Lady Entrepreneur Magazine - Issue 1

Contents 01 | Publisher’s Note 02 | Reflections Tips and Trends

02 | Essentials for your home office 02 | Insight 02 | Technology

Publisher’s Note

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Lady Entrepreneur.

This is a publication whose main thrust is the philosophy of mentorship for empowerment. Our aim is to bring together women to one place where they can network, interact and share experiences. Our passion is to help women release their potential so that they can have real impact and leverage their God given talents in order to maximize opportunities in Life and in Business.

As you take a literary journey through this first issue we hope that you will find inspiration from the women and businesses we have featured. Meet the entrepreneur, Liza Mucheru-Wisner as she shares with us her story about her experience alongside Donald Trump in The Apprentice and how she balances business and family. Find inspiration in Daisy Waimiri’s story of how she got started in micro finance lending to empower the community. Read about the world most recognized and trusted financial investment advisor and her journey towards personal and financial freedom.

We also have features to help you get started finding your mentor and motivating your team to get going on their 2011 goals.

Delve into our fiction piece on the adventures of working girl extraordinaire. If your interest in to get started in E-business learn about the unique model that drives Zetu limited.

We have packaged out content to ensure that you learn, get motivated but most of all be inspired to have the courage to make that first step. We also look forward to you participating in our bi-monthly interactive forums.

We hope that you will enjoy Lady Entrepreneur’s first issue.

All the best and Be Inspired.

Grow

Business Skills

02 | From the Shelf 02 | Focus on Business 02 | You: The Brand

01 | Leadership 02 | From the corner 02 | Momprenuer

Features

02 | The Entrepreneur 02 | Social-preneur 02 | Be Inspired

Unwind

02 | Stand out 02 | Fiction 02 | Health and Fitness

The Team PUBLISHER Janet Kibuthu janet@kenyanlady-entrepreneur.biz CONSULTING EDITOR Mwikali Matata CREATIVE DIRECTION Brand Spark Email: clientservice@brandspark.co.ke www.brandspark.co.ke

IT - Julius Migwi PHOTOGRAPHY Pixel8: Janet Adongo, janetadongo@gmail.com CONTRIBUTORS Wairimu Kamau, Gilbert N’gan’ga, Christine Muinde, Angela Maina.

For more information, to send your feedback and if you are interested in being a contributor Email: info@kenyanlady-entrepreneur.biz.

For more resources visit our website: www.kenyanlady-entrepreneur.biz All rights reserved.

Always carry an organizer with you for your meetings so you can always see your schedule.

Essentials for your home office

I

From the Shelf

f you are planning to set up a home office here as some home office essentials to ensure you have everything you need within reach.

O

ne of the best ways to learn and sharpen your entrepreneur skill is to stock up your library with reading material and books on successful and failed business leaders. Self made entrepreneurs who have been down in the trenches of a start up have gained experiences you can learn and apply. Most of these entrepreneurs collaborate with writers to communicate key principles and business lessons. Bo Burligham is one such writer. He is the Editor at large for Inc. Magazine a position he decided on

Make sure your stationery is within reach. Use a stationery holder that can fit things you need every ten minutes.

Keep a calendar and daily planner on top of your desk for easy reference.

Don’t forget a nice comfortable chair with adequate back support. You will be spending a lot of time in your chair so make sure it provides enough support and comfort to avoid aches and pains.

Every home office needs a work space.

Somewhere you can sit and put together your thoughts away from the noise.

Don’t forget you need a bin for all your office trash. Clean out your desk at least once a month to avoid clutter.

P

e o p l e starting out in business tend to seek step-by-step formulas or specific rules for success, but in reality there are no magic bullets.

Rather, says veteran company-builder Norm Brodsky, there’s a mentality that helps street-smart entrepreneurs solve problems and pursue opportunities as they arise. He calls it “the knack,” and it has made all the difference to the eight successful start-ups of his career.

Among the morsels of business wisdom you will find here: • Numbers run a business. If you don’t know how to read them, you’re flying blind.— Start tracking them by hand as soon as you launch your business.

• A sale isn’t a sale until you collect.—A receivable is like a loan. Make sure your

in order to pursue his writing. His writing collaborations include two books with Jack Stack, the co-founder and CEO of Springfield Remanufacturing Corp. and the pioneer of open-book management and another book, The Great Game of Business.

In his book Small Giants, Bo Burlingham takes us deep inside fourteen remarkable privately held companies, in widely varying industries, that have chosen to march to their own drummer. He searches for the magic ingredients that give these companies their unique “mojo” and the lessons we can learn from them.

These companies have chosen to be different by applying different principles to their thinking about business strategy instead of focusing on profit margins, growth and expansion strategies. They would rather create a great place to work for their employees or to be experts in what they do. Not all entrepreneurs want to grow large corporations and this book explores this phenomenon by analysing these specific companies. Size and growth rate aside, these small giants share some very interesting characteristics. They are all utterly determined to be the best at what they do. Most have been recognized for excellence by independent bodies inside and outside their industries. All

customers are credit-worthy.

• When your short-term liabilities exceed your short-term assets, you’re bankrupt.— Keep track of how much you’re going to collect and spend in the next twelve months.

• Forget about shortcuts. Run a business as if it’s forever.—In the long run, your shortcuts will prove to be detours on the road to achieving your goals.

• Cash is hard to get and easy to spend.— Make it before you spend it.

• You have no friends in business, only associates.—You can laugh and cry with your employees, but neither you nor they should forget that it’s a business relationship.

• Gross margin is the most important number on the income statement.—Don’t make the mistake of focusing on the top line.

• Identify your true competitors, and treat them with respect.—Their opinion of you will play a critical role in determining your reputation.

• Culture drives a company.—The boss’s most important job is to define and enforce

have had the opportunity to raise a lot of capital, grow very fast, do mergers and acquisitions, expand geographically, and generally follow the well-worn route of other successful companies.

To capture some of the reviews made on the book; • “Some of America’s best and brightest companies have operated in relative obscurity—until now. Meet a group of CEOs who are thriving and happy. Bo Burlingham, one of the country’s foremost business journalists, has uncovered their secret to business success and personal fulfillment.’

Jack Stack, President and CEO of SRC Holdings Corp. and author of The Great Game of Business •“I was asked to review this book and read every word, looking for a catchy reviewer’s phrase, a sales hook. I couldn’t find it. Instead, I was blown away from page one. I found myself engaged by new ideas and countless take-home plays as well as thinking about different strategies and directions I can use in my organizations.

I have never read a book with more reallife right-on experiences than this.” John Koten, editor-in-chief, Inc. and Fast Company magazines.

it.

• The life plan has to come before the business plan.—You need to figure out where you want to go before deciding how to get there.

Brodsky and Burlingham prove that street smarts and business acumen can be within any entrepreneur’s reach.

Some of the reviews this book has received; • The world does not need another book on starting a business. Fact: The world does need The Knack. One is tempted to say ‘the only book you’ll need on starting a business.’ Brilliant! Genius! Choose your superlative—it’ll fit.”

—Tom Peters • “Wise and wisecracking... exactly the kind of advice up-and-coming entrepreneurs need.”

—Chip Conley, Founder and CEO, Joie de Vivre Hospitality

If you want to avoid rookie mistakes and apply street smart strategies as you set up and run your business, then you have something to learn from this book.

(Source: www.smallgiants.com, www.theknack.info)

Insight

Post a double-digit profit in 2011

T

he aftershocks of the recession have ended. The banks have relaxed their rigid lending policies and the word “frugal” has dissipated from people’s vocabulary. With this in mind, this is the year to grow take your business to a new height.

Review previous performance This process will enlighten you on the areas of your business you need to focus on in order to grow it. Have informal client interactions for feedback on anything from the logo to the secretary. Have them provide in-put into how they view your various company processes and procedures.

Ask them how they think you can serve them better. Do the same with your employees to find out what customers are telling them.

Ask what challenges they have encountered in executing their daily functions. Involve them in the process, provided you in-put on what they think should be done to help them work more efficiently. That way they have a sense of ownership on the strategic business direction.

Have an expert review various key aspects of your business. For example a finance expert should help you put together financial planning, management and reporting mechanisms for your business if you don’t have them in place. Last but not least talk to your employees about how they feel about working for your organization. Are there any specific challenges they are facing that the company can look into resolving?

Are there ways they feel the company can make them feel more appreciated such as by offering them training? Do they feel need the company to support them financially more than it already is?

Many employees will leave their job if they are getting extra benefits that will impact

their lives and families such as access to medical care or study loans. For the time you have invested in your key employees make sure they are satisfied enough to offer maximum benefit to the company to avoid high turnover. Include team building sessions into your plan. Ask them how they feel the team synergy can be improved.

