The life of a small business owner is one that is run on an environment akin to a pressure cooker. There are usually so many dynamics and in most cases all happen at once. Aside from running a business, you are also responsible for your employees, your customers, your suppliers, your family and also your … Continue reading YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS YOU IN TOP MENTAL FORM
The success of your product in the market will greatly be determined by the packaging it comes in. Yes. Just that physical container. There is nothing that cries out “unprofessional” than seeing someone giving absolutely no thought to packaging. Small businesses need to appreciate that investing in packaging isn’t necessarily wasting money. Some interesting numbers … Continue reading Spare a Thought for Packaging
I grew up in a community that gave premium to size, small size that is. We used to say “Kanini Kaseo” small is good. Nowadays that is a classic oxymoron. People shifted focus to the big, the mighty. We have grown to detest and despise the small ones. We have forgotten that even the big … Continue reading Making the Case for the Small Business
One day I asked one of the most inspiring Kenyan entrepreneurs I know what she thought makes it hard to succeed in businesses in Kenya. We do business at all accosts and that is not good, she told me. Now that is deep and confounding. Some branch of entrepreneurship advocates for you to do all … Continue reading Doing Business at All Cost Will Cost You Your Business
While one half of entrepreneurs are faced with a problem of accessing loans, the other is faced with trying to find an easy way of preventing them from drowning in debt. The Kenyan market is awash with so much easy money now offered via all manner of channels. With so much on offer it is … Continue reading How to Dig Yourself out of the Debt Hole
Success in business as in all other areas of life is usually a journey and not a static point. However, there will be good indications that your business is succeeding. You will experience positive customer numbers, sales volumes and revenues and even profits. As an entrepreneur, apart from experiencing heightened levels of independence you will … Continue reading When Success is a Danger to the Business
How is important customer service to you? Funny how everyone of us demands the best possible service yet we hardly offer the same to those whom we serve. There are many dimensions in which your biz can meet and even exceed customer expectations. Every business should aspire to get there. I often like to challenge … Continue reading Customer Service 101: How To Improve Yours
I should start by commending the president for this bold Big 4 Agenda especially the part of Manufucturing. It holds a place that is very dear in my heart. To remind him though, we have been here before done that and failed. Upon independence, we set up the Kenya Industrial Estates, ICDC etc. to see … Continue reading The Big 4: Breathing Life to the Manufacturing Agenda
It was always going to be difficult to write on this especially with the recent news and happening around the country. In a country where there are newspaper adverts to join the cartels why would one really work in building a business around tendering? But it can be done. It has to be done. World … Continue reading Tenderpreneurship: How to Play it Clean
I was recently talking to a friend who couldn’t understand why I limit my farming venture by use of drip irrigation when I have the possibility to use fallow irrigation and have much more produce. It’s a tricky question because here we are choosing between the immediate returns and the long run possible lack … Continue reading Does Sustainability Matter in Your Business?
Startup Kenya 