I just received this article as written by PETER ANGWENYI OTUABE on WEALTH CREATION ASSIGNMENT. I must say he did very. Read it and tell me what marks he deserves. When this assignment was mentioned in class, this person’s name immediately came to mind. I know him personally and his journey. For purposes of this assignment I decided to talk to him in a candid way with a fresh outlook/viewpoint. We are about the same age and about 7 years ago I believe we were at the same place (we walked the same paths, talked to the same people i.e. similar interactions but certainly not the same vision or attitudes.) To me he is an epitome of action. A perfect example of what perspiration, persistence, perseverance and dedication can amount to. Above all believing in God and in the talents, skills and abilities He has bestowed upon me. Everyone can make it but those who do are those who choose to. I met Eric Kinoti in 2005 while working at the Coast. Since then one constant I have observed in his life has been determination. He has attempted several initiatives and when one didn’t work out, he never gave up. He always got himself up and started again. In the course of time I have seen him selling eggs, CDs…you name it while at the same time pursuing groups with business/investment ideas. At the end of 2007, he quit his job as a cashier and moved to Nairobi. Coincidentally i also moved to the city. True to his nature and spirit he started supplying milk to various city hotels. After some time that venture didn’t work out so he went out and started looking for tenders to supply institutions with stationary, computers and its accessories. While on this pursuit he received a request to supply a tent. Though this was not the business he was in, he made enquiries and ensured that he serviced the order. And with that he got his eureka moment because the profit he realized was handsome. With that he took all his savings amounting to less than Kshs 60,000/= and went ahead to register his first company Shade Systems thus beginning his journey on wealth creation and entrepreneurship. Meanwhile I was still strategizing, planning, waiting for the right time, enough capital, best idea etc anything but taking action. Shade Systems has been in existence for the past six years and it is the leading supplier of tents, car parking shades, gazebos and any other shade solutions. From outsourcing technicians and “fundis” it now employs its own. Shade Systems has more than 50 employees. It has grown from a small office on Kipande Road to having its own workshop in Industrial Area. Its current turnover stands at over Kshs 200 million per annum servicing clients not only in the country but across the region. He has gone ahead to form two other companies i.e. Safi Sana Home Services and Bag Base Kenya Ltd which are also competitive in their sectors. I sat down with Kinoti- that’s how I have addressed him ever since I knew him in his office to discuss specifically on this issue of wealth creation his experience and vision. In the next 5-10 years he is looking at expanding and developing Shade Systems into a strong global brand. While he acknowledges the fulfillment of entrepreneurship especially that he is able to create jobs the journey has not been without challenges. His lowest was when his assets were auctioned because of a business loan. Not to despair he soldiered on. Some of the best moments include recognition from various organizations. Just to name a few, the Top 40 under 40 in 2012 by Nation Media Group, Forbes Africa Magazine 2014- Top 30 under 30 Most Promising Entrepreneurs among others. He has been featured by several media groups in both print and electronic, locally and regionally. He derives satisfaction from the new challenges and experiences that come his way each day. As most entrepreneurs the urge to be independent and do your own thing is the inspiration behind him going into business and he gets his drive from not wanting to go back to where he was a few years ago. Also the desire for exploiting most if not all opportunities that come his way and constant improvement. This however has called for a lot of sacrifices in terms of forgoing personal comforts in order to plough back profits into the business. A lot of the mistakes could have been avoided though if he had a mentor which he advises budding entrepreneurs. He looks up to S.K. Macharia of Royal Media as a role model business man. Some of the attributes that he considers as necessary for success include hard work; there is no short cut to success! Short cuts are not sustainable in the long term. You also need a vision and knowledge of current affairs. He works for at least 10 hours each day starting at 4:00 am. He gets to the office by 5:30 am and leaves at 2:30 pm. The rest of the afternoon is spent networking. Reading and networking ensures that he generates new ideas therefore not getting into a comfort zone and going obsolete. Incubation of new ideas/concepts takes about three months at which time the viability is of a new product would have been determined and a decision taken whether to proceed or discard the idea. His caring persona is what motivates him in terms of looking for solutions and thus giving birth to his entrepreneurial spirit. This has given birth to three more companies also in the wisdom of diversifying i.e. not putting all your eggs in one basket. In order for him to achieve his goals he is ready to give his time plus forgo personal comfort. The fear of failure keeps him on his toes. He is insistent on the need for being consistent and specialising in one field and being passionate about what one does. Through his social media pages he motivates, advices and inspires novice entrepreneurs like yours truly and the youth in general. I am impressed by the way he shares his experiences and insights on entrepreneurship and business in general more so honestly. The lessons I have gathered include having and maintaining the right mind set and never compromising in my quest for success,” a success mindset is more important than business acumen.” Kinoti says. One of his mantras has really captured me which emphasizes action. ”Dream Big, Start Small, Start Now.” I have first hand evidence of the difference action makes in our lives. The ball is now in my court. I have started my journey and coupled with the knowledge acquired from the Centonomy 101 course I believe I will go far.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 14:51:43 +0000
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