Business planning Set goals for each of your departments that contribute to the overall business strategy for the year. This process should involve all the department heads once you have brainstormed on the overall direction of the business. They are also your ambassadors to the rest of the team who they have to get involved in the day to day execution and implementation. Your business goals should be accompanied by clear execution strategies and success indicators. Spend time studying trends in your industry in various economies and pick up ideas for implementation within this market.

Put together a strategic business plan every year. This process allows you to evaluate previous performance and learn from your previous mistakes and victories.

It also allows you the opportunity to always know when to say yes or no to a business opportunity. If you don’t have an execution team, bring in consultants you can partner with and work out a working relationship that is worth everyone’s time and involvement.

Sales and Marketing Strategy Put together sales and marketing strategies for your business. If you plan to increase client contact in your top tier clientele spell out clearly how you will manage your direct selling strategies and what other methods you will put in place to support that.

There are various tools that help sell a

business. Your business cards, website, banners, company profile are just to name a few. These need to clearly sell your key attributes, strengths and services clearly.

They define your company’s personality in the customers mind.

Tech Shop

Technology

RIM BlackBerry Presenter

Have clear guidelines for client time management. Who are your most important clients and how do you plan on improving your company’s relationship with them?

Current clients are a walking advertisement.

They can make or break your business by communicating their experience with you to everyone in their network. A happy client will give you maximum referrals. But you have to earn the right for referrals. If you discover particular clients that have given you referrals, make it worth their while by also giving something back.

As you may have noticed, micro/mini projectors from manufacturers such as 3M, Microvision and others will soon be available for a variety of devices – the iPhone included. But why settle for such units’ often inferior display performance when pitching an important client? Thankfully, this handy 3.4-inch x 2.4-inch boxlike accessory, designed for use with BlackBerry smartphones, costs $199 (Ksh16,119). Simply attach it to a projector or monitor and you can use Blutetooth connectivity to display Microsoft PowerPoint 2003 and 2007 slides straight from your handset. Presenters have the option to pause images as they lecture, set slides to automatically swap at prearranged intervals and even enjoy the benefit of accurate reproductions of most visual and animated effects.

Corporate Image Review the branding of your company in line with current trends in the market and find out what impression your brand makes the target consumers’ minds. Align the brand to scream professionalism and trust.

What image does your logo convey? What does your company profile and website say about you to the people you interact with?

Have a corporate image review to ensure you are sending the right message and branding yourself wisely to make maximum impact in the market.

Go hard or Go home An amazing thing happens when you know where you are going and how to get there.

There is a sense of urgency, commitment and purpose to everything that you do. The trick you have to learn is how to keep that momentum going through-out the year.

You must device reward and motivation strategies to ensure your employees are sticking to the plan. Have regular review sessions that will allow you to make tweaks to the plan and make sure nothing is falling by the way side. Make a commitment in writing that is measurable with a clear indication of how every team member is to benefit for implementing and executing their role in the overall strategy.

Have regular briefings from clients especially those who are core to your business to ask them how they feel about your new work plan and ask them if they have any input. This not only builds trust but you also permeate the heart of your customer because they will know you revere them beyond just the business they bring you.

Keeping up with technology is a necessity in any business. It’s like watching the marketplace for opportunity. Know what are the latest trends in technology is as they can give a business a competitive edge if chosen right.

Google Nexus One Despite some lukewarm press as of late, Google’s Nexus One smartphone – a speedy, intuitive handset that offers slick speech recognition capabilities, five customizable home screens and animated backgrounds – remains a tech industry darling. Not only does the Nexus One represent the search giant’s first expansion into hardware and e-commerce (the devices are sold direct to consumers online for $530 [Ksh42,930]).

It also seamlessly integrates with most Google software services, makes Internet access paramount and threatens to free shoppers from wireless carriers’ service contract stranglehold. The device still remains among the most iconic consumer electronics launched in 2010.

Increasingly powerful smartphones continue to push towards becoming laptop replacements, and serve as to influence professionals to use a greater number of functions that reside in the Internet cloud.

Also the Nexus one speaks to the fact that this is Google’s year to shine, with all sorts of gizmos powered by the Android operating system, those that feature YouTube widgets and Internet-connected devices (which should only hope grow Google’s online search market share) about to flood distribution channels.

The laptop mouse evolves The makers of the Swiftpoint Mouse claim that this device, small enough to fit under your thumb, will change the way you use your laptop forever. In essence, it’s a miniature laptop mouse for when you don’t want to rely on your touchpad to navigate the screen.

Touchpads are bad, according to Swiftpoint – they’re awkward to use and less accurate than a mouse.

Not everyone will agree with this. After all, the millions of people who bought the iPhone and the iPad seem pretty convinced of the benefits of touch-based technology, and touch screens are cropping up everywhere from airports to restaurants.

But if you’re old-school and you like the feel of an ergonomically crafted piece of plastic under your fingertips, this wireless device could be for you. Inventor Grant Odgers stumbled upon the idea eight years ago after getting frustrated with the touchpad, and years of research later, the Swiftpoint Mouse was born.

For such a small creature, its battery life is impressive. A charge of 90 minutes via a USB port will see you through two to four weeks of “normal” use. (Source: www.digitaltrends.com) www. growthbusiness.co.uk)

You: The Brand

Focus on Business

Turning Social Media into Cash Ronald Okumu CEO Zetu Kenya Ltd is changing the traditional face of sales and marketing through his e-business What inspired or motivated you to start an online business?

We knew there was a business opportunity here in Kenya due to the increasing vibrancy in the technological sector and unprecedented growth in e-commerce.

Also no one can disclaim the fact that Kenyans love a good deal.

Give us a brief introduction to your online business?

Our business is based on a principle called ‘group buying’. It operates under economies of scale where a group of consumers come together to capitalize on the group size in exchange for discounts.

Group buying is driven by the Internet through advanced secure e-commerce technologies making it easy, convenient and quick. By going to our website www.zetu. co.ke, consumers sign up as subscribers and we communicate a deal daily on local restaurants, hotels, spas, vacation spots, clothing stores and many more. www.zetu.co.ke enables consumers to gain access to incredible deals at affordable rates.

How does the deal of the day work?

The deal is set in motion under the assumption that a minimum number of people will go for it. The retailer offers a percentage off the normal selling price in order to gain access to potential customers and sales as a result of the deal. There is no cost of entry charged to the retailer and the only fee we charge is a percentage of the sales actually converted. In return the retailer gets risk-free advertising and a sales and promotional tool. This is effective for increasing market share and brand awareness.

How do you ensure you get conversion?

Zetu leverages on the power of social media to promote products and services to its subscribers. We offer support to businesses through social media campaigns including Facebook, twitter, email and SMS. Traditional media is no longer regarded as efficient as digital media since target markets have become progressively younger and tech-savvy.

What has been the market response so far?

Zetu’s phenomenal growth is based on the simple strategy of viral marketing. The number of messages that friends and family forward to one another on social media platforms such as Facebook are numerous.

In our first month of operation we had close to 1000 subscribers all keen to know what the daily deal was each morning. Our database has since grown to over 18,000 subscribers.

What does the future hold for Zetu?

We are very confident in our product and we intend to expand to the larger cities in Kenya in the next few months and to the rest of the Eastern Africa region within the next 18 -24 months.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Invest time and effort into improving on the business before you go to market.

Work towards building a system that can is self sustaining. Put together a strong and competent team. Most importantly have the faith that regardless of the challenges you face things will work out.

The Power of Image and Personal Appearance

What are some of the challenges you had to overcome?

One of the challenges of course has been through the introduction of a new product to the market. We have taken time to educate people about the service and how it works. Other challenges have to do with system functionality specifically mobile money processing with delays or down times with MPESA, Yucash or Zap. What is the most exciting deal you have ever had?

According to our subscribers, these include a movie deal with fox theatres where subscribers got an unbelievable 80% off. Also the Steers deal where can buy a whole meal at half the price.

D Zetu Kenya Ltd Kimathi House, 4th Floor T: 020 2 100 712 www.zetu.co.ke

id you know that what you wear determines the perception your colleagues and clients make about you and your business?

The everyday effort into how the business looks from how the files are organized, what the employees are wearing, and general cleanliness plays a part in the overall performance of the business. Each time a new client comes through the office door there is a certain mental picture they create. This first impression will determine how much business they do with you and if they will refer anybody else.

Peter Ishkhans, the host of Peter Perfect – a show that airs in DSTV’s Style Network,

believes that for a business to succeed it has to have the right image. When he walks into a dying or failing business, he quickly decides what image would maximize potential of the business and its owner and makes it a reality.. His motto is “Change you image change your life”. After this double-edge makeover, the businesses turn around and start picking up.

