Category Archives: Experiences

Let’s talk food. Have you ever stopped to think about where it comes from? Have you ever sat and contemplated about the farmers and all the struggles they go through? We all need food to survive so it is imperative that people understand some of the challenges the farmers go through so they can leverage on their skills and technology to come up with solutions.

Last week together with different stakeholders in the agricultural sector including German Cooperation, Make -IT, Africa Agency for Business and Economic Development, Strathmore University, IBM among others, the Kuza Biashara team had the privilege to meet a few farmers in Ngong to learn about the issues affecting them. One thing that stood out was the passion these farmers carried for their work, despite how it seems like a game of gambling when it comes to their farms considering the risks they have to endure.  For example, they don’t have access to relevant information like weather patterns and market information, which are two of the most important aspects of farming.

Let’s take the case of Pauline Ndumi who grows vegetables in Ngong area. Having grown up with a very strict father, Pauline was introduced to the world of farming by her father who owned a coffee plantation and it was mandatory for Pauline and her siblings to tend to the farm every day.

“I went into farming because I had been doing it all my life, I did not need any training as an adult as my father took care of that, I started going to the farm at an early age of 3 years and so growing up I knew I wanted to do something I was familiar with and also good at.”

Pauline’s parents may have taught her a lot in regards to farming but none of that prepared her for the challenges that farmers face. This she has had to tackle on her own as every season came with its own challenges. These include unpredictable weather patterns that make it difficult to know when to plant. Low market for her produce and the struggle of getting labor force as most of the youth in the area have taken to alcoholism and therefore cannot be trusted.

In an effort to create a bright future for her children, six years ago Pauline decided to buy a greenhouse for one of her sons so he could be able to sustain himself but that did not work out so well for her.

‘I bought the tent for my son Maverick who is mentally challenged to give him a better chance at surviving in this world. It has been such a disappointment. I bought it at a price of ksh. 400,000 nevertheless it is yet to recover the capital I invested. All it has been doing is take take and I see very little progress.”

Various stakeholders at the event viewing Pauline’s greenhouse

Clearly Pauline is not giving up as she has already prepared the land for another planting season. She mainly plants spinach but says its market is very low since most people in Ngong plant spinach. She also plants capsicum and tomatoes that tend to do better in the market since they are seasonal vegetables but with her green house she can plant them anytime especially when they are out of season.

“We are still struggling with different issues though. For instance, we use the normal weather applications to know when it will rain and most of the time they fail us because they are not localized. If we could get access to localized weather applications and market information that would be great as it will allow us to focus on farming knowing that other important issues have been handled.”

Kuza biashara has an agripreneur program where farmers are provided a platform to access the agricultural content such as crop advisory, quality inputs, credit and insurance etc .The most unique aspect of this program is its distribution. The content is easily accessed via mobile phones and is distributed through an edge computing device that provides a local Wi-Fi connection that can be accessed even in remote areas.

With a visit from different stakeholders in the agricultural sector Pauline is hopeful that some of the challenges she has been facing will be a thing of the past.

Kuza team member Alice enjoys freshly made pumpkins with some new friends she made at the event.

Related article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/agripreneur-program-case-study-kuza-biashara/

Related Video; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVL3JQ9fl2o&feature=youtu.be

I am sure that whatever you are working on right now, you are probably struggling to fight off some kind of distraction.

Being able to focus is an important habit to cultivate and it’s key in determining whether you succeed or fail. If you talk to anyone who has made it, they have had to filter out the noise and focus on their goals.

Today, we highlight 5 common distractions you need to be aware of and tips on how to avoid them.

1. Not Having A Plan for the Day

If you want to get distracted and not be productive, then don’t make a plan for the day. It doesn’t matter whether you generally have a busy schedule or have only a few tasks, planning is key. A daily plan is a step by step guide of how you are going to tackle tasks through the day.
You can dedicate a note book/diary for the activity to be more organized and arrange them in order of priority from the most important to the least important. If there are tasks that you were not able to complete, you can easily note them and plan for them in the next day so nothing ends up neglected.

Cultivate a habit of creating a plan for the next day in the evening so that you are mentally prepared to handle your tasks the next day and you don’t waste time in the morning figuring things out.

Personal Challenge: Buy a notebook/diary that you can use to write down your daily plans so as to focus and avoid distractions.

2. Listening to too many opinions

Many ambitious and self-driven people start off with brilliant ideas, a great vision and a clear plan of how they intend to achieve their goals. However, many of these ideas never see the light of day because of over consulting and listening to too many opinions.

It’s cool to talk to people about your plans and seek advice but it’s important to note that some people will be genuine while others will just be detractors. In this case, it is important to be discerning enough to filter out the important advice from the noise.

Everyone has an opinion, good/bad and when starting something new, getting negative opinions can lead into self-doubt and distract you from your vision.

Personal Challenge: Figure out two or three people who you can ask for advice from about your critical decisions.

3. Multitasking

If there is one distraction that we can all relate to, it’s multitasking. We always feel like we can handle everything at once and still achieve results. However, if you find yourself constantly switching between tasks, then you won’t be able to be productive and focus on one thing.

The way our brain works, every time you switch between tasks, your brain takes a few seconds to refocus. If you are constantly doing this, imagine how much time in a day you are wasting.

Personal Challenge: List down your tasks and try focusing on one task at a time.

4. External Distractions

Our environment can also be our biggest distraction if we don’t find ways to manage it. Most times, we go out of our way to avoid distractions but sometimes, the distractions find us. To improve your focus and be more productive, you need to train yourself to stay away from the things around you that distract you.

