No money, yes business!

BY COLLINS KARIUKI

Starting a business is hard work. Running the business is even tougher. Anyone who has tried knows that establishing a successful business often requires a solid strategy and huge sums of capital. But have you considered taking your business online? That might be your best option if you are looking to diversify your income streams. This week, we sounded out three entrepreneurs who are running profitable businesses purely online.

Bwari Ondima, 22
Industrial chemist

Bwari chortles as she recalls some of the mistakes she made in her first year of running a business online.

“If you own a business when you are still young and with minimal responsibilities, you’ll just spend the money as soon as it comes. When starting out, I was living with my parents so I didn’t have rent to pay or any major responsibilities. I spent my profits on whatever I liked,” the 22-year-old says.

“However, at the beginning of this year, I did some calculations and realised that if I had saved all the money I made from my business, I would be having a six-figure amount in my account. That was a moment of awakening for me. Did I really use all that money to eat out and go on vacations?”

Bwari is the founder and owner of The Turban Co, an online company that makes and sells head wraps, satin bonnets,pillow cases and scrunchies, African print scarves and multipurpose cover ups which can be worn both indoors and outdoors. She was motivated to start the business after staying for long without any source of income.

“In early 2020, I was recovering from toxic epidermal necrolysis and had side effects such as peeling of the skin, especially on my scalp, so I had to shave my hair. Many thought I had dandruff or that my hair was dirty, yet it was just that my skin peeling off. To avoid explaining myself all the time, I decided to cover my head,” she explains.

“The head wraps were noticed and loved by many, and my friends started asking me to teach them how to tie the head scarves. During that time, it occurred to me that in addition to teaching them how to tie head wraps, I could provide the scarves. I bought 10 of them and tried selling, but I got discouraged because I wasn’t making sales as quickly as I wanted. I abandoned that project and focused on my studies, until the pandemic struck,” she says.

At around March, when several coronavirus restrictions were in place, Bwari went back to the drawing board and decided to give the business her full energy and attention. To start with, she came up with a name for her business, made a logo for it, revamped the company’s Instagram page and came up with an organised way of putting up the posts. Initially, she focused on head wraps, Ankara prints and bold coloured clothes. She then told her friends about the business and asked them to follow her page.

After some research, she concluded that satin bonnets were an asset, as many people were staying at home and they therefore needed proper head gear to sleep in. She consulted Pinterest to get ideas, then she created her first designs which her mother sewed.

In the beginning, her head wraps weren’t getting much attention, but things improved as the months went by. She engaged influencers as well as Instagram’s paid promotions to reach a wider audience. After the satin bonnets, she began making satin pillowcases for those who didn’t like bonnets, hair accessories such as squashies and African print scarves for the July cold. All this, she says, was possible only because she understood the market and the gaps in it.

“My role is to come up with designs for the products, and then my tailor makes them. I had to employ a tailor since my mother couldn’t handle large orders. I also source for the materials, do the marketing and make some deliveries. Most times, I model my head wraps on Instagram, but sometimes my friends help me out. I receive orders through my WhatsApp business line or through the company’s Instagram page @the_turban.co, then I make the products and have them delivered.”

Bwari says that running a business online requires consistency.
‘Even when you experience slow months, you must keep updating your page, otherwise clients will think the business no longer exists and you may lose followers. Invest in a content calendar to guide your posts. Also, learn how to manage your finances accordingly,” she advises.

Dredan Njau, 21
Student, Kenyatta University

Dredan is the founder and owner of an online shoe store which markets and sells its products through the Instagram handle @soles_4ur_souls. The store offers a wide variety of footwear for all ages, and gives customers the chance to make requests for shoes they may have seen elsewhere.

“Although the coronavirus pandemic has negatively affected the lives of many, I am grateful because staying at home gave me an opportunity to reflect on my life and restructure it. Were it not for the pandemic, I don’t think I would have started this business,” he explains.

“After schools were closed last year, I had so much free time. After a while, I grew uncomfortable about sitting at home just eating and watching movies. I wanted to do something meaningful, so I sat down and put down all business ideas I had and all jobs I could pursue. My list included growing and selling mushrooms, farming chia seeds and approaching a mid-sized company and requesting a job as a social media manager,” he says.

Dredan found the idea of getting into agribusiness quite demanding and costly to start, and he didn’t have enough resources to become a digital marketer. He decided to create a footwear business thanks to the influence of his friend who had a large collection of shoes. Being a young person, he understood how his age mates revered quality shoes and believed that he could tap into that business.

“Importing shoes can be costly because you have to buy them in bulk. I approached an individual who imports shoes and negotiated a deal that allowed me to get good quality products at wholesale price, without buying in bulk. This helps me avoid having dead stock,” he says.

After securing a deal with shoe importers, the next step was getting a market for the products.

“I came up with a marketing plan which I intended to improve on. Initially, I did my advertisements on my WhatsApp status and got my first client – a friend in Ruiru. At the time, I knew very little about how to run a business online. I delivered the shoes myself and later realised that I had made a loss because I hadn’t factored in the transport costs. However, I was excited as I had gained a customer who was happy with my product. That was enough to keep me going,” he says.

Dredan has since modified his business model to make it more profitable. She does her marketing majorly on WhatsApp and word-of mouth-referrals. Once an order is placed on his Instagram page or through WhatsApp, the customer has the option of picking the item up in Nairobi CBD at no extra charges or to have the shoes delivered at an agreed price. The client is also at liberty to pay before or after the delivery. 

“Even though I am still in school, I don’t intend to abandon the business. I run it online, and that allows me to work from wherever I am and still go to school. It just requires a little planning. My parents have been very supportive and my mother sometimes helps me make deliveries to save on costs.

The greatest lesson I’ve learnt is that getting money from my clients is not as important as earning their loyalty. If you offer good products or services, the clients will always return and they may even tell more people about your business.”

Irene Muthee, 21
Student, Strathmore University

Aged just 21, Irene Muthee seems to have mastered the online business model.

Her business, Renette Beauty, is a cosmetics and personal care online store which manufactures, sells and locally distributes beauty products. Marketing and selling of their products is done solely on Instagram through the handle @renette.beauty.

“I have always been business oriented so when I discovered my love for cosmetics, I knew I had found my side hustle. I started as a freelance makeup artist before venturing into selling the beauty products. I had toyed with the idea for some time, but I never believed I could do it. It took the encouragement of my family and friends to give it a try,” she explains. 

“Surprisingly, when I was starting, I didn’t have any stock. I just set up an Instagram page and began advertising the samples. Luckily, I got my first order from an Instagram influencer who was kind enough to tag my page and also give us a nice review. This proved tremendously helpful as it proved that I was a genuine entrepreneur,” she explains.

To reach a wider audience, Irene greatly relied on influencer marketing and Instagram ads. However, she considers word of mouth the best marketing method. To help with deliveries, Irene has partnered with Delhi Shelves – a pickup station in Nairobi where business owners rent a shelf and clients have the option of either collecting the orders or having them delivered at a fee.

“Contrary to what many think, owning a business while still in school doesn’t have to affect your education. In fact, it affords you an opportunity to put into practice what you have learnt in class. I spend about three hours only every week on the business. Because I am practicing what I learn in class, I have become more enthusiastic about my studies,” she says.

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