Picture a typical day to work and you have worn an outfit that wins you many compliments from your male colleagues and you get a self esteem rush. That is until you enter the lift at lunch time and a woman walks in and her facial expression is a cross between disdain and disbelief after

“Change your image.

Change your life”

checking out your outfit. Needless to say, we live in a world where what you wear is as important as your professional skills and capability. Your choice in style of clothing communicates before you say a word. So make sure what you wear in a business setting communicates only the positive attributes.

Choose a style that is comfortable for the season whether hot or cold. For instance, open toe shoes may be more appropriate during the hot season. Avoid fashion fads when choosing appropriate styles for the office. Avoid too high stilettos as these heighten a sexy image and appeal.

Put into consideration the corporate culture of your office or industry. They are creative industries that give more leeway to your look and style while others like banking are very stringent. Still, consider what the expectations of the clients you interact with day to day.

If you want to add a power edge to your business attire add hosiery. Women who wear hose are perceived to have more authority and credibility. Nothing too sexy just sheer coloured stockings or panty hose.

Avoid laced patterns and styles for the office. The least thing you need is clients or co-workers leering at you for the wrong reasons.

Another fact to consider is that your employees will follow your lead. If you always look clean, polished and impeccable, they will put an effort into how they look as well. The key thing is to have a style you can manage, that will build your image and ensuring that the whole package works. Not just how you look but also how you carry yourself and how you communicate your ideas. Here are some tips on how you can change your style to ensure that you exude a professional image.

Jewellery Go for styles that are elegant and classy like pearl earrings or studs. Avoid dangling earrings and chunky bangles – save these for the weekends. They tend to distract people especially when you need them to really listen to what you are saying.

Handbags It was a general rule that you should match the colour of hand bag and shoes.

You can use popping colours to add an edge to your outfit such as red for shoes and handbags. However, be careful not to choose something too loud instead go for modest styles. When you enter a client’s office avoid placing your bag on the table as it becomes an object for discussion or distraction.

Shoes Just think about it, even when you are admiring a well dressed person part of what you look at are the shoes they are wearing.

This is sort of a deal maker or breaker. Put some effort into your shoe collection and ensure you always look the part. Closed toe shoes have always been a popular choice worn with the appropriate colour or sheer pantyhose. Choose to buy shoes that are comfortable to wear and walk in all day.

Hosiery

“No matter what happens in any given moment, at the end of the day I go home knowing how happy I am just being me,”

Nails There is no excuse for nails that are not manicured. Keep a manicure set at home which you can use to repolish your finger nails each week. Keep your toes trimmed and polished. Make sure as a general rule you always lotion your feet to avoid ashy feet if you choose to wear open heeled shoes. They are not a pretty sight.

Make-Up Use understated make-up that matches your outfit and look for the day. Make sure its complementary and not a topic of discussion after leaving a meeting.

Hair Unless you are a fashion designer blue or pink hair doesn’t cut it. Even then if you are making a pitch to potential investors you must give them the ability to take you seriously. Be careful with your choice of hair. When you look in the mirror ask yourself what your hair says about you. Ask your family and friends.

The secret of it all lies in the finishing.

When you view a house for the first time what attracts you at first before looking at anything else is the finishing. Manicured nails, kempt hair and polished clean shoes.

Coco Channel, one of the pioneering fashion designers, said that when accessorising always take off the last thing you put on.

Finally, have a good shopping buddy and make them your own personal image consultant. She or he should have a good sense of style and knows what looks good on you and can help you when you are shopping.

A passion for Children and Technology Ms Mucheru-Wisner is the CEO and Founder of Texas Techies and the first Kenyan to make it into the 10th season of the Apprentice.

She shares with us her unique story of being mentored by Donald trump.

A

t the time Liza Mucheru-Wisner was picked as one of the sixteen contestants to take part in Donald Trump’s The Apprentice, she was already running a successful business for three years although it took a major hit from the recession. As a result she had to lay off some of her employees and even put some of her plans on hold.

As one of the three final contestants of the show’s tenth season, Ms Mucheru-Wisner is using her new found fame to spread the word on education technology. Ms Mucheru-Wisner’s passion for technology and education comes from her own positive educational experiences and as a result of the surprising progress she observed in her own two sons as they discovered technology at different stages of development.

Texas Techies Texas Techies was born in the kitchen as she prepared a meal for her family. The company would provide at-risk children with an advanced technology curriculum that helps them to develop into engaged global citizens and assets to their families and communities. “I want to be an inspiration to young children everywhere and give them an opportunity to play with grand ideas and come up with creations that can change the world,” she says.

The children of today are being raised in a world of iPads, smart-phones, video games, and the internet. For parents, the bottom line is to build within their children a love for learning that will last a lifetime.

Each learning experience Ms Mucheru-Wisner has created for children is a balance that combines colour, music, animation, and technology with instruction. It is the new way to help children learn and have fun as they do so. She holds the view that it is important for children to have access to technology so that their learning becomes more self-directed and engaging and that is the ultimate goal of the Texas Techies; Encouraging children to become independent and passionate learners.

Ms Mucheru-Wisner recently came back to Kenya where she received support from government officials. She visited schools and homes and saw firsthand the need that exists for technology-integrated education.

As a result she has now is now set to launch her ICT for Children initiative in Kenya. Her vision is to take Texas Techies model global through an expansion program known as P.O.W.E.R UP (Providing Opportunities Where Everyone Rises Up).

“I will be in even a better position to champion my cause. I have been working on expanding the business to make it a globally recognised advocacy organisation for technology and education,” she says.

The Beginning Ms Mucheru-Wisner is an experienced golfer.

She learned how to play golf at a very young age from her late father John Mucheru who was a golfing legend as he captured 11 Kenyan National Championships before his death in 1996.

It is her skill with the golf clubs that got her a golf scholarship to Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi in 1999. Before then, she had captured medallist honour at numerous tournaments and had represented Kenya international tournaments as well.

She played for the university’s women’s Golf Team from 1999-2003 and was fourth alltime in school history with 27 tournaments played and nine top-10 finishes.

At the university after completing her MBA, she rose to be the Associate Director of the ELITE graduate student retention program at the university which is a graduate program that provides advanced support and technology services for students pursuing graduate studies.

Life at home As a full-time Associate Director at ELITE Graduate Program, running her business, Texas Techies, life is a circus. However, she still has time for people who matter most in

her life; husband Denis and her two sons – Zaleik (four-year old) and Zamar (two-year old).

“I fell in love with my husband 8 years ago. It was definitely love at first sight!

In our 6 years of marriage, I have learned that staying in love is another thing all together,” she says.

The Wisner household has learnt to appreciate small things like having a weekly detailed chores list on the refrigerator that make a world of difference. The delegation of house chores like washing dishes helps one partner to sit after dinner and enjoy a bit of TV. Being a techie family, the Wisner family use an online family calendar to schedule their busy lives. “I can’t even tell you how many arguments Google calendar has saved,” she says.

You’re fired!

Going into The Apprentice as a contestant, Ms Mucheru-Wisner had the chance to become an apprentice to Donald Trump, Chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization, and a US-based real-estate developer. The winning contestant would have the opportunity to work for Mr. Trump as the president of one of his companies for at least one year with an annual salary of $250,000.

From her first weeks on the show Ms Mucheru-Wisner had nothing but trouble coming after her. She was the only Black female on the show and of African descent.

It is that same passion to play golf that was her saving grace and landed her some one on one time with Donald Trump and a special place in his heart.

However, much as she fought in the dreaded boardroom; she was finally fired when she was in the final three. However, Mr Trump told her that “There are no losers, you did a fantastic job.”

Being part of one of the most popular reality shows in the world, Ms Mucheru-Wisner got to show people who she was and what she believed in.

“No matter what happens in any given moment, at the end of the day I go home knowing how happy I am just being me,” she says.

Ms Mucheru-Wisner discovered what she wanted early in life founding Texas Techies gave her the chance to work with what she loves most. When she has a mountain of unappealing projects coming up, she tries to find something about them that speaks to her heart and everything just seems to fall into place after having found the passion.

The future After Ms Mucheru-Wisner finished filming, she went back to Texas Techies and her full-time job as associate director at the ELITE graduate at the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Liza Mucheru-Wisner’s passion is to work through Texas Techies to identify and empower these young minds and ensure that every child has access to the tools and technologies that will help them become assets to their families and communities.

“I have decided to embark on a program to expand my business internationally through an organization I am setting up by the name P.O.W.E.R. UP (Providing Opportunities Where Everyone Rises Up). I am working on a roll out plan for this new organization to be agreed with partners, donors and sponsors,” she says.

Power Up, modelled after Texas Techies creates unique, technology-rich learning environments that inspire children to embrace their individual potential and engage with the fast-moving world around them. The goal is to continue developing educational programs and curriculum that integrate technology, and find ways to connect more children with the tools that will inspire them to develop into engaged global citizens.

