to store their luggage for a short while as they run errands in town.

“This idea came to me in 2014 out of a frustrating experience I had with online shopping. After placing my order, I had to wait in town for a couple of hours before the vendor arrived with my product. That’s when I thought of having a storage space in town where upon shopping online a client could go pick up their product at their own convenience without having to wait up on anyone”

The first thing Wachia Agencies does when they receive a client who needs their storage services is to verify their documents and also confirm that their goods are legal and wont pose any security threat to them and their other clients. Their charges depend on the size of the luggage and the duration of their stay at the storage unit. They currently have a variety of clients that use their storage services and they regard them all with the same importance.

“It’s such a fulfilling journey since I don’t just offer storage space but also have a relationship with my clients. I get to support them with marketing their products and dispatch services. We are in the journey together and it gives me a sense of pride to see each one of them grow with me.”

Located along Nairobi’s Koinange street Wachia Agencies initial challenge was convincing people that their property was safe at the storage unit. This is where referrals came in handy. The first people who took a chance on them were satisfied with their service and referred others. Apart from word of mouth they also use facebook and instagram to get in touch with potential clients.

Njeri is also a beneficiary of Kuza Biashara’s program dubbed She goes digital which was aimed at equipping young women with digital and social media marketing skills. She says the programme molded her in a great way since they were given a wide range of lessons not only in digital marketing but also in life skills and soft skills.

Through her entrepreneurship journey, Njeri has learnt that there is no wrong or right way to be an entrepreneur the most important thing is to believe in yourself. On top of that pray, persevere and be a problem solver.

 

 

 

 

 


Blog business Experiences Learning

How to tell if it’s time to Pivot Your Business

Image courtesy: Freepik

Part of being a good business owner is knowing when your original ideas for your company no longer work. If you want your business to survive for the long term, you have to be nimble. You need to be able to adapt to change and conform to the reality you are confronted with in the market as it actually exists.

Doing so takes guts, but it’s often needed for your survival. If you don’t adapt, your business will surely fail. 96 percent of companies don’t make it to their tenth year. There are endless examples of companies that went out of business because they refused to change. With that in mind, below are five clear signs it’s time to pivot your business.

You’re in a Bad Location

Sometimes, pivoting as a company doesn’t mean changing your business model entirely. Sometimes, it’s as simple as changing locations. A certain location in a city may have provided you with steady business for years. However, things not under you control, like the economic health of the rest of that neighborhood, can dry that business up almost overnight.
Don’t be afraid to move to a different location with better economic prospects if you have to. If one location isn’t performing very well for you, you should consider hiring movers to allow you to move to a more up and coming location in the city.

Your Profits Are Steadily Declining

If you want clear evidence you need to pivot, you should examine your bookkeeping. You may find that revenues have been on a downward trend for quite some time. While you can make up some of those losses by slashing overhead, that may not solve the problem. It may be best to start considering adjustments such as introducing new products that can turn that trend around.

Your Target Market Has Changed

In other cases, your niche market may evolve. Many companies tend to hone in on one target market. However, what if that target market suddenly stops supplying your company with business? You could redouble your efforts to market to that demographic, but you may still come up short.

If that is the case, you need to consider adjustments. You may, for one, want to explore different demographics. The demographics of markets are continually changing in regards to age, sex, race and ethnic background. Making adjustments to better meet the needs of different communities could allow your company to get a foothold with these consumers.

The Tastes of Your Target Market Have Changed

If you start losing business, it may not be that your target demographic has disappeared. Instead, it may be the case that the tastes of those consumers have shifted away from what your company offers its products. If this is the case, you need to pivot so you can better cater to those particular tastes.

Your Fixed Costs Are Too High

In other cases, your product may not be the problem. However, what is really holding you back are the fixed costs and overhead expenses that eat too much into your profits. If that’s the case, you may want to rethink all your different business processes. You may find many different ways to bring those expenses down.

Final Word

Overall, you need to be able to adjust as a business owner. You can’t be stuck in your ways in regards to your products, your marketing or your business processes. Due to the fickle nature of the business world, being too resistant to change can be a death sentence.

Author: Sia Hasan


Blog business Learning

Basics of Starting an M-PESA shop business in Kenya

Image Credit: nation.co.ke

If you have been thinking of starting a business in Kenya, an M-PESA shop has probably crossed your mind. M-PESA shops are quite profitable businesses and what makes them an attractive investment is that they are quite easy to start and you can operate both as a main or side hustle. Even if you already have an existing business, you can still incorporate an M-Pesa counter into the business.

Would you like to be an agent of the biggest mobile service provider in Kenya? Read on.

Step 1: What You Need to Get Started

To operate an M-PESA shop as an agent, you need to have a registered limited company in business for at least 6 months and have at least 3 outlets ready to offer MPESA services.

A minimum investment for an MPESA outlet is Ksh. 100,000 float.

You’ll need to provide Safaricom with business permits for each of the MPESA outlets, VAT & tax certificates, ID’s, banking license from a reputable financial institution and police clearance certificates.

Fill in the MPesa agent head office application form and the MPesa agent store application form.

Once you have submitted your forms and met all the requirements you’ll be given a till number that you will use.

Step 2: How to run the Day to Day business

You can run the MPesa outlet yourself or hire competent staff with at least KCSE qualification. You also need to brand your MPESA outlet with the Safaricom brand guidelines. The day to day operations include;

Depositing cash into accounts of registered MPESA customers.

Process cash withdrawal for registered MPESA customers.

Register new MPESA users.

Comply with Safaricom business practices.

Step 3: Choose your preferred MPESA outlet

You can run your M-PESA outlet in two ways;

Standard Outlet

This is the most recommended outlet since you have to go through the complete process above and be registered as an agent.

As a sub – dealer

Operating as a sub dealer is much more affordable than registering as an agent. However, you will need to work under a licensed agent by buying their MPESA line and paying them commission for using their lines. For sub dealers, you only need a float of Ksh.20,000 – Ksh. 40,000.

Expected Challenges

  • Running an MPESA shop doesn’t really make you an entrepreneur because technically you are employed by Safaricom. You have to share your profit with them and they determine the amount of profit that you earn.
  • It is also quite a flooded business. MPESA shops are everywhere, on every street corner and this makes it very competitive.
  • There are also strict guidelines that you should follow as an MPESA agent and failure to adhere can lead to your line being blocked.
  • Running an MPESA shop is also a security risk since people know that you handle a lot of cash and that makes you a target for thieves.

 Final Word: 

Would opening an M-PESA shop be a business you would get into?