Sometimes, it is the little things you do that change your life. For Audrey Oyier, the decision to follow her passion (she says she loves cooking) marked an important turning point in her life. Her profile changed from that of a club girl to one of a futuristic entrepreneur.
Kuza Biashara’s blogger caught up with her and managed to ask her all the hard questions about how she joined the world of entrepreneurship. She tearfully narrated her humble beginnings but at the end we concluded the session in smiles as she shared her future business’ plans with us. Enjoy the interview.
KB: Tell us about your humble beginnings?
AO: I am Audrey Oyier 30yrs single mum and a hard worker. After finishing high school, I worked as a waiter and cashier but with the rising cost of living, I felt I needed to look for better pay.
One of my cousins introduced me to road-show marketing. At the same time I took some dancing lessons and this gave me an edge in that industry. However, I have since left that career and I’m currently running my own small business.
KB: Tell us more about your turning point and how you started considering self-employment as a way to make ends meet
AO: In all these jobs I was always expected to sell products and convince customers to adopt new technologies. However, my family was suffering because all the projects required a lot of travel. Sometimes I would travel for up to 8 months and leave my one and only son with family members.
I felt this was not the way to bring him up and so I decided to look for a job closer home. I could not easily find a decent job and so I ended up working at a club as a DJ and MC. More often than not, I got arrested by police for being in town at odd hours because I had to come out of my workplace at night to board a matatu back home. At that point, I felt like I had hit a wall.
KB: Quite a challenge, so how did you finally end up doing what you do best i.e. cooking?
AO: After quitting my job at the club my cash flow was badly disrupted so I approached a lady with a small shop in South B estate and requested her if I could make Chapatis and Samosas for her to sell. However, before the joint venture could take off, the business was already choking under the weight of debt and intense competition.
People would buy my products but they would not pay back in time. I gave up and closed the business and went back to working in clubs and roadshows but this time in Nairobi and its environs. Still I wasn’t happy because something inside me kept on telling me that business was the best way to go if I wanted to rescue myself from a life of dependency.
KB: So how did you make a come-back? Did you get a light bulb moment?
AO: Actually my light bulb moment came from a very unlikely situation. I was just about to fall prey to an internet marketing scam which was promising me that I would make thousands of shillings from my bedroom.
Then something came to me and I thought, why not integrate the same idea of internet marketing but this time for a good cause? That’s when I decided to revive my old business but this time with a new approach to marketing. I’m a great cook and entertainer so I decided to focus on just that. (Meet Audrey On Facebook).
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- Audrey Oyier, the entrepreneur behind an upcoming samosa supply business.
KB:How Much Did You Require To Get Started? How Did You Raise The Capital?
AO: Despite all those years of working in clubs and roadshows, I still had to borrow starting capital from my family. I managed to collect about Ksh30,000 which I used to buy kitchen items, flour and oil.
I knew that in order to make it in the highly competitive industry I had to brand myself in a unique way. So I put in lot’s of effort and innovation. I even decided to do office deliveries for clients just to gain a competitive edge. To be honest I encountered a lot of criticism.
Like there was this one lady who kept telling me that I was doing zero work, she was partly right, but I did not listen to her. I kept on fighting on. To this end, business is awesome, I’m very strict with my finances and I have approached new markets that comprise of people who appreciate my products. I have regular customers who place orders in advance and I am currently a successful samosa snack delivery business.
KB: How You Market?
AO: I mainly market through social media but I also hand out my fliers whenever I deliver to a client’s office in town. That way, I keep expanding my business. I also target office receptionists to help me with word-of-mouth marketing. So far so good.
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- Some unfinished products from Audrey's production plant.
KB: Some words of advice for other entrepreneurs out there?
AO: First, know your market and then think of a way to brand yourself so that you can stand out from the pack. Like in my case, I decided to prepare my chapatti snacks in a different way (thanks to my catering skills) and I also decided to do office deliveries something that very few caterers are willing to do. But the bottom line is that you need to always ensure your products are of the best quality possible so that you get repeat customers.
KB: So what does the future look like for your business?
AO: In the next one year or so I plan to acquire a delivery van, a bigger kitchen and a freezer. I am still trying hard to overcome cash-flow challenges but with time (and with a little support) I am sure I’ll achieve my dream. Most importantly, I look forward to creating more job opportunities for hardworking youth.
KB: Our youth keep saying that there are no jobs, what advice would you give them?
AO: I would like to tell the youth that they don’t have to think too hard to get the right business idea. Most of the time, the talent you’re sitting on could be your best business idea. So look within you, do a bit of research, find a differentiating factor and START.
KB: Your parting shot
AO: Kuza Biashara is doing an exemplary job. Thank you for promoting the entrepreneurial culture in this part of the world. Keep up the good work and thank you for covering my success story.
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