There is an unspoken expectation that today’s child must be prepared for the high-tech world of tomorrow. Despite the widespread availability of technology and connectivity, many children who come from disadvantaged areas and technologically-disengaged home environments are at risk of being left behind. Having access to learning tools is critical to the development of children and their future contribution to a global society.

As she goes around giving her speeches, Ms Mucheru-Wisner says that her only mistake to “underestimate the person that I am. The number of fans and accolades I have received from everywhere has taught me to speak up and make my voice heard because many people are interested in me and what I have to tell them. I can touch and inspire a lot of people including those I admire.” By Mwikali Matata.

an intense travel schedule and long hours.

Disappointed at not being able to keep up her stellar performance, she threw in the towel and resigned to start her own business but still kept the fire burning for her desire was to work in advocacy. As a result she quickly got bored when she realized she did not have the satisfaction she was seeking from her business.

Social-preneur

She decided to volunteer her skill set at a local Micro finance Institution. As she continued working there she became angered by the blatant exploitation of the poor. She equates it to giving a credit card to a poor person. Once you put together all the hidden charges and interest it ends up eating into their capital. The fees charged on loans and the interest rates ranged from 24% to 55% which was too high for anyone living below the poverty line.

Financial access through micro lending

O

ne morning on her way to work, Daisy Waimiri’s house help asked her whether she could have a loan and she did not have the money. A couple of days later the caretaker at her residence stopped her and asked her if he could borrow Ksh6,000. That same week a watchman at her work place asked whether she could lend him the money to attend a driving course. This gave her an idea and she introduced to them to the idea of creating a revolving fund that she refers to as table banking.

In her career climbing heyday Ms Waimiri was a highflyer with excellent performance reviews and all signs indicated she was going places. That was until when she fell pregnant with her second child. Suddenly, she became very sickly and incapable of keeping up with the demands of her corporate job that required

She also wanted to create dignified ways of empowering the community not just ape the other micro finance institutions.

Ms Waimiri undertook training in Micro Finance management which led her to the realization that there was need to create a platform that would transform lives and at the same time remain self sustainable in the long term. She also wanted to create dignified ways of empowering the community not just ape the other micro finance institutions.

She registered Maono as a trust to ensure the continuity of whatever programs she would develop and implement. Maono mainly raises money through donor funding and well wishers. She also has two fund raising methods aimed at getting regular Kenyans involved in ending the cycle of poverty. You can choose to adopt a group and provide lending to them or you can participate in Club 1000 where you pledge to give a thousand shillings for one year.

Club 1000 so far has about 22 members.

A success story She was introduced to ten street women whom she met and spoke to about the efforts of Maono Trust and how they could benefit from a revolving fund but only five of them agreed to join. One of the women in the group would go to the market each day sell a pumpkin and only make fifty shillings profit which was not enough to take a matatu home. She took care of ten of her grand children as all her six children had passed away and each day, one of the children would walk to town pick up the fifty shillings profit made for the day, and then walk back home to feed the rest of their siblings.

The group formed in November 2010 and Maono Trust lent each of them seven thousand shillings to get started on their business. A condition to the loan, each woman had to save Ksh20 every week to create their own “bank” and today they have built up their saving capacity to save up to Ksh200 a week.

Through this process, they have realized that the greatest enemy in fighting poverty lies in the mind. According to Ms. Waimiri most poor people have been brought up to think of themselves as second class citizens. They have to be empowered to think of themselves differently, build their confidence and self worth.

They are now rehabilitated, no longer living on the streets, and still running their businesses.

“I learnt from them that the best philosophy to have in life is that of a wood pecker eventually the consistency and discipline in pecking will bring down a tree,” she says.

Other than the group loan product, they have a product called Nanny-Guard named after its target group who face high job insecurity. The product is aimed at individual lending through the employers where they set aside a certain amount of money in savings each month and the house helps or guards can borrow loans up to twice the amount in savings.

How it works?

Maono Trust’s main focus is on the people at the bottom of the pyramid without financial access because they lack economic viability.

Maono Trust operates under group lending and encourages saving at regular intervals in order to create a growing revolving fund which is a source of lending to the members. Maono Trust does not keep any of the money from the groups and instead facilitates long term lending as necessary.

It is each group’s responsibility to ensure that individual member loans are paid back and profit sharing is done at the end the year.

Each group of fifteen to thirty one members has to be formalized and registered with the Ministry of Home Affairs. It also must have structures in place such as a constitution, treasurer, chairperson and governing rules and regulations. Since inception in August 2010, Maono Trust has grown to a membership of 40 groups spread in slum areas including kawangware, Mathare, Kibera, Korogoco, Mukuru, and Transami and they also have groups in Embu.

Maono Trust adds value to the groups by building capacity through business skill and group dynamics training. A field officer attends every group meeting to keep track of how each is performing. Where necessary, they also provide financial management resources and training to the groups.

As a way to end the poverty cycle and generational poverty, Maono Trust has created an educational program targeted at the families with children in the groups.

They encourage them to bring their children who have completed high school education to participate in internships in order to open up their minds to the possibilities of a different type of lifestyle.

Looking to the future Maono Trust aims to spread its wings into rural Kenya. She describes the concept of business in the village as being very different. Maono rises up to the challenge by going one step further where they scout for opportunity and then convince the groups to go into an economically viable business. They connect them with all the producers, suppliers, and buyers that will help them set up a self sustaining business.

Their target is to get to two hundred groups this year in order for them to be self sustaining. The long term goal is to go to every part of Kenya by 2012 and then spread their wings through-out eastern Africa.

Ms Waimiri’s passion is to go to Rwanda and Burundi where she has witnessed the effects of abject poverty.

“Our model aims to encourage self sustenance and development. We tell every group that we want them to grow them to be the lenders in their community and empower others. When a group proves to be self sustaining we will empower them to go and keep the process going. I never realized that this would turn out to be a full time job until I took a class in church called Mizizi and discovered my life’s purpose.

It is a wonderful reason to get up in the morning. Each time I get discouraged all I have to do is think about how the lives of my street women have changed in such a short time.”

For more information, please email daisy@maono. co.ke

Be Inspired

Orman was devastated and angry, but the experience gave her an idea: She could do at least as well as the broker who’d lost her money. So, rather than give up, she applied for a job as a broker at Merrill Lynch. “It was an all-male office except for female secretaries. The manager told me when he interviewed me that he thought women belonged ‘barefoot and pregnant,’ and that in his opinion, I would be out of there in six months,” Orman says. But six months at the $1,500 (Ksh121,500) monthly salary he offered was equivalent to almost two years of waitressing. She realized she would come out ahead even if she lasted only six months.

Turning failure into success

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uze Orman is one of the world’s most influential people in personal finance. However, the fame and fortune Orman has earned during more than two decades are not what she expected from life. Following a modest childhood, a relatively normal college experience and a seven-year stint as a waitress, Orman’s life was forever changed the day she applied to be a broker for Merrill Lynch. The event that led her to that brokerage firm was something many people can relate to—a crushing financial loss in the stock market.

Learning the Hard Way Orman, who earned $400 (Ksh32,400) a month as a waitress, had a dream to open her own restaurant. While working at the Buttercup Bakery in Berkeley, Calif., Orman befriended many regular customers.

One day, she mentioned her dream to a longtime customer named Fred Hasbrook.

She told Hasbrook she’d asked her parents for a $20,000 (Ksh1.62m) loan to start a restaurant, only to be reminded that though they would do anything they could for their

financial advisor there would like to give a seminar to their employees who were going to retire. Nobody wanted to do it,” she says. “Word had gotten out that it was a waste of time. Advisors would go give a seminar, spend all this time and nobody ever retired from PG&E, so they never made any money.”

grew, she picked out a location for her restaurant and began working on building plans with an architect. She also watched the stock market and began learning all she could by reading The Wall Street Journal.

After three months of increases, the markets soured. Orman says she had told her broker upfront that she only earned $400 (Ksh32,400) a month and could not afford to lose the money—but that’s what happened. She lost everything.

daughter, they simply didn’t have that kind of money to loan. Hasbrook spoke with several other regular customers. Before leaving, he went up to the counter and handed Orman a personal check for $2,000 (Ksh162,000). Orman was shocked to see that Hasbrook and several other customers had written checks and commitments totaling $50,000 (Ksh4.05m). Along with the handful of checks was a note that read: “This is for people like you, so that your dreams can come true. To be paid back in 10 years, if you can, with no interest.”

Unsure of what to do with that much money, Orman took Hasbrook’s advice to invest it in a money-market account with Merrill Lynch.

