Start-up Tips

Do you think of your business as a side hustle? Do you call it that way? If so, how do you feel, deep down, about the appellation?To me, side hustle brings forth feelings of hardship, hopelessness, a bit of shame and a tinge of despair. If you are like me, remove ‘side hustle’ from your vocabulary immediately! Such emotions can …

Are you feeling confused, frustrated and stunned that, despite your best efforts your goal looks like a moving target? You seem to move one step ahead and two steps backwards? I’ve been in a similar situation several times in my journey. With time I’ve come to identify the three simple reasons that could be holding you on the spot and …

Several years ago when I was a pre-teen, I decided to take a touch typing course. I admired those secretaries who could typeset very fast. I wanted to learn that skill. Touch typing wasn’t easy. Your seat had to be at the appropriate height so that you can position your hands on the keyboard without slouching or straining your wrists. …

Have you heard of Dr Savai Kemeni Lihanda? He is one of the most educated Kenyans with five degrees in theology, law, education, philosophy and arts; plus a few diplomas. In Kibera where he’s lived for decades, he is fondly referred to as Mr. President, probably because of his failed attempt at the presidency in 2002. Dr Lihanda leads a …

Who do you go to when you need advice on how to run your business? Especially when it comes to money matters? Your best friend? Your parents? Your siblings? The watchman? The kind of people some of us turn to for advice when we feel stuck is absolutely mind boggling! The people we get advice from are key to our …

When I got into network marketing a few years ago, we used to get weekly training on sales and marketing. One of the exercises we often did was to make cold phone calls. For many new entrepreneurs, making a phone call is so hard. Where do you start from? Who do you call? What do you tell them? What if …

  The idea of creating many revenue streams used to overwhelm me. Just the idea! I mean, I was already struggling to get one business off the ground and someone talks of setting up multiple businesses? Imagine! I’ve since realised that the concept isn’t that complicated. It’s just about looking at ways of making money from various aspects of your …

When the Sacco of which Mary was a member purchased plots for its adherents, Mary approached individually the ones who had no immediate plans of building or selling; and convinced them to lease their plots to her. Some of her friends had ventured successfully into agribusiness and she wanted to try her luck too. After struggling to sell her products …

They have fire in the belly and the courage to go after their dreams and fight hard to achieve them. Yet a good number of the entrepreneurs I come across, the ones whose businesses are in the initial stages, are a shy lot! They believe that they can start and grow their ventures successfully without ever taking the front seat …

Recently I got a call from Bertha* who had recently released her DM (domestic manager) Faith*. In actual facts Faith had resigned since she left employment without notice, and when Bertha called her Faith pretended that her mother was sick. Now Faith had reported Bertha to KUDHEIHA, accusing her of underpaying her and overworking her for 3 years. True to …