How new career gambles during Covid-19 paid off

As the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc, shutting down workplaces and businesses, some switched careers and their gamble seems to have paid off, seven months later. 

In Kikuyu town, about 20.5 kilometres from Nairobi, Bedad Mwangi, 39, is busy arranging timber to make a bed a client has ordered.

The father of one would not, in his wildest dreams, have envisioned himself as a carpenter.

“Before Covid-19, I used to be a videographer,” he says in a soft voice. He recalls that the pandemic disrupted events he was scheduled to cover. And as his revenue stream dried up, Mr Mwangi knew he had to look for alternatives.

“Our best option was to move away from Nairobi because my family fully depends on me,” Mwangi recalls about the decision to move from Nairobi with his wife and daughter in August.

He rented a house in Kikuyu town. On visits to his parents’ home, Mwangi says he met this carpenter who was doing some work for them and they hit it off.

That interaction would mark his transition from videography to carpentry.  And with that, the rise of a start-up -- Mara Oak Studio, a workshop that is now a month-and-a-half old, in his home town.

“Dan Oti is such an influence and I absorbed a lot from him.  Things like sawing, sanding and furnishing,” he says.

Biggest challenges

He started off with $2,000.

“The biggest challenge when starting off is the cost of equipment. Renting space to work from at a place you are sure the noise from the machines does not offend your neighbours is also tricky.”

He has perfected his carpentry skills on YouTube tutorials and Google searches.

“When you have a supportive wife with a little girl looking up to you as the man of the house, you will do anything to provide for them.”

Mwangi says he loves his new venture because he believes good quality furniture makes a difference in a person’s life. “An average person sits on a sofa for four hours a day.”

According to the World Economic Forum, from individuals producing and selling face masks and shields, to local taxi start-ups turning into grocery delivery companies, the nature of innovation is often incremental but, at the same time, essential for survival and adapting to our “new normal”.

“The market response has been very good and we get referrals from friends and people close to us.”

Mwangi now has a team of three he has employed. “I met a guy at Industrial Area who had just received his redundancy letter due to the pandemic. We work with him now and I learn a lot.”

The company makes tables, kitchen cabinets and wood work.

“I am hungrier for success now than I would have been if Covid-19 hadn’t happened,” a beaming Mwangi declares. “There’s an immediate return on investment in Jua Kali (the informal sector) and a good profit margin.”

He, however acknowledges, challenges in acquiring raw materials. “Gikomba (the largest open-air market in Kenya) has very good mahogany and teak, but the distance and transport cost is overwhelming.”

Finding good carpenters is also a challenge because they have their personal projects and they may not meet deadlines.

Dada Ride

Kenya’s newest family- and women-friendly taxi app, Dada Ride, started in June, three months after the first Covid-19 case in Kenya.

At the firm’s office on the fourth floor of Krishna Centre in Westlands, CEO Levina Ocholla, 28, recounts how the pandemic presented an opportunity.

“With Covid-19 infections on the rise, public transport became a bit scary for many, especially women and children. We wanted to provide an alternative,” Ocholla explains.

The fleet only has women drivers. The firm also serves special groups such as those with disabilities and the elderly.

Ocholla says: “We also have male clients, but our niche is women.

 “You can fully trust our service to pick your children from school in case you are stuck in traffic or at the office.”

Ocholla, a Communications graduate with a specialisation in Public Relations from Daystar University, explains that the coronavirus outbreak hastened plans to launch the business.

“We see an opportunity to provide alternative means of transport that is safe and will help reduce human contact, hence the spread of coronavirus,” she says.

The firm hired 100 drivers and will soon embark on a strategy that will see them going head-to-head with the big boys in the ride-hailing services.

“We have a vast number of drivers in Nairobi within operating hours already and soon we will venture into a boda boda service and deliveries.”

There are a number of requirements for one to qualify to be part of the Dada Ride family. One has to download the app from Google Play store, submit all documents as prompted by the app, one must be a Kenyan adult aged 20 and above, with a clean driving record, a Kenyan ID, Kenyan driving licence, PSV licence, police clearance certificate and National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) sticker and badge.

The CEO cites the current curfew and stiff competition from key industry players as challenges.

“I believe that in this business, it does not really matter whether you are a woman or a man, so long as you have vision and strategy.” 

Dada Ride is currently not charging its drivers any commission, which means all the money they make is theirs. “We want them to sustain themselves and navigate this pandemic with ease,” says Ogolla.

Entrepreneurship

For John Kagochi, a banker, the work-from-home decree imposed by Covid-19 stirred the entrepreneur in him. Kagochi, 28, explored how he could cash in on his hobby -- cooking.

“The pandemic affected my financial situation and I had to look at other income streams.”

“I had toyed with the idea of starting a business, went as far as delivering breakfast snacks to colleagues but finding the time to do it was always an issue,” explains the man from Kinoo. 

“As a bachelor with a great appreciation for food, and coming from a family of great cooks, I had to learn to cook exceptionally well. I derive a lot of joy in making a variety of delicacies that people enjoy.”

Kagochiz Specialz is a home-based food delivery service offering a variety of healthy foods, which include pastries, baked chicken, pork and pizzas.

For now it is a one-man operation. “I am the head-chef, the marketer and accountant.” 

Starting was easy for him. “I already had most of the capital intensive equipment like a fridge, an oven, a microwave as well as cutlery and other kitchen equipment.”

He then needed to buy inventory and packaging material, as well as find professionals offering delivery services at an affordable rate. “I used $100 from my personal savings to start,” he says.

First, he researched on what he would need and then got different suppliers, before drawing up a list that determined where he could get the best prices without compromising quality.

Like any other start-up, Kagochiz Specialz has experienced its fair share of challenges. The CEO says developing an operational model that works well for customers is not a walk in the park. He initially asked all his customers to place orders a day before so that the courier service could deliver all the meals at once.

“It was not working for the customers.”

He learnt that majority of his customers prefer placing orders at their own convenience and he had to switch to what they prefer. The second hurdle Mr Kagochi had to clear was getting a good courier that would offer the flexibility that his customers wanted while not overcharging.

“I am still looking for a better solution for this.”

He acknowledges that he has had to learn a lot. He has taken Google digital marketing classes, reads extensively on brand development, financial accounting and now social media marketing.

“There is a lot of knowledge being shared on different social platforms on how to navigate these times and ensure that one’s business grows and I have greatly benefited from it.”