A waitress with a degree in social work, Orman knew nothing about investing at this point—her personal checks were prone to bounce. So when she visited the brokerage firm’s Oakland office and the broker agreed to invest it for her—better yet to help her “make a quick $100 (Ksh8,100) a week”— she signed a blank form that allowed him to handle her money.

At first, things went well. As her investment

In the months and years that followed, Orman took that opportunity and created an extraordinary life. She paid back the people who loaned money to make her dream come true, not knowing how that act of generosity would eventually impact millions of people’s lives. Despite the ups and downs she has experienced, she says, “I do not have any regrets. Everything happens for the best. Every ‘no’ leads you closer to the ‘yes’ you were meant to have.”

Through failure and success, Orman learned much about herself and, of course, about money. She has helped shape the way America views female financial advisors, and has influenced the way millions of people—particularly women—save and invest. And through her life’s journey, Orman has discovered and applied three principles that shaped her course: Find your niche and become an expert; do the work; like who you are and what you do.

Become an Expert Orman says she acquired a thirst for learning. She devoted her time to studying for the stockbroker’s Series 7 exam and learning how to excel in her new career.

Once she’d passed that hurdle, Orman found a niche that served her clients well.

“I started to specialize in an investment

called single premium whole life,” Orman says. “I loved it!” She describes the product as a legal tax loophole that allowed people to invest with minimal risk and high returns.

Then one day, while listening to a radio talk show on KGO in San Francisco, she heard another financial expert answering callers’ questions about single premium whole life. “He was answering them 100 percent wrong. I was outraged,” Orman says.

She wrote a scathing three-page letter to the show’s host, Jim Jorgensen, outlining the points the guest advisor had explained incorrectly. A short time later she got a call from Jorgensen who invited her to come on the show and explain the product. “The next Saturday I went down there and did a show.

After that, my phone started to ring off the hook,” Orman says. Other radio shows and TV shows requested that she come on as a guest expert. “Everybody all of a sudden wanted me on their show, because at that time, I was the only one who had mastered how this investment truly worked. It was one of the greatest investments around.”

Do the Work—the Results Will Follow Like other financial advisors, Orman had to be versed in a wide range of investment options and products, but she worked at becoming an expert in particular areas of focus. This strategy served her well when she conducted retirement seminars.

“Pacific Gas and Electric came to Merrill Lynch’s Oakland office and asked if any

Undaunted, Orman agreed to give the seminar. She studied the organization’s retirement plan and put together a small booklet explaining it to give to each attendee. “It was a tremendous success.

And, of course, nobody retired. But I didn’t care because I had a really great time doing it,” she says. PG&E’s employees were so impressed by Orman’s presentation she was asked to conduct the seminar at locations around the state. “Before you knew it, it took me four full weeks to give all the seminars, and nobody was retiring,” she says. Orman was asked back year after year. Then in 1987 PG&E laid off 10,000 people. “And guess where they all came?

I did the seminar for five years and never made a penny. But my reputation kept growing. Before you knew it, the other brokers went to PG&E asking if they could give a retirement seminar and they said sorry, ‘Suze’s our girl.’ ” Orman opened her own firm in 1987 and used her mastery of single premium whole life to help her new PG&E retirees. “It was the most brilliant thing I’ve ever done, and I made a fortune. And the people made a fortune,” she says.

The exposure also eventually put her in touch with the people who would help her publish her first book, You’ve Earned It, Don’t Lose It: Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make When You Retire. “That book went on to sell more than 100,000 copies in hardback in the first year,” Orman says.

“That was the start of everything.”

Like Who You Are and What You Do In those early days as a broker trainee, Orman liked what she did. She liked helping people take control of their finances. When her first book sold so many copies, Orman realized the potential that existed for helping people en masse. Up to that point, her goal in publishing a book was focused on impressing and equipping her clients.

While her book was in bookstores, Orman began teaching a class she called The Nine Steps to Financial Freedom. “I started to

“Orman was devastated and angry, but the experience gave her an idea: Every ‘no’ leads you closer to the ‘yes’ you were meant to have” teach this class, and the women went off the charts with it. I was teaching them the nine steps that I put my clients through,” she says. In 1997, Orman released her second book, The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom.

The book became a best-seller, eventually selling more than 3 million copies. “It was at that point that I made the change from being a financial advisor who wanted simply to give a book to my clients to a No. 1 New York Times best-selling author,” Orman says.

She has since written six other best-selling books, including her newest title, Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan: Keeping Your Money Safe and Sound (Spiegel & Gran) which hit No. 1 on The New York Times Best-Seller List three days after its release.

“I think at this point, when people see my picture—and I don’t say this egotistically, I’ve worked very hard for this to be true— they know that whatever it is, they can trust that it will help them,” Orman says.

That degree of influence is something she takes seriously. “I feel the responsibility of trust on my shoulders. The more trusted I am, the more seriously I take that responsibility. It’s a feeling that I owe it to them to never disappoint them. I owe it to them more now than I ever did,” she says.

“Once you’ve earned someone’s trust, the key is to keep their trust and never, ever, ever disappoint them.”

Living with integrity and knowing what she thinks and believes are hallmarks of her success. “Liking who you are and liking what you do can make you an incredibly successful person. That is how I define success. I would not define it financially.

You can be a really successful person and never really have a penny to show for it,” she says. (written by Erin Casey of Success Magazine; May 2009)

A mentor is someone with more entrepreneurial business experience than you who serves as a trusted confidante over an extended period of time, either free of charge or at an agreed payment. One has to seek someone who’s been down the same road before so that he/she can share wisdom on an ongoing basis.

Leadership

To Jennifer Riria, Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT), definition of mentors is people who will get women to move to the next level. It is not the ones who say, “be good and be nice,” no; whatever it takes to move you to the next level, take it. A smart mentor can make all the difference in building one’s business and by tapping the expertise of someone who’s already jumped the hurdles; you can cut to the chase much more efficiently.

It is about learning from others’ mistakes and successes, the mentors don’t have to be up on the latest trends or technology or even have experience in your particular industry. Their role is to share with you lessons from their experience in the hopes that you can learn them a bit more quickly and easily.

For Ms. Riria, the Former President and CEO of Women’s World Banking Nancy Barry as a mentor brings the above to her table as she heads the largest women’s microfinance institution.

Picking the right mentor

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very successful entrepreneur would admit that there has been a mentor in his or her life. Even if the business owner did not talk to the persons directly, a thing they did at one stage got them inspired to venture into a certain activity that transformed their entire life. If one wants to become successful in business, there’s no better place to start than talking to these ‘people’ who have already achieved success.

“She teaches me the focus, the passion and the dedication to serve women without ever looking aside. She is very strong, very clear on issues and where to move for women,” says Ms. Riria.

“One has to seek someone who’s been down that the same road before so that he/she can share wisdom on an ongoing basis.”

Choosing a mentor starts from admiration of the path a single person has taken in his or her service and the contributions they have made on the society, economy or even fields of their expertise. Their role is to share with you lessons from their experience in the hopes that you can learn them a bit more quickly and easily.

Without appropriate business mentors one won’t succeed at growing a given business.

If a entrepreneur wants to service their clients at the top level or find new avenues to expand their organisations, a mentor can help to understand how she or he did to achieve such a goal.

Whereas we count on our friends and relatives as our mentors, there is need to separate friendship and business. While it is

helpful if you and your mentor get along on a personal level, a mentor’s role is to serve as your professional guide not as a personal friend. It is vital that you be able to accept advice from a mentor and stay focused on the business. This is much harder to do if you choose someone already close to you to be a mentor. It is better to save friend and family resources for networking.

According to Ms. Riria, mentorship is not a single day sitting and listening affair, but has to be done in levels and it depends on given fields. That’s why it’s advisable to choose mentors you will always be in touch with from the start of the business up the ladder that whenever a problem arises you can seek advice from them.

Therefore, mentoring is an agreement supposed to be respected all the time. It’s a formal process, with regular meetings and a system for reviewing progress and performances. The mentor might have passed through the same difficulties and might help you solve issues amicably. If not so they would direct you on how to go through that stage while avoiding the setbacks they experienced.

“Mentorship is a slow process. It is something you see, that is the way we need to build,” adds Ms. Riria. Before approaching a mentor, be ready to work with him or her.

Make sure you are willing to take direction from them otherwise you will just be wasting their time and yours too. Remember, you are looking for solutions, guidance, and concrete advice not someone to whom you can parade your great ideas. You are looking for a role model to hold your hand as you advance in your venture.

To Grace Mwai, a marriage counsellor, identifying a mentor was not a hard thing.

She had already identified the field she wanted to venture into and the next thing was to get a word of inspiration that since then changed her life.

“Get something out of Africa’s conservativeness and make the girl child’s life different” these words from Getrude Mungai, a well-known Kenyan sexologist, still sound fresh to Ms. Mwai like they sounded the first time.

