Making a meal of the butchering business

NAKURU COUNTY: Michael Ng’ang’a little imagined that the road to success would be littered with potholes.

His resilience, resolve and determination, however, saw him rise above obstacles to establish himself in the business world. He now runs butcheries and eateries in Nakuru County.

Shortly after he finished school in 2002, Ng’ang’a began working as a casual labourer on other people’s shambas or at construction sites as a contractual employee.

Then, in 2003 he got a job at butchery, a move that laid the groundwork for his future as an entrepreneur. His monthly take home was a measly Sh1,500 then.

He soon quit his job to enroll for a short course in sales and marketing and was thereafter employed by an insurance company as a sales agent earning a commission.

This work was dissatisfying as he never netted any serious clients. Most of the people he met were not ready to listen to anything he had to say.

He left the insurance business after a year and returned to his former employer. This time, he worked as a butcher’s assistant earning Sh3,000 per month.

But he was restless.

Believing he had matured in the business, he decided to set up his own butchery. Raising the start up capital was a challenge. He had to borrow Sh30,000 from friends.

With hardly any customers, his meat was going stale on the hooks and he contemplated closing the butchery down. But he had debts to repay.

He persevered and the business began picking up. As things looked up, he began increasing his stock.

With success achieved, he started expanding his business by acquiring struggling butcheries-cum-eateries and turning them into successful outfits. He is now on the path to self-actualisation.