Rejected at home and abroad, young entrepreneur turns the tables to found a thriving online business
By Staff Writer
It’s not every time that people turn a hobby into a thriving business. For Simon Kimani, he turned his passion in writing into a successful business. In a small office in the residential area of Kasarani in Nairobi, he is busy keying in information into a computer. In the room, five other young men and women are doing the same. They are at work, engaging with various clients located in different parts of the world. Their work is to create engaging content for blogs, newspapers and publications. His company, Prime Content Limited, takes up assignments from clients spread across the globe.
Kimani has not always been an entrepreneur. When he was studying abroad, he realized there was a need for quality content, as most of his schoolmates could hire freelancers to do their assignments.
“I went broke in the US where I was studying. My sponsorship funds ran dry halfway through my studies, leaving me without any means of subsistence.”
The self-motivated entrepreneur says he tried all avenues to complete his studies, but unfortunately, nothing worked. “I even pleaded with my university to allow me to complete my studies on the promise that I will settle the balance after getting a job, but the administrators flatly declined.”
Frustrated in knowing that he couldn’t get any papers even after graduating, he resolved to travel back home to look for new opportunities.
“I started off from my living room, not knowing how the idea could turn out,” he recalls of his formative days. He says he started with small gigs that could pay a measly $1.5, before graduating to more lucrative jobs.
Unbeknownst to him, there was latent need for his services. He could get many orders to furnish clients with quality website content. If the number of gigs that he was getting was any measure, his company was on a growth pedestal. As the orders flew in, he saw it wise to hire staff to help him with the job.
In a few months he was already grossing up to $800. Before long, his monthly income was averaging $1600.
The enterprise is now a source of livelihood for 34 people’; consisting 12 consultants, and several support staff. His database has over 70 professionals who cover various disciplines as nursing, accounting, business administration and education.
He serves clients from as far as Europe, Australia, Far and Middle East, right from his office in Kasarani. When a business grows, the society thrives. Kimani’s business has not only generated him a steady income, but has also provided employment to many graduates. Kenyan youth , grappling with the effects of massive unemployment, get an opportunity to gainfully learn about new opportunities in online content creation, and Kimani is happy to see that his company is at the forefront when it comes to job creation and mentoring of the youth,.
He has also recorded impressive growth economically, having completed a row of rental flats in one of Nairobi’s most populous estates.
Like most young businessmen, Kimani struggled to get funding for his business from mainstream financial institutions,. Luckily, when he approached a microfinance institution, his story changed. He got funding to buy equipment that helped him scale his business.
His advise to the youth; “pursue online opportunities as there’s a gold mine in there.