She was conversant with sexology by the time she went to Ms. Mungai to seek advice on the path she would take. She had widely read books about sexology, relationships,

dating, and other related topics. She had to be her own teacher because she could not find courses in sexology or sex therapy.

“Her success story has lived within me to date,” says Ms. Mwai.

To her, before getting a mentor, identifying one’s career is the first step. As you approach a mentor, you will not only be on the receiving end but turn the conversation into an interactive session for better understanding.

In most cases people have in mind persons who they would like to make their mentors and cultivate a lasting relationship.

However, it’s advisable to approach such persons and seek advice directly.

Mentors can also be reached by reading about them and how they rose. This would be inspiring and eventually give a guideline on how to acquire similar levels of success.

Nowadays, getting a mentor is easy as organisations are providing mentorship programs for both staff and society.

Kenya Youth Business Trust (KYBT) is the local chapter of the Youth Business International (YBI), a programme of The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum, where mentorship and loans are offered. According to KYBT 500 women in Kibwezi, are being mentored to rear chicken and immediately after the first stage, they will be given loans to kick start their venture.

“Rearing chicken is a lucrative field for these women and we hope they will keep in touch with their mentors for successful progress,” says Dave Muumbi, KYBT CEO. Apart from organisations, a number of Web sites and organizations offer free mentoring. Some will offer a great deal of information about your potential mentors, while others simply match you with whoever is available. It all depends on how selective you want to be. Some prefer their own gender for mentors while others would take any gender provided the level of the mentor’s qualification suits the desired mentorship.

Picking the right mentor starts with looking within oneself and getting the right person who is willing to make that entrepreneurial journey.

By Wairimu Kamau.

“Then you can have them start picking up the year targets. Interestingly, this is the time they want to hear nice messages that their financial status was likely to improve.

And you really have to make such happen, “ she adds while noting that her strategy to start off workers on a higher note at the beginning of the year and to motivate them towards the annual targets has been doing the annual reviews which she does in March.

From the corner office

Employers said the beginning of the year sets the foundation for the success or failure of a company’s strategic targets, adding that during that period normally sets in with pressure for business people to whip people around, a fete that can only be well achieved by motivating staff.

So, how will you keep your employees minds on work and not on thoughts of Santa and holiday meals they enjoyed in December to help drive the business targets for 2011?

Lady Entrepreneur talked to Kenyan entrepreneurs running various businesses and human resource managers on how best to motivate workers around the company’s strategic goals at the beginning of the year.

For most of the entrepreneurs, 2011 looks set to be a lucrative year for Kenyan businesses, buoyed by rising optimism in the economy with the Government and corporate executives projecting a more than 5 per cent economic growth.

Remove the holiday mood get them back to work “...with poor communication, eroded the bonds of trust between some employers and employees”

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ince Ms Salome Karanja, the proprietor of Nestors Ltd reopened her office in Nairobi’s Kasarani area early this month after a two week Christmas break, she has been struggling with a challenge that holds the key to the success of her 2011 business plans.

This has everything to do with bringing back employees from the holiday mood to make them concentrate on this year’s targets for the three year old real estate firm.

For many employees, the holidays are a time to relax and get away from the stress of regular work life, a situation that employers and business owners said has always left business reeling at a time when companies are setting their annual goals.

“Normally, you really have to get people up from the holiday mood, “ says Ms Karanja who has at least 50 workers in Nairobi working as estate agents and house dealers.

Key sectors in the have recovered from a 2009 slump, fuelling this optimism that there will be greater consumption of goods and services, stoking a higher demand that will ordinarily prompt businesses to produce more.

As such, business people are keen to motivate employees along this optimism, hoping to cash in on the expected economic recovery.

Last year, most Kenyan firms found themselves fighting for survival by slashing costs rather than racing to meet targets, resorting to pay and promotion freezes, changes in pension schemes, cuts in recruitment and lower training budgets. This combined with poor communication, eroded the bonds of trust between some employers and employees, says a recent report by audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC).

This means businessmen have to put more efforts at regaining the trust with the employees for delivery of targets.

“My idea of making a hardworking, happy, and motivated workforce is to make them feel empowered and important, “ says Jacqueline Mutua a Nairobi-based human resource practitioner.

“At this period of the beginning of the year, you can’t just assume that workers are fine.

They still have a backlog of issues such as dissatisfaction, stress and strain which they carried forward from last year. This is the time to address such, “ says Ms Mutua while advising that this is the time to promote and reward staff, which can be done through appraisals.

And how do you achieve this?

“Salary reviews would be the best news at this time when most employees are broke after the holiday spending, “ adds Ms Mutua , “this way, you can hook them towards the annual goals although that is just one of the strategies.”

But some human resource and business people advice that while improving compensation might be one strong strategy, some non-financial motivators could be more effective than extra cash in building long-term employee engagement in most sectors, job functions, and business contexts.

Researchers at global consultancy McKinsey argue that many financial rewards mainly generate short-term boosts of energy, which can however have damaging unintended consequences such as piling costs on the business.

“Non-cash motivators—praise from immediate managers, leadership attention (for example, one-on-one conversations), and a chance to lead projects or task forces—as no less or even more effective motivators than financial incentives: cash bonuses and increased pay, “ says A recent McKinsey Quarterly survey.

With most businesses seeing profitability in 2011, at least going with the optimism on the economy, financial incentives to motivate employees are seen as an easier bet by most of the entrepreneurs.

Sammy Omondi who runs Travel Now, a tour firm in Nairobi says the most natural way to motivate employees is to recognise their efforts openly, while appreciating their work in the previous year.

“This has worked for me. Let them know that you appreciate the role they play in the organisation. This should be done in the company of fellow employees which is likely to trigger positive competition among the employees, “ says Mr Omondi, “Everyone likes being praised.”

Management experts said job satisfaction and a happy work environment are key to improving employee productivity, especially when the manager wants certain targets met within the year.

And employees have their own share of reservations on what best can make them work towards achieving the set goals.

There is no way a manager can tell his workers about 2011 targets when he knows too well the employees are unhappy. In this instance, consider open communication, a manager who listens and shows appreciation of their work as the best boosters to my productivity.

When that is taken care of, the targets conversation can be heard but the targets set must be clear and achievable.

At least every quarter, Ms Mutua recommends, businesspeople should consider taking employees through an offthe-office activity like camping to break the monotony that comes with office life.

“I normally advise my clients that after at least every three months, especially in the first quarter of the year, they take the workers for a brief break maybe on a weekend to recharge, relax and unwind” While this can have cost implications on the company, it can make employees motivated to improve their output in the next few months to the close of the year, “ says Ms Mutua.

By Gilbert Ng’ang’a.

tremendous responsibility and they will start to behave in a mature manner.

If you want your children to learn about entrepreneurship, it’s helpful to talk to them about what it’s like to own a business.

Caroline Monda Dartey of Monda African Art Limited, a company that creates, produces and markets novelty and utilitarian crafts and accessories, says Kenyans should adapt the Indians’ style of business, where kids are introduced at an early age such that parents are sure the heirs to their property would run the business smoothly. Everyone in the family becomes part and parcel of the businesses. “Their businesses are passed from generation to generation and children comfortably and successfully stand in the gap in case their parents die or are aged,” explains Ms. Monda.

Momprenuer

However, the story in the African society is in most cases different. Businesses or even assets trample down as soon as parents are no longer available to run their own businesses due to illnesses, age or even death.

Having known the importance of this business to their lives, the next step is inviting them to the place of work for some few minutes or hours.

Planting the entrepreneur spirit in Your Children

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f doing business can at times be challenging to an adult, just try to figure out how hard it would be for an eighteen year old who has just left high school.

All she or he has known is that the parent or a guardian settles his/her bills and the teacher guides him/her throughout her school life.

A parent is therefore the softest shoulder to lean on as the first time employer and a family business is the first best class for a teenager. Beware; introducing you teenage daughter or son to your business is not

very easy as they are still in a transition from school life to adapting to the outside environment. Discussing and explaining how the business has helped you maintain the family and even pay for their education with your child would be a first step to take with them. Driving the point that the family needs this business for its upkeep instils a sense of responsibility in the child and they will do everything it takes to see that the business maintains the current status.

Trusting your teenager to manage a portion of your business will present them with

It’s easy to pick the child’s area of interest in the business at this moment. Anita Nkirote, an eighteen-year-old girl who has just completed her secondary school studies goes to work with her mother who is a managing editor of Horticultural News magazine in Nairobi.

“Give your child access to see the successes and failures of the business.”

According to her mother Catherine Riungu, Anita has expressed interest to run the business since she was embraced as part of it. She says the first step to introduce a teenager to business is taking him/ her to the premises without necessarily giving them a responsibility. Asking your child to pass by your place of work or to accompany you will give your child an up close look at the entrepreneurial world.

