It
is the dream of everyone to be involved in something profitable. Unfortunately,
it doesn’t happen to many. There are so many youths who are struggling with
life and they don’t know how to stay afloat. There are so many of them who are
interested in starting a business but the challenge is how to raise the capital
that is needed. A few of them don’t know the way out. They can’t raise capital,
they can’t get loan simply because they have no collaterals. It is my belief
that people, especially the youth, can begin small and grow.
I was in such a situation but I kept on thinking what I could do
with capital as little as KES 20,000. I started researching online what I could
get from China. Evidently, I had the mentality that things in China could be
affordable. I would very much encourage the youth to embrace the use of
internet especially to understand how other parts of the world work. There is
quite much we can learn online. I started going through websites in China
because I wanted to see what I could buy there and sell here in Kenya. I was
looking for electronics, unique gadgets and beauty accessories among other
things. I went to alibaba.com and whatever good and interesting I
found, I would put in the favorite folder and then later classify then into
different categories. I then settled on some interesting lady watches which had
long strips that goes round the wrist three times.
After
settling on the watches which were going for $2.1 per piece, I went ahead to
check what would be the way to ship the watches atleast 100 pieces, which was
the sellers minimum order quantity. It then made my mind to ship by air. My
argument was and still is; if the product is low on weight and high in value
and time is of much value, then I should ship by air. The lead time when you
ship by air is about 7 days and by sea is about 35 days. I exactly can’t
remember what was the weight of the small package but I remember I paid KES
3400 for the shipping of the luggage. I then I checked around and I got a reference
of a Kenyan guy in China whom I could pay purchasing fee of 4% of the total
invoice cost or $50, whichever was be higher. So I paid $50 dollar as the
purchasing fee. I gave him the reference of the company I had identified and
wanted him to confirm the company existed. After all was well confirmed, I sent
the money for purchase $210 and added $50 purchases fee for the agent. After
the purchase was done, then agent confirmed the exact count of the watches,
packed, noted the weight and then dropped the package at the shipping agents
office in Guangzhou, China. When you ship by air, you are charged based on
weight as opposed to shipping by sea where you are charged by volume.
After
7 days I was called by the shipping agent in Nairobi to pick my package in their
Nairobi office. The whole cost of 100 watches was KES 24980 already delivered
in Nairobi. That translated to KES about 250 per watch. Well, that is how I got
myself into watch business. Before the watches were shipped, I started
marketing them online on the social media since I had the photos. I was selling
them for KES 750 per watch for wholesale (for 5 pieces minimum) and KES 1000
per pieces. By the time the watches were in Nairobi, I had enough orders to
cover the invested capital. Since I was working in an office in employment, I
was marketing on the social media and I had a casual worker deliver in town for
a fee. For the clients out of Nairobi, I would arrange for courier services for
delivery.
I
strongly believe that anyone can start with as little money as they have and
grow from that. Since then, I have been imported other things too. It is
possible for the young to start import business.
I have always believed we have a
chance to make success of ourselves wherever we happen to be. This true and practical
story brings to light just how much potential we sit on. Be motivated and start
your action now.
If you have a business success story
that you would like to share or you have any business questions you would like
to ask, you can always email me at enthiga@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment