“I Started My Business With Just Sh.75,” Meet Elizabeth Wambui

Elizabeth Wambui was a housewife for a couple of years before deciding that she could do more for her family. At the time, her husband would leave her Shs 200 to take care of the day’s budget, and even though she enjoyed staying at home and doing house chores while caring for her daughter, she felt that she was not utilizing her potential.

A Saving Habit

Elizabeth was a very careful spender, and would only use Kshs 120 and save Kshs 80. One day, after getting tired of the routine of staying at home, she decided to purchase a packet of cigarettes which cost her Kshs 75, and carried her daughter out of the house and set up a makeshift stall on a street near her home.

Surprisingly, within an hour, she had sold the whole packet and had made a profit of Kshs 55. “I saved the money under the mattress and waited for the next day with anticipation, so that I could sell all over again,” says Wambui.

It was a dream come true for Wambui, because at last she was making her own money. But because of fear of what her family and friends would think, and whether or not the business would survive, she kept the business a secret.

“In the early stages, she did not want interference from family and friends and therefore chose to keep it a secret.”

Read Also >>> Still Unemployed? 5 Business Ideas You Can Start With 50-100K

Encountering Challenges

After some time, Elizabeth realized that her business was growing very steadily and decided  that she needed to sell more than cigarettes. With that, she decided to add sweets to her stall. After this, she added crisps, mobile phone credit cards, mandazis and buns.

As time went by, she added products into her stall depending with what her customers would ask for. Some men heading to work would buy mandazis when going to work, and would ask if she had tea as well.

So, she started preparing tea for customers. By this time, her business had grown to the point where she could no longer hide it from her friends and family.

But as she had suspected earlier on, not everyone was happy for her. There were ‘friends’ who were not happy for her, who thought her business was a waste of time.

Despite facing this kind of opposition, she remained focused on the goals she has set earlier on, which was to set up a full shop.

One of her greatest challenges was where to store the savings she was making because as a housewife, she had not been exposed to any form of financial knowledge. It is at this point that she was introduced to a chama and told about its benefits by a friend who was genuinely happy for her.

In 2011, she joined a women’s group that had been set up to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable groups.

In Conclusion

The story of Elizabeth Wambui is one of hard work, faith and passion to be a provider for her family and to use her time wisely to bring more money into her household . Today, her business is worth thousands of shillings from a mere 75 Shillings.

Do you have a business idea? What’s stopping you from starting? Start today!

Related Article >>> How To Start A Side Hustle Without Quitting Your Job

Source: Daily Nation