Thorough background checks can make or break a business

Victoria Mulwa, founder and CEO Arope Group, a security solutions firm. [Awuor Odongo, Standard] River Road is perhaps one of the most notorious areas within the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD). It's a beehive of business activities both legal and illegal and was notorious for forgeries of official documents. As the employment landscape remains highly dependent on academic paper trails, those who've not had the privilege or opportunity to gain academic qualifications sometimes resort to falsifying fake documentation. While that is just an example, counterfeit today runs deeper than we care to admit, from individual acquisition to corporate certifications. Victoria Mulwa says that the field of background security checks is an emerging and lucrative industry that saw her leave a plum banking job to pursue it. Ms Mulwa is the founder and CEO of Arope Group, a security solutions company. She started a business to help individuals and organisations with their screening needs. Mulwa tells Enterprise how she built the business and why it matters. Emerging industry The first antidote to any successful business is defining your market space. This is where you sell your product or service and sometimes both. The screening industry is a budding marketplace where tapping at the right time with the right tools may translate into a thriving business. It is simply because now more than ever, Kenya is at high risk of deceit as a number of individuals continue to find treacherous means of survival. "There's a lot of forgeries; employees are forging documents, and many degree certificates are made in River Road. People purport to have worked in companies they've never worked in to prove that they have the experience you're looking for," she says. Besides this, there is also a dynamic in crime rate where criminals are getting smarter day after day, and with cyber security on the rise, there's a lot to be done in the screening industry to ensure the protection of victimised individuals and businesses. Unlimited types of screening According to Mulwa, an identity check is the beginning of background security checks. "An identity check is not just about the identity number, there's the image of that person, there's the fingerprints which a screening forensic expert uses to match the individual you are looking at," she says. Besides this, there are also the previous employment checks done with the former employers where they confirm how well one worked, or when terminated then what was the reason for that. The other check is a reference check where a potential employer, through a screening company, confirms your CV details with the included referees. "When adding referees, ensure you put people known to you, we have cases where individuals add in big names to please the employer but when we reach out to those referees they've no idea who this person is," cautions Mulwa. With that said, once you get into business, your potential is a limitless prospect from the various aspects of security checks that you can serve your clients with. Everyone needs security Background checks become a necessity for both individuals and businesses. It starts in our homes when one needs to bring in a domestic worker to assist with household responsibilities. We've seen or heard of cases where nannies mistreat children in the absence of a parent, we've also heard of house helps who run away with household items. In both cases, it's probable that the employer never cared much about conducting a background check of the person they brought to their house, and that posed a danger to the family. Businesses as well need screening especially when bringing in a service, doing a merger or any other collaboration with other businesses. "You have to do due diligence to know that you are dealing with legal businesses that are legally registered." "You also want to ascertain the real owners of properties you want to buy, like when you're buying a house or a car," says Mulwa. It therefore means that the screening industry is multifaceted and therefore when getting into it as an entrepreneur, you need to offer professional versatility as well. What you need to flourish in the screening business Mulwa believes that the key to any successful business is passion, and without it, one cannot even make baby steps. Secondly, to meet the requirements and thresholds required, you have to be registered with the Private Security Regulatory Authority. This will give you guidance on how to survive the industry. Beyond that, of course, you need to be equipped with the knowledge and expertise on how to do certifications. Finance Determining finance requires you to understand the business model you intend to pursue. All other factors will help estimate the rough or exact amount you need to start. For instance, starting as the only employee working from home or virtually would require less capital than bringing in a workforce and renting a business space. "Investment required for starting a background security check company varies because space, human capital, experts, licenses (local and international), association memberships, and equipment needed for screening, among other things need to be factored in. But at the least, you may need Sh500, 000," says Ms Mulwa.

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