My Maths Club business was a passion I started with Sh25,000

Ann Nyakinyua Gathura, the founder and director of Ann’s Math Club, a personalised learning resource that provides practical and innovative mathematics solutions for all ages to learn mathematics both online and offline. Photo | Pool

What you need to know:

Ann Nyakinyua Gathura is the founder and director of Ann’s Math Club, a personalised learning resource that provides practical and innovative mathematics solutions for all ages to learn mathematics both online and offline

I started this venture after I rediscovered my love for mathematics during the 2020 pandemic. Through my parent’s support, I decided to tutor four learners in our home garage. I received very positive feedback from the students and their parents and decided to convert into a business-oriented mathematics club. The club has now grown from four students to a thriving community of over 10,000 math enthusiasts. The club's key focus is on the individual learner, providing a platform for members to connect, learn, and grow their love for mathematics.


When you have been locked up in the house for an entire month, you ask yourself some hard questions. “What is my passion?” “How can I leave an impact?” “How can I make the most out of this pandemic season?” I have a passion for Mathematics. And so I thought, why not start a Maths club?

Initially, I had no revenue model in mind. The key focus was to build a community and then monetise it. The starting capital was spread over the first two months, investing in a whiteboard, lapel microphone, tripod, and stationeries. The total cost was approximately Sh25,000. I run the club on a free model for six months and in the seventh month, I introduced a payment model. Within the first two months of launching the model, we had broken even and exceeded our revenue target by over 200 percent.


We were on a hiatus at work, since our work involved physical training. Since my work was very flexible, I could still work and give the club some time. But gradually I kept on allocating more and more time to the club, and as you guessed it, I now fully work on the Maths club.


Receiving feedback from parents about the students' transformation in attitude and impressive results remains to be our greatest achievement at the club. One highlight moment for the club and also for me was winning the Zuri Awards STEM category in 2022. It was a recognition of our hard work, commitment, and dedication to providing quality services that inspire students to excel in STEM fields.

Looking back, I realise that there were missed opportunities to track the students' progress from the very beginning. Learning from this, we have set up a tracking system which helps not only the learners to see their progress but also for the parents to see the value in what they’ve invested. 


One key money mistake I made was not planning my finances and having a structure on expenditure. I mixed my personal and business expenses, and this made it difficult to account. Now, I get a salary from the business and then add it as a recurring expense for the club.


When the club started to generate revenue, I opened a money market account and started saving an average of 7 to 12 per cent of the profit. Over the years, as the revenue streams grew, I opened a Sacco account, of which I save 10 percent of my salary.


I have learned that success is not just about achieving our own personal goals. It is also about helping others to achieve theirs. By sharing our knowledge, skills, and resources, we can make a positive impact on the world and leave a lasting legacy.