It all began with being sent by my parents

Everlyne Waithaka and her business partner Mburu Mwaniki run Errands Solutions, which specializes in taking a load off busy people. For a fee, they will run around and reach your targets within a specified time.  

MY BACKGROUND: I have a Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting from the University of Nairobi and my business partner Mburu Mwaniki has a Bachelor of Architectural Technology from Nairobi Institute of Technology

THE IDEA: Being the last born in my family meant that while everyone else got to live their lives, I would be the only one at home who could be sent. I always felt a sense of accomplishment when I finished tasks and everyone marveled at how fast I did it and how well I did it. It was not until I was in my final year of university that I started being sent for a fee by friends and family which in turn led me to the realisation that I was really good at this and it could be worth venturing into. That was the birth of the long-term business aspect coming to play.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT: When I decided to pursue this line of business as my full time job, I decided to take up a job for a cab company so as to get a better understanding of what to expect. This is where I learnt the art of creating a good rapport with clients, how to merge errands and cab business among others and the need for speed and efficiency. I then printed flyers and posted them in malls around Nairobi to create buzz and I used a lot of word of mouth to garner clients. It was slow but it began picking. I also spoke to my close friend who had a startup and he gave me sound advice and pushed me when I felt frustrated and he taught me to be aggressive for the business. This has been a major driving force for me.

RUNNING A STARTUP: It has been nothing short of exciting especially being that it is my passion and meeting new people. There is nothing as rewarding as earning a living from something you enjoy doing. Some of the highlights have been that I am following my passion to help others and to feel like I am changing someone's life, the travel involved, visiting new places and making money is the perfect combination. Also making new friends, the joy on a client's face when you deliver on what you promised in a timely and efficient manner. It breathes new life in me and keeps me going. However the major challenge was getting clients initially because it was hard to create trust between strangers. Also marketing the business has been difficult but through close friends who send business our way we are bridging that gap slowly but surely.

WHERE I AM NOW: The business though still at an early stage, has been good and we haven't experienced losses so that's a good sign that we are moving in the right direction. We are also making the necessary strides to create a weekly and monthly plan for our clients to enable them to organize themselves better and also partnering with companies such as drycleaners to carry out errands for clients who need it.

MY TIP: Never give up. Cliché as it sounds, once you find your passion, run with it and work as hard as you can to achieve it. Never give up on your dreams and be ambitious in the pursuit of excellence.

FACT BOX:                                                                                                                      

LAUNCHED: February 2017

TARGETED TURNOVER: Sh1.6million annually in five years

FACEBOOK: Errands Solutions

TWITTER: @Errandsolution

LOCATION: Buruburu, Nairobi