Kenya is a growing nation and everyone seems to be moving towards making it a 24 hour economy. People are either busy at work or at their business. Many are the times that these people need to run errands but they don’t have the time! What could be better than having someone to run these errands for you?
George Kamau is the founder of HCS Errands, a company that runs a variety of errands for people who may be too busy to run them on their own. This is an idea that was conceived by coincidence. As George was busy looking for a job from office to office and getting little to no response he noticed one thing. In most of these offices he visited he would hear of the receptionist either struggling to get someone on phone to deliver company documents or they would be complaining about delays in the delivery of their documents. It occurred to him that this was it! It was time to try and venture into the world of entrepreneurship. Running errands such as delivering packages among other services would be his entry point.
Services he offers include making deliveries/courier services, data entry services, government online related services, banking services etcetera. This is one of those businesses you can start with very little money or literally zero capital. As George himself puts it, “The most important capital in this business is the idea, a positive attitude and commitment. In terms of money you need transport money which was a challenge for me when starting out since I was jobless and didn’t have money, so I would sometimes have to borrow from friends then refund upon being paid.”
Despite this hiccup in the beginning George has been able to persevere due to his resilient nature. He adds that entrepreneurship has shaped him up and he is happy that he has been able to create opportunities for young Kenyans with the skills. The young CEO is a proud employer to five other people, two stationed in the office and the rest work in the field “The company has really grown from the time when I would do everything by myself to now where I have people to assist me. To be more effective as a businessperson you need a team of people who understand your vision”
The business has not been without challenges. For one George says entrepreneurship is a lonely journey. “You will find that very few people believe in you. Some view this business as that of the illiterate! It’s up to you to believe in yourself. Work with those who support you strive to be the best and you will see that the doubting Thomas’s will get on board eventually”
George adds that in this business one must remember that the client is king. Provide to their level of demand and ensure your services offer them a solution. He attributes his success to God, hard work and being dynamic. Despite all the challenges he faces he is very confident in his business and sees a bright future ahead. He urges the young people who may want to go into entrepreneurship not to be afraid to start, “Don’t let challenges weigh you down you can start with the little that you have. Use the resources that are within you, visit places that mentor young people like Kuza Biashara and be open to learn.”
