Entrepreneur Damaris Wanjiru Muriithi, popularly known as Dama Mobile Spares, has revealed how she made crazy sales on the first day she opened her own shop.
Speaking while appearing on Dr. Ofweneke’s Lessons at 30 podcast, Dama revealed she made Sh1 million in sales on her first day as a Mobile Phone Spares shop owner.
“I enjoyed crazy orders. I remember that the first day I made a lot of sales. On the first day I opened my shop, I think my sales hit Sh1 million. Don’t forget that I did not have any stock, so it was not all my money,’’ she said.
Dama revealed that she did not have enough stock to meet her customers’ demands, adding that she sourced the requested items from the neighbouring shop instead of turning customers away.
“When a customer made an order, I used to get the items from a neighbouring shop where we had an arrangement,” she said.
According to her, the strong start was partly a result of relationships she had built over several years in Nairobi’s mobile phone spare parts trade.
From a Sh7,000 salary to entrepreneurship
Dama entered the phone industry in 2009 shortly after completing secondary school. While staying with her aunt in Kirinyaga, she secured a job selling airtime and charging mobile phones for customers.
“I ventured into the phone industry in 2009 after completing high school. At that time, I lived in Kirinyaga with my aunt, and while there I got a job selling airtime and charging mobile phones for clients at a fee. So, I have an extensive background in the phone industry,” she said in a past interview.
Three years later, she moved to Nairobi, where she took up a position as a shop attendant selling mobile phone accessories along Luthuli Avenue, one of the capital’s major electronics trading centres, earning Sh7,000 a month.
In 2014, she joined another business on Munyu Road, where her pay rose to Sh30,000. The new position also gave her greater responsibility, exposing her to virtually every aspect of running the enterprise.
“In my new workplace, I was running most of the business operations, which helped me to quickly learn the ropes of the business,” she said.
Within two years, her earnings had climbed to Sh80,000. More importantly, she had acquired an understanding of the trade that would later shape her decision to become an independent business owner.
“My boss gave me the freedom to run everything, and I knew all the operations of the business. That was when I decided that I could run the business on my own.”
She eventually left employment with Sh500,000 in savings, supplemented by a bank loan, and set up her first shop on River Road.
Her previous work helped her establish a network of technicians, retailers and wholesale buyers across Nairobi. That customer base would become an important source of business when she opened her own outlet.
Some customers, however, did not immediately realise that she had left her former employer. They continued placing orders through the personal phone number she had used while working at her previous workplace.
That experience became one of her most valuable business lessons. She now advises employers to always provide staff with a dