Young entrepreneurs

Meet the young ladies who are doing it for themselves, they spoke to Matilda Nzioki

Wanjiku Kariuki, 25, a certified wedding planner with Waridi Kenya.

For Wanjiku, the moment she realised she was not cut out for employment, while still an Actuarial Science student at the university, she decided to start an online directory business, which targeted brides and grooms intending to tie the knot in Kenya. The website acts as a wedding source, which features wedding articles, wedding planning tools and downloads.

Believing the saying: put trust in ideas and not in circumstances, she shared the thought with her other two partners and voila! Waridikenya.com was born. But all was not smooth.

"We started on a rough path. We had no business plan, no niche market, no vision and no objectives," says Wanjiku.

So by the time the business was one and a half years old, the three had to let go of their initial wedding and events online directory path, change course and re-invent the business. They then decided to focus on creating wedding planning solutions for couples. Hence, Waridikenya.com was re-invented to be a wedding website.

The three partners put in their savings and investments, struggled with the business and now, things are looking up.

"I think the true test of a business is the initial three to five years. We are in year three and it is great as the revenues have been quite good," says Wanjiku, whose business now works with a team of six when there’s a wedding, four of who are part-time.

The company’s target market is the professional, internet savvy bride and groom, who want a unique and personalised wedding and do not have the time to design, create and co-ordinate it.

Sylvia Kamotho, 24, director, Kinderville Kindergaten

Sylvia has always been interested in entrepreneurship. She first wanted to venture into event organising, but being hawk-eyed in matters business, she spotted another opportunity.

"In Sabaki, between Mlolongo and Athi River, there are many young families, but no schools for their children," she says. That is where she pitched tent, and with her savings from her three-year bank job and help from her husband, she opened a state-of the-art kindergarten.

"All of my classes are carpeted. We buy the kids hand towels and aprons and our playground is manicured. I plan to have my own complex, tailor-made into a kindergarten," says the Business Administration graduate.

Having struggled to market her business, Sylvia has admitted 22 kids in close to a year and employed six people.

Some of her challenges include doubt from parents who think she can’t do it and the fact that kids are very delicate, so she has to be extremely vigilant. If she could do it over again, she would still start a school.

Sheila Wanjiku, 29, owner of Tastefully Refined, an interior dÈcor company

What started as a hobby turned out to be a lifetime venture for Sheila Wanjiku. She offered to give suggestions to her mum when she was doing dÈcor for their house and to her dad while re-doing his office’s interior and the part-time project writer was congratulated by many about the ideas she had put forward and decided to make it a business. She is a former human resource and marketing coordinator and since all she needed was a computer, phone and colour charts to start, she went ahead with the help of her brothers to register the company.

"I advise people on the items to pick — something that will reflect their personality — and I often accompany them for shopping," says Sheila.

She is glad that Kenyans embracing the idea of styling their homes and hopes to get more clients. If she were to venture into another business, she would love to be a wedding planner as it borders on designing.

Vivian Wamalwa, 28, owner of Safari Hunters tour firm

Vivian has always been business-minded and when she won Sh250, 000 from Chora Bizna competition in 2007, it only boosted what she had started and was running with difficulty. She immediately set up a website, which is vital in her trade, and then got three employees.

Vivian is a trained businessperson who saw the profitability of the tourism industry having been employed in a hotel and a travel firm.

"One of my challenges is showing clients that I care about their satisfaction more than the money," she says.

To expand her knowledge and build her networks, she attends trainings both locally and internationally. She was recently in the US for a month’s training and job shadowing on cultural tourism.

"The training was a magic touch as I learnt so much that boosted my business," says the mother of one.

Business was bad after the post-election violence in 2008 and Vivian almost shipped out, but now it has picked up.

Vivian, who studied Information Technology, wants to introduce video safaris as her latest product. On top of acting as memorabilia for the tourists, it will also be a way of marketing Safari Hunters. She also uses other forms of marketing such as emailing her contact list, social networks, as well as the media and brochures.

She campaigns for local tourism via her package, Kenya Utalii, considering that the local market contributes a lot during the low seasons.

Although majority of her clients are from Europe, Vivian operates in the East African region.

The tourism fanatic has employed three drivers, one accountant and an assistant travel consultant. Her drivers double up as guides.

The entrepreneur sometimes subcontracts drivers and guides depending on the bulk of work. She is now looking for an investor to expand her business.

Justine Kasema, 24, make-up, image and Fashion stylist

This young lawyer aspires to be the Kenyan EstÈe Lauder (a co-founder of EstÈe Lauder Companies, a pioneering cosmetics company in the US) and leave a ‘Justine Kasema’ legacy. She was interested in make-up and beauty since she was a small girl. Having been exposed to entrepreneurship as a child (both her parents are self-employed successful business people), Justine decided to start a business. Through referrals from friends, she does make-up for bridal parties and models during photo shoots.

When she was starting out, her then boyfriend was at the UK briefly and he brought her high-end make-up items with which she kicked off her business. Since then, these are the products she has been using. This, however, is her biggest challenge.

"Some clients, not realising the products I use are quality and hence costly, want to spend less," she says.

She plans to create a website for her business and enrol in a make-up course in Spain to boost her expertise.

Sidi, 31 and Victoria Kadzitu, 23, owners of Kadz Zetu, which makes and sells cards

Just like Sheila’s case, the commerce started like a pastime in 2006, when the sisters started doing cards for friends pro bono. The business is called Kadz Zetu, a spin of the family name Kadzitu.

"It was a hobby turned into an innovative way to make money, and being something we enjoyed doing, we poured lots of passion into it," says Victoria.

The older sister, Sidi, funded the initial venture, as she was working. Sidi looked at it as a part time way of making extra cash. Customers come mainly by referrals from previous clients and marketing is by word of mouth. Clients also contact them through the number on the cards.

Sidi is an administrator for a data systems provider firm while Victoria just completed her degree course and the business is fast becoming a full time engagement for her.