Venturing into uncharted waters can be risky. Most people are comfortable staying in their comfort zone for as long as it takes. Unfamiliar territories can be scary and full of uncertainties especially if the territories are those of entrepreneurship. It’s even harder when you are investing time and money in a new concept that is yet to be tested in the market. You have to be really bold and believe in yourself since there are very few success stories and no mentors to guide you.
This is the story of Nyambura Kinyori, a communications and marketing graduate who took a bold step three years ago and has not looked back since. She founded Picha Booth, a photo booth company that allows you to capture memories in a fun, exciting way. It is a relatively new concept in Kenya and she is set on making it popular.
Picha Booth’s photo booth at work
The beginning was a little rough but Nyambura together with her business partner were able to crack it. The business idea came about when Nyambura and her friend were brainstorming on the kind of business they would go into and by mere chance Nyambura stumbled on the photo booth idea on the internet. She went on and did more research on the idea and voila! They had found their money maker.
There were a few challenges in the beginning in terms of getting capital and buying the booth since from their research they realized it could only be found in the USA at the time and shipping it back was quite expensive. Family and friends came through for them and after a short while they were good to go.
“It has not been easy. Sometimes I wake up and tell myself that maybe I should just look for a job but then I remember all the times that my photo booth has put a smile on someone’s face and I push on. Life is hard enough out there so knowing that I can contribute some level of happiness in people’s lives gives me immense joy,” said Nyambura.
She added that,
“Picha Booth offers three packages all billed per hour; silver, bronze and platinum. The longer you stay with the booth the cheaper it gets. There is also a variety of props available so people can be whoever they like in front of the camera and have fun doing it during the photo session.”
The Kuza team sharing a fun moment at Picha Booth’s photobooth.
Kuza Biashara works with such micro entrepreneurs to empower them through mentorships and training. We believe that if every micro entrepreneur can employ at least one person then we would be headed in the right direction. In that line Nyambura has been able to create employment for three other people an accountant, a technician and a content writer for their digital media platforms. That is what entrepreneurship is all about and Nyambura totally agrees,
‘We are a community I don’t intend to grow alone. If I can make a difference and empower a few people then I am content with that”
Despite some challenges Nyambura has had to become resilient and lean more on her family and friends for support. She is glad that more people are embracing the photo booth concept and with time she would like to be at more events and touch points like malls and churches. Things are definitely looking up for Pichabooth as there has been more demand. They plan in investing in more machines even going into manufacturing booths since they are not locally available
Nyambura urges her fellow entrepreneurs to be patient, persistent and plan ahead if they want to see their efforts bare fruits.