This is a powerful teaching tool that could shape your child’s career goals and aspirations. When the child cannot identify an area of interest in the business, involve them in basic work duties like receiving calls from clients or even managing the business diary. It is a good way of boosting their self esteem and encouraging them to enter the business.

As time goes by, introduce the child to other areas such as book keeping, sales and marketing or even customer care services.

At this juncture, discussing the family business with the child is now easier than the first time you introduced the idea of taking up a responsibility. This understanding will help in other discussions as you teach them about money and how to run the family or their own businesses. It will also be easier to relate with them when you talk about work in future. As the eighteen year old thinks of the next career to pursue, working for you will also give them a good learning experience in a protective environment while opening their mind for the next move: be it further studies or business.

Allowing them to supervise workers or even take records introduces them to the business side of life while shaping them for the future uptake of not only running their family businesses but also setting up their own.

Regardless of the nature of your business; whether a vegetables’ grocery or a big office, getting your child to arrange files, fill in data, take stock or even monitor what products are on demand than others are simple ways of introducing her into the business world. Even better, help them to start a business and teach them skills that will be useful to them if they become entrepreneurs.

Still a family business is one of the best places to get your children to gain confidence and experience for entrepreneurship. “If I managed our family business, I can as well manage my own,” that’s the voice parents instil in their children.

Giving them assignments together with other employees gives them a sense of belonging and understanding in businesses.

Comparing the children’s notes and those of employees is an easy way of passing the future entrepreneurs through an orientation period before they break free to run businesses on their own.

“Correct them where they go wrong, be it in case of carrying out interviews with the clients and teach them how to attract and maintain customers,” says Ms. Monda.

Allowing a teenager to identify his or her own client and follow up on the progress is a way of instilling hard work in the child.

They get to know retaining customers does not happen by accident. It’s an investment

of time and diligence in follow up. Unlike where the teenager would fear other bosses, working for the family will give your child a direct line of communication when they want to talk. Give them the opportunity to discuss pay rates, problems in the business and introduce them to negotiations or solutions to these problems.

The family business teaches the teenager how to work with other people on a common goal. Give your child access to see the successes and failures of the business.

Involving your child in the business budget is another way of making them responsible managers and spenders. They should learn how to balance between impulse expenditure and spending to strengthen the business.

Ms. Riungu says that involving a teenager in carrying out research on how other similar businesses or competitors are approaching their businesses is another way of introducing the child to your business.

Striking a deal on some token the teenagers will earn from the work they do for you would encourage them to be part of the family business. It’s good for the teenagers to earn their own money, which they will help them learn to manage and with your guidance they will also learn how to be responsible in the investment of their funds. They will be able to afford their own transport, clothing or even feel the achievement of using their own hard-earned cash for these things. More importantly, they will have the opportunity to learn how a business runs, as well as the expenses that are required to achieve a profit that contributes to the family finances.

As times goes by promise to increase the wage in case more returns are achieved.

It inspires the teenager to learn that the harder one works, the bigger the reward.

When your child has a role play and sees the company progress they will be pleased, on the flip-side they will feel the pain if anything goes amiss.

“You are the best teacher to make your child a responsible entrepreneur,” explains Ms. Riungu.

Stand out This is more serious for me. When I have meetings all day and I have to go out in the field.

Phyllis Nyaidho shares with us her personal style that enables her to get through a given week at work. Her job involves making a lot of presentations and field work. She describes her style as Business Chic Phyllis is a Consultant at Dynamic People consulting

Photos by: Pixell8

My industry is open to non typical the office look. I would wear this to the office

This is my power look for those intense business meetings

This is for a day out shopping over the weekend or when am just going to the salon

This is amore fun Friday look for me. I can go out in this later.

This outfit has a more relaxed weekend feel for lunch with a special someone or just the girls

through my phone pretending not to be a job contender. But before I go on, I have a confession to make. I am a perpetual interviewer; it is a kind of a sick addiction and I am not exactly proud. But I have learnt all sorts of techniques for getting ahead of the ‘line’. Beware, though, these tactics sometimes work brilliantly and sometimes they flop; so while I could claim that I have perfected them to a tee, well I can’t – they are still touch and go. I will note however, that I, Working Girl Extraordinaire have the knack for thinking quick on my feet and it is really the only way I get ahead.

Fiction

Working Girl Extraordinaire

I

was walking like a bat shooting from the heat of hell in my spike-heel black Mary Jane pumps trying to get to a meeting; I was also worried about breaking into a sweat before enduring a morning where my immediate destiny would be decided upon.

It was Nairobi in January and smiling alone was likely to sheen my skin in a shower of perspiration equivalent to that of a tenminute jog on a treadmill. Then there’s the fact that my deodorant seemed to have lost potency in the great Kenyan summer.

Still, I was striding along purposefully, resume folder in hand, a sensible handbag on my shoulder, and a blue water bottle swinging on my side. I had on my seriouswoman frown too, except it was just a slight version since I didn’t want to look that unapproachable. But in my long years of …er… well, meeting with others, I have learnt that a slight frown goes a long way in getting others to take me seriously.

Okay, so fine. I was not shooting like a bat out of hell to go to a meeting. I am not unlike many Nairobians and I do my fare share of abusing the word. I just like the pomp and circumstance implied by the word ‘meeting’ rolling out and over my tongue. I was headed to an interview. So I was walking, thinking these pleasant powerwoman thoughts and fantasizing about how it would be, to be a hot shot. That was until I got very thoroughly and completely stuck in the groove of the concrete slabs – my spike-heel stiletto just would not let go. I got caught up in disjointed jig trying to free myself from the clutches of the side of the street, my confidence slipping, and so hoping that someone would help me out. Instead I got stares mostly and people mumbling and grumbling about having to go around me even the shoe-shiners along the pave were having a laugh watching. I thought this was a sign from the universe about the grand ideas I was brewing in my power-woman-mind.

When I finally did rescue myself from the evil pavement, it was to sink into the

feeling that I was working so hard to go to an oversubscribed interview. The dread began with a review of the usual scenario - endless queues of young women and men, all contending for the same position, standing outside waiting to be called in for an intimidating or humiliating questioning.

This is usually the case for these junior support jobs anyway and it is ridiculous to me that they would have that many people vie for the same positions when these hiring managers would hardly tell the difference by the 100th interviewee. But I suppose, I couldn’t whine too much about it because it is precisely for this reason that I could throw in my lot with the hundred others. I wasn’t surprised when I found the long line but I hang around on the fringes looking

I usually start off by dressing really well (no brainer, I know, but wait for my genius).

Then I go on to talk on my cell phone to a fictional person. This separates me from the rest. Sometimes, though, it is more effective to scroll meaningfully down the screen of my smart phone. Having established that I am not interviewing, the rest of the people in line usually ignore me and I take the opportunity to bypass everyone and head into the building and the lifts. When the guards ask that I sign in, I usually just fake a name and use the previous entry’s floor number as my destination. It gets tricky though when I have to leave my ID but an excuse, a smile and pushing out of my chest will get me out of that requirement. I then go to the floor where the interviews are being held and proceed to make quick friends with the gatekeeper. Now, the gatekeeper could be the security guard, the tea lady or the receptionist. I like them to buy into the idea of helping me out. Yes, I know, it’s diabolical but I get a sick pleasure from it all. Most of the times, I get to interview really fast. Other times, I might have to fake meeting the hiring manager but I only pull this card out when I am extremely desperate.

“I could not believe that I had the most unfortunate luck of meeting the guy from a Happy Hour past.”

It makes you wonder how many interviews I have been to, huh? I think in the last year and a half, I have been to about 55… and a half. I was kicked out for using the desperate tactic so I thought it should only count for half an interview. As you can probably tell, I am Working Girl Extraordinaire – slash – Serial Interviewer. But as an empowered addict, I think I know precisely whom I can blame for my oddities. My best friend, Lydia G., is the greatest friend a girl could have but she infected me with a case of the crazies. She has a plan for everything – a life plan, a five-year plan, a career plan, a get-a-boyfriend plan, a get-married plan,

a get-money-on-the-side plan – and it is exhausting as Working Girl Extraordinaire – slash – Serial Interviewer – slash – BFF to give audience to them all. But I do. And I don’t like it. However, if I am honest, the most annoying bit is that the Plans make Lydia G. very intimidating and more so because she actually gets the job done.

And so I, Working Girl Extraordinaire, wanting to keep up, have to feel like I am doing something with my career plan.

(Also, my salary really stinks and I am up the wazoo in debt. It’s nothing major, the debt – just small loans from friends except some of them date from the time I graduated college). It’s like this… others binge on food, drink copious amounts of alcohol, smoke like industrial era chimneys; but I interview. A lot.

