Eunice Wairimu: Former house help now owner of thriving boutique business

Like any other entrepreneur, Wairimu loves women wearing smart attire, a dream she had manifested since childhood. Growing up, in a small village in Bahati, Nakuru County, Wairimu lost her mother when she was three years and was raised by her grandmother.

“Life came with challenges, I performed well in my national exam but couldn’t proceed to Form One due to lack of fees,” she said.

 At a tender age, she was employed as a house help but promised herself to be her last employment. With determination and a keen eye for business, she began saving every penny, dreaming of building a name and empire for herself.

At the time, she was paid Sh1,500. Little by little, she saved Sh1,000 every month and would buy household items as she planned for business ideas.

She envisioned herself owning a boutique shop, which motivated her to withstand obstacles hindering her success.

“I made a promise never to work for anyone anymore. Step by step, I took a leap of faith and enrolled in a tailoring and design course in 2001. At the time, my family seemed to have forgotten about me,” she added.

Learning how to fend for herself at a tender age, made Wairimu adapt to an unkind world. With many ideas, she resigned from work and started selling fresh juice and fast food in Nakuru.

As much as she would earn, she opted to sell used newspapers for a year to supplement her income and accomplish her dream of owning a shop.

“I am lucky, even after all the hardship I went through, I had people who trusted me, I remember when a friend loaned me Sh20,000 and I supplemented my savings by getting stock from Uganda,” she added. She would hawk to finish stock, which was difficult as it involved convincing, trekking kilometres, and hiding from law enforcers.

Wairimu started her entrepreneurship journey by bringing fashionable and stylish items to her clients. “When I got married in 2011, my husband wanted to open a shop for me which was not going well for me, due to my hawking style, I started selling sweets, but it wasn’t my thing, I felt naked,” she added.

She took risks and ventured into a variety of businesses. She would hawk in offices and streets to get clients, something she does passionately.

Things changed when she decided to borrow a loan of Sh350,000 after securing a shop in town and investing in Turkey and China-made products.

Her boutique has become a popular destination for fashion-conscious women - thanks to quality products and good customer service.

Her entrepreneurial journey, she says taught her the importance of keeping and maintaining contacts.

“My first trip to Turkey to purchase clothes wasn’t a walk into the park, I took the risk to travel without having a source but had to manoeuvre. I’m a go-getter, nothing holds me back when I make a decision,” she said.

As her business flourishes, Wairimu has maintained her suppliers in China and Turkey enabling her to import products directly from the two countries at ease expanding her reach.

She has also invested in online marketing to reach a wider audience.

Her suppliers usually send pictures of the clothes to her making it easier for customers to select. She serves high-profile clientele across the country due to her friendly price, hoping to expand her shop to other counties.

“My journey from a struggling house help to a successful businesswoman has not been easy but struggles of believing in myself, perseverance, hard work, and a dream come true,” she added.

She believed that for a business to succeed, one needs to know where to source products without using middlemen, by doing so, will enable one to acquire goods without spending a lot of money. “In my case, when I visited China and Turkey, I was able to go to the factory where clothes and shoes are manufactured, and get the contacts now I procure directly from them,” she said.

Being persistent in business, taking risks, and being disciplined, she observed, has helped her grow the business.

The shop has a dispenser and seats where her customers sit when being attended to and gives them coffee. “My customers have been loyal and I have some who have served over 10 years while hawking clothes in the streets,” she said.