• Is it your best friend at work/school?
• Do you check your social media every 20 minutes?
• Are you addicted to playing games on your phone?
• Do you spend most of your day answering phone calls?

Whatever it is, the funny thing is when we face things that take away our focus at work or at school, we know exactly what to do but still don’t do it.

Personal Challenge: Identify what external factors distract you and come up with a plan on how to avoid them.

5. Internal Distractions

Internal distractions come from our own internal drives; our thoughts, worries, anxiety, hunger, day dreams etc. If not dealt with, these distractions can lead to bad habits such as procrastination, bad attitude, lack of motivation and eventually not hitting your targets/goals.

Some tips you can adopt to deal with internal distractions are;

• – Always get enough rest.
• – Drink enough water.
• – Eat a balanced diet.
• – Believe in yourself.
• – Replace any negative thoughts with positive ones.
• – Whenever you get anxious, take deep breaths.

Personal Challenge: If you feel like your internal distractions are getting the best of you and negatively impacting your work, don’t be afraid to reach out to a therapist or if you are a student, reach out to your school counsellor. From personal experience, therapy sessions are quite practical and help you get to the root of the problem and fix any issues.

Final Word

Is there a distraction that you struggle with? Let us know in the comment section below.

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.

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.

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

With the current shocking rates of unemployment, more and more young people are turning into entrepreneurship as a full career with most youth even starting a business while still in university. However, despite all the challenges young entrepreneurs face such as raising capital, lack of experience, balancing personal and business life, and lacking mentors, one other major obstacle they face is struggling to be taken seriously in the first place.

Young entrepreneurs are often dismissed by doubtful investors and most times they have to prove their worth more than their older, more experienced counterparts.

Are you a young entrepreneur? Here are a couple of tips on how to be taken more seriously;

Surround Yourself with Successful People

You cannot expect to be taken seriously as a young entrepreneur when the crowd you hang around are ‘jokers’ and people with no vision or goals in life. The saying, “Show me your friend and I’ll tell you what you are” rings true in this situation.

Make sure you hang out with people who:

• Push you to be a better person and not distract you from your goal.
• Have a positive attitude towards life and cheer you on.
• Challenge you by asking the tough questions and giving you a different perspective.
• Listen and are genuinely interested in what you do.
• Have their own vision and goals. Seeing them work has a direct impact on your mindset.
• Are more experienced and can give you advice and direction.

Work on Your Personal Appearance

One of my most thought provoking quotes is, “You never get a second chance to make a great first impression.” Whether you like it or not, investors and influencers in the business world will always judge you based on your personal appearance, intelligence and the first impression you create.

When you are smartly dressed, it boosts your confidence and others treat you with respect even if you are just starting out as a young entrepreneur. Always strive to look your best regardless of the type of business you are in.

You can do this by making your appearance a priority and investing heavily in yourself; invest in a good wardrobe, a good hair stylist/barber and other self-care practices. It is also important to prioritize quality over quantity. You’d rather have 5 good quality handbags for example than have 20 cheap handbags that do not compliment/boost your appearance.

Focus on Building a Good Reputation

You might look at your age and the fact that you are starting out as a disadvantage but on the flip side, it is actually an opportunity to build a great brand from scratch and lay a good foundation for yourself and your business.

Here are some tips on how to do this;

• Always keep your word – Be known for results from the beginning. In fact deliver beyond people’s expectations.
• Know your industry inside out – Read, research, be up to date with current trends in your industry. This way you’ll be able to hold your own when having conversations with the who’s who in your industry.
• Associate and keep close ties with the influencers in your industry, follow them on social media, attend their events. Basically, stay visible.
• Be aunthetic – Present yourself as a serious, authentic entrepreneur who just happens to be young. Also don’t be afraid to be honest about the challenges you are facing.

Final Word

Do you have any more tips for young upcoming entrepreneurs? Feel free to share them in the comment section below.

Have you ever gone to work but deep down wished you had your own business? That is the story of many Kenyan employees, they are employed but most of them hope to be their own boss someday. It takes more work obviously but knowing that all the efforts you put in are towards your own growth and not anyone else’s makes it all worth it.

Sammy Macharia, the 31 year old founder of Soroti Auto Spares, an automobile repair shop, is one such Kenyan. Sammy was previously employed at an insurance company but realized he could be more than just an insurance agent. He had worked closely with mechanics, especially when their clients’ vehicles had been involved in accidents. The insurance company would work hand in hand with the garage of their choice to ensure their client’s vehicles were fixed. Because of this interactions he learnt the ins and outs of operating a garage and figured he could open a garage and do the fixing himself.

“After watching the company oversee vehicles being fixed when I was employed as an insurance agent I fell in love with the art of fixing a car and decided I should open a garage where I fix damaged vehicles among other services such as spray painting, panel beating, normal vehicle servicing among other things.”

Having worked as an insurance agent had its advantages as most of his clients are people he met while on the job while he gets the rest of the clients through referrals which also happens to be his most successful form of marketing.

“Most of my clients are people who have been referred to us by our other clients, meaning you have to do a good job and it will speak for itself,” Sammy said.

Through his garage business, Sammy has not only been able to sustain himself financially but has also employed 16 others at Soroti Auto Care. He urges young people to embrace the blue collar jobs because white collar jobs are flooded and at the end of the day what matters is your ability to take care of yourself as well as your responsibilities. He also challenges them to create their own opportunities instead of waiting and crying out to the government for help when they have the ability to control their own fate.

Sammy adds that the business has impacted him in so many ways. He is able to pay the bills and run the business efficiently and the most important benefit is networking. He has met people who have inspired him and given him a new perspective in life which helps him to push on and want to get better with each passing day.