I make over 70K every month training people how to make ice pops

Briefly introduce yourself. My name is Beatrice Nyamu and I have a diploma in Mass Communication from the Technical University of Mombasa. I have worked as a journalist and as an admin assistant. I am passionate about learning new skills and I have completed a number of short training courses on how to make icecream, ice pops, yoghurt, shaggy mats, pastry and bakery.

Why did you venture into training others instead of making the products? You see, my background as a journalist has helped me put together well illustrated training manuals and ebooks with various recipes, step by step, and business plans. I love to mentor women and youth from low income and rural areas to realise their potential, be empowered and learn how to make money through skill acquisition. I also love to coach people about success in life, hardwork, discipline and changing mindsets from fear to faith. Besides, I also love mentoring people from employment to self-employment and teach people how to start their own business even with the little money they may have. This is what motivated me to consider training others rather than making the products myself.

Why did you venture out from journalism, seeing as you are already trained? I was laid off from my workplace after Covid and I really needed a means to support my family. I enrolled for an online course on how to make various products while at home like ice cream, ice pops, yogurt, shaggy mats etc. What motivated me to start my business is I realising many people were eager to learn new skills that they could convert to business easily without necessarily going through the traditional schooling and others had capital but they didn't know the kind of business they could set up.

How do you conduct the training programme? I am a full-time trainer. I train people online how to make the products. I have a customer tailored programme which I offer to my clients. Some of my programmes are purely online where I send the training manuals through social media platforms like WhatsApp where I charge Sh200 for the ebook.

In addition, I have face to face programmes that I use to train women and youth groups at Sh500 per person. The training entails how to mix the various ingredients for different flavours of ice popsicles, where to get stabilisers, colours, flavours and sticks. Most of my trainings are organised by religious groups, CBOs and NGOs. I have created several WhatsApp groups to help the trainees interact and share ideas and challenges that they may be facing and how to overcome them.

How much do you make in a good month and which other products do you train in? In a good month, I am able to make between Sh60k to Sh70k. I train also how to make liquid and bar soaps.

Your parting shot? Starting a business isn't easy but it doesn't have to be complicated. At this time, when everything is tight, it is vital to have an additional revenue stream. If you are willing to put in the work, learn new skills and turn the silks into profitable business. That stream of income has a higher chance of coming through for you financially if it is selling products that people can't resist buying.