HOW I STARTED MY BUSINESS WITH KSH 1,000 ONLY.

I do not want to be employed now.

I have employed 6 people myself,

I am paying rent and my children are in school.

If I decide to get employed where will these people go to?

I will be failing my country.

My business has a story,

I have come from far,

I started off with KSh 1,000 only

such a little amount,

in fact it was a little less than that amount

it was KSh 950 to be precise.

When I started this business here in Gikomba,

life was difficult at that time ;I mean 

It was tough.

Then a friend came in with an idea,

I started off by selling kids clothes

and here I am today,

remember I only had KSh 950

I never used to afford lunch

I decided to buy kids stuffs worth KSh 900 then the remaining KSh 50 I bought githeri for lunch,

and I started hawking.

I used to move around with a bag

I even think so many people around Nyamakima know me,

and basically in Nairobi city

the business was really picking up well

because God was on my side.

I would buy clothes at KSh 100 each

then sell at KSh 200 each. You see I was making some good money.

My mother would get surprised and say so today you came with some food?

and I said yes.

I continued hawking

but I as time went by I begun loosing interest in it,

the clothes were becoming many, they couldn't fit in a bag,

I had like 40 pieces,

so I thought I should get a specific place where I would sell from.

Because the person who introduces me into this business was a hawker,

I used to feel shy

and embarrassed

because of what people would say when they see me hawking.

But he told me to stop being stupid

and showed me a specific place to sell my stuffs from,

each time I would spare a nice outfit from the collection I was selling.

I was thinking of getting a stall then start with those outfits. I was sparing

then I made it a habit and would keep aside 2-3 outfits.

I still had no idea if I would get a stall

but I kept the faith,

with time I had 3 sacks of clothes.

I was lucky to get a stall near Old Nation

and my business was up and running

no one could even believe I was just a hawker.

You can't believe the amount of money I spend on this stall,

how much was it?

Goodwill was KSh 600,000

plus the stock I had roughly KSh 900,000

Everything has been moving on well

and I still have hopes that I will go far,

my advice for the youth is accept your situation,

there's business

pair up with someone who understands the game,

that person will be able to help you

your father might be having a lot of wealth and you think he was born with it,

he worked hard for it

and he begun from something small

an example is the owner of this building

before I was given this stall

the goodwill was too high

close to KSh 2 million,

but after I narrated my story to him, he reduced the amount

he listened to me,

but if I would have shied away I wouldn't have managed.

My advise to people waiting to be employed in offices,

is that maybe your time is not yet ripe to get employed,

don't allow yourself to just sit there doing nothing

there's nothing as bad as wasting away and taking drugs,

try out something small and eventually you will see the results

you will no longer be interested in being employed instead you will be the employer

I was a hustler myself,

but right now if one or two of my employees fails to turn up for work I am forced to look for another one.

I can't look for employment now

how possible will you even employ me yet myself I have employed 6 people,

I pay rent, I feed my children

if I get employed, where will these people go to?

I will be failing my country,

I can't depend on employment,

I just want to rise and employ more people in future.

I know God will surely bless me,

I love my job so much.

https://youtu.be/SI816xgH4kU