Entrepreneurship, they say, is a game of hits and misses. And many times, a business owner will have to make tough calls that affect both their personal and financial lives. Three established entrepreneurs share the toughest decisions they had to make. 

 

LETTING GO OF EMPLOYMENT TO FULLY FOCUS ON MY BUSINESS

Eve D Souza, cofounder and director of MoonBeam Productions.

The inspiration behind the business was…

Moonbeam Productions was officially born in January 2011. My business partner, Lucy Mwangi, was a producer at KTN. I hosted two shows she was the producer in, Triple Challenge and Vibe City. We worked quite well together and had many conversations about changing the type and quality of content on Kenyan television. It was frustrating as we felt stations were not taking risks or thinking out of the box in terms of content. Lucy had been at KTN for 8 years, and I at Capital FM for 10 years. We both felt we couldn't grow further or challenge ourselves if we stayed in our respective jobs and so, we took the plunge. I resigned from Capital FM in November 2010 and formed our TV production company.

The biggest challenge we have had to overcome was… 

…finding our footing financially. I didn't realise just how financially stressful the new venture would be. For the first year, we were both living off our personal savings as well as funding productions. We were thrilled when we secured contracts for the shows Travel Diaries and a talk show called Mentality but we had to foot the bill for their production costs. It was months before any money came in. As soon as any money came in, we had to put it back into production and paying off debts. We literally paid ourselves nothing.

There were many moments that were very demoralizing. We often asked each other "What are we doing?" "Why are we putting ourselves through this?" But the passion and excitement about what we were creating and putting out into the world was our motivation to keep going.

The first two years we got by through help of our families, they were kind enough to support us through personal loans and donating furniture and props we could use on set.  Between the third and fifth year, we took out loans with our bank to facilitate production costs. Today I'm relieved to say it's been a while since we've had those financial challenges. We had to find ways to get through the tough years.

The most difficult decision I ever had to make was…

Although it has been 10 years, to date the hardest decision I ever made was leaving employment. I had been at 98.4 Capital FM for 10 good years. I always loved radio but I never felt fully comfortable with the limelight that goes with it. I also had started to feel controlled about what content I could put out, especially when I was hosting the breakfast show. I had worked very hard through the years to build 'a brand' and part of me was at a stage in life where I was ready to give it all up and work behind the scenes on something for myself.

Fate had other plans and I didn't manage to stay behind the scenes on TV, though. 

The decision to quit employment and start my own business truly pushed me out of my comfort zone. I had to grow and learn fast. I'm still learning, still growing. And that brings me so much satisfaction, that's what life should be about. Once you get complacent, like I almost did on Radio, you lose your sense of purpose.

If you want to start a business…

Don't make excuses, there will never be a right time to quit your job and start your own business. However, there are no guarantees it will be a success. Very few small businesses make a profit in this first year. No one knows at first what they're doing, we all learn as we go. Don't beat yourself up if you feel like you're failing. Trust me every entrepreneur has had to make enormous sacrifices and overcome numerous hurdles to stay afloat. It's really important you truly deeply enjoy what you do.

CHOOSING BETWEEN TWO LOVES

Linda Mariah, founder of Beauty Cottage

The inspiration behind my business was… 

I started the hair care business in 2004. I was inspired by wanting to make every woman feel beautiful about herself. I had struggled with my skin in my teenage years and wanted to change the world one woman at a time ensuring she was the best version of herself.  

The hardest thing I have had to deal with is…

Hiring the right staff. Challenges will always come up even when you think you are a veteran and have overcome them.  Sometimes they will leave you after training them. Also, I have had to deal with sourcing funding for expansion and investment. I have also had to feel my way about finding and attracting the right clientele while maintaining the clients I already have. Everyday, you tackle what is in front of you and pray to live to fight  another day.

The most difficult decision I ever had to make was…

Choosing between two passions. I had to make a choice between growing my salon and working in the film and TV industry as an art director. Production is very addictive and the beauty business is very involving. I did both for a while before realizing that I had to let go of one. It was difficult to walk away from the thrill of working on something and seeing it on TV and billboards. But ultimately I made the right decision. I have grown so much now and I do not regret it.

To anyone trying out their hand in business?...

I followed my passion and never gave up. I poured all my heart and soul into it. I believed in my product until others started to believe in it too. Nothing comes easy and it took a long time to start seeing profits. Don't start today and expect to see results tomorrow. Put your back into it. Always be open to failure for it only makes you stronger.

 LETTING AN EMPLOYEE GO

 Ann MCcreath, founder of KikoRomeo.

I started my business because…

I wanted to give work to women in rural areas of Kenya so that they could earn supplementary income. This was in 1996. The heritage lifestyle brand was founded to stimulate employment through trade and to encourage appreciation of traditional crafts.

The hardest thing I have ever had to deal with has been…

There have been many challenges, usually due to political problems beyond my control. But COVID-19 probably beats them all, but luckily, for many years now, we have operated a very lean establishment, with minimal overheads thanks to the generosity of friends, who gave us premises for next to nothing. As long as we keep our brand name out there, connect to the public through our designs, and keep the team lean, we can roll with the punches. 

The most difficult business decision I have had to make?

The decision to make someone redundant is always one I find very difficult. For business survival it is sometimes necessary, but as a boss I am very conscious of what that means to the worker and his/her family. Even if paying all dues in full, you know that it won't necessarily be easy to get a new job, and the kids' education is that critical investment all families make to improve on their lot in life. 

If venturing into business, always be mindful to…

 Keep your overheads rock bottom. That means no flashy offices, no expensive perks, as in Kenya you never know what's round the corner. Well, that can be said for the world in general right now.