I have to admit, though, that I don’t really think I am crazy. After all, I recognize and acknowledge my peculiarities.

Besides, there’s no harm done because I have never been shortlisted or recognized – not once in the last 55 interviews – and this, in a sickening way, feeds my enthusiasm.

Now, this particular interview that had me perspiring, getting stuck in concrete, and hanging back in the fringes was actually a job I could do. In a way, it was really important to me. It was for a rival company’s business development office – they needed a group assistant. I work for a certain pharmaceutical company and I am the executive assistant to one nasty marketing manager. I am really good at my job and can organize any office like a freshly oiled key hole. I think this is why no one, including my freak of a boss, questions my frequent absences from the office.

Back to my addiction – it has another interesting quality – I am not very specific about the jobs for which I apply. I mean seriously, there cannot possibly be enough executive assistant jobs to fuel my sick desires.

My plan, however, takes care of that rather easily: I simply apply and interview for any junior level job. I have also been known to show up to interviews uninvited and gone through the ringer thanks to my skillful get-ahead-of-the-line tactics.

I have realized, also, over time that I have a special gift for making up excuses to leave work for my ‘meetings’. I scour magazines, blogs, Yahoo! Answers and of course, Google, for the most creative

excuses not to show up to my job. I tell you, it’s a gift. Come on don’t put on your moral glasses and point fingers – it’s not lying-lying; it’s just strategic verbal positioning. This time around, I requested a mental health day. Snazzy, right? I think I read it in an old issue of O Magazine.So when I finally got to the head of the line, my gatekeeper didn’t give me too much trouble and I was in the conference room waiting for my interviewer(s) to join me.

I hadn’t an invitation to this ball and I needed to print out copies of my resume.

The gatekeeper, a very sharp young lady, handed it to the interviewer right before he got into the room. I could hear him whining about having to “do this on the fly.” I quickly thought that this particular interview would be a piece of cake.

When the guy finally sat down across from me, I could not believe that I had the most unfortunate luck of meeting a guy from a Happy Hour past. Just perfect. This was the guy who was actually decent looking, had approached me with my choice drink in hand but he turned out to be so boring that I had to escape. Then I, being the notso-sharp tack, excused myself to go to the bathroom and instead took a taxi home. Of course, I later called my friends who were all sitting around with the poor guy and explained that I had abandoned ship.

I think the embarrassment was imprinted on my face and the superior smirk on his face said it all: I was toast. Because, I was so mortified, I think the conversation went something like this: Him: So, Working Girl Extraordinaire, I believe I met you under your alias Julie?”

Me: I think you would have reason to believe so. Were you using an alias too?

Bar culture, you know, you have to be … er…

Him: No, I was pretty honest about my name but no worries, I think your friend broke it down and told me you found me boring.

Me: Well…er…you know…

(I just could not believe that I chose to be tongue-tied for the first time in my life over this knucklehead!!)

Him: Don’t worry about it… I can’t interview you now – objectivity and all that – but at the same time, I can’t let anyone else on my team interview you because well, I can’t work with you.

He then yelled for my gracious gatekeeper to throw me out. Graciously, of course, but out I was. I should have known this was not a good omen, you wouldn’t believe what happened next. By Angela Maina

Health & Fitness

Set Goals Goal-setting is another great way of staying motivated. Goals focus your workout program and clarify what you are trying to achieve. As you attain each goal, you gain encouragement and further motivation.

Here is how to achieve the goals you set and obtain the results you deserve.

1. Make sure your goals are measurable.

Seek expert opinion from your gym instructor or a fitness expert. A vague goal, such as “I want to be fit,” gives you nothing to shoot for. Decide when and what you are going to achieve, such as “I want to lose 10 kilos of my body fat by August 1st.”

“If you set your

expectations too high, you will get frustrated and will be more likely to quit.

”

2. Be realistic: Make sure your goals are attainable. If you set your expectations too high, you will get frustrated and will be more likely to quit. Make sure, however, that your goals are not too easy; they should be challenging. When you achieve a challenging goal, your pride and satisfaction will create more motivation.

3. Set short-term goals as stepping stones to your “ultimate” (long-term) goals. If your long-term goal is to run a half marathon in 12 months, then set short-term weekly or monthly goals of the training milestones you will need to accommodate to achieve your long term goal. It is a lot easier to accomplish a goal one day or week at a time, such as increasing your running time by two minutes a week, than it is to think that you need to be able to run 5km continuously..

3. Fight Discouragement: If once in a long while you blow off a workout because you choose to go out with friends, just accept and enjoy your choice--do not feel guilty.

Otherwise, the sense of failure can make it harder to get yourself back on track. Focus on how much progress you have made so far, not on how far you have to go.

4. Expect and Prepare for Plateaus: If you feel you have reached a plateau and/or are bored, do not give up--this is a natural part of working out. Make sure to vary the exercises, sets, repetitions and order of your workout--continually search for new ways of making your routine fun and exciting.

5. Schedule your Workout: If you always exercise on the same days at the same time, your routine will become a fixture in your life, not a whim. Not going to the gym will feel unnatural. Including exercise into your busy schedule will be an adjustment, and staying motivated will be equally challenging. Change is difficult for many people. However, if you have the willingness to work through the initial emotional discomfort as you move step by step through a safe and effective program, you will find the confidence, commitment and determination that will ease the way.

When you begin achieving great results, the excitement and fun you experience will make the change well worth the effort.

Action creates motivation! Good luck: I hope you enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle.

(Written by Chad Tackett, President and Creator of Global Health & Fitness)

Make It Fun

Action creates motivation!

O

ne way to stay motivated is to constantly remind yourself that a worth-while pay-off lies ahead; a new, healthy, strong you is emerging.

Effective, consistent exercise will not only improve your overall health and fitness, but will also improve your appearance, energy level, and social interactions. Also, look forward to the many psychological benefits as well: confidence, self-esteem, and relief from depression, anxiety and stress. If you are serious about your health and well-being, you will take action and begin an exercise program, and you will benefit in all these ways. Once you see the results, you will become even more motivated.

Action creates motivation!

Another way of assuring that you stay motivated is to make exercise fun. If you perceive your workout as a chore, you more than likely will not stick with it. Here are some techniques for making your workout something to look forward to.

1. Add Variety: If your usual jogging track getting tedious and boring, consider a change of scenery.

2. Include Friends and Family: Training with a workout partner not only makes your training session more fun, safe, and intense, but will also increase the likelihood of your showing up at the gym. Make sure you pick a partner whose goals and interests are similar to yours and who is willing to spot you correctly and motivate you to do your best.

For Motivation look within Motivation first starts with the reason why you are embarking on something. So to find that answer, you have to look from within.

The next step is to set goals to accomplish the task ahead. This also requires you to do some thinking and the thinking process does need a look from within.

You have to be true to yourself and finding truth involve that you look from inside so that you can evaluate the question, “does motivation come from within.” Whether you are ready to face what you discover from your evaluation will determine if you believe that the question, “does motivation come from within,” is not necessarily a way to force you into a decision. It is geared to make you think about motivation and how it affects your mindset into the agreement that you do have to look from within to find answers to your desire for motivation. (fitness-equipment-health.com)

Reflections

Get out of your comfort Zone

T

he most common question I get from people is on how they can be able to move forward and actually put into action their dreams. How do you get the courage to take that final leap? There is nothing that makes me sad than meeting someone that wanted to do something so badly but because they were unwilling to get a little bit uncomfortable they have decided to settle for what life has handed them as their destiny.

Going after something you want is not a comfortable process. It will require sacrifice from you and sometimes it will completely require all your energy and resources. I wish there was an easier way. You have to accept that you will never have enough money, resources, or the right timing and just jump into the deep end. This is not a challenge

for the weak. As a person you need to get to a place where you feel the need to live out your dream and life on your own terms so strongly that not accomplishing it is a worse fate than death.

But how do you begin your journey? Take some time to reflect on your life and what you want to accomplish starting from your current age and in every decade.

List down your goals by categories such as financial, spiritual, education, skill, family, leadership among others. Write down under each category the specific milestones you want to accomplish.

Once you are done with that exercise, go into the first decade and break down what you need to do in the first year. Go into the detail of each month and week. For

instance, if your goal in the first decade is to have completed your master’s degree, then you need to put in place a savings mechanism to raise money towards that goal. Break it down into a monthly or weekly target until you have ensured there is enough to cover your learning expenses in the first decade.

Before the beginning of any journey we must plan ahead for the fuel we need and the time we need to get there. The process is the same to get closer to our dreams.

Take heart and have the courage to at least give it a try. There is no guarantee of success but there is no success without failure. Failure is God’s way of letting us learn our lessons practically.

Be inspired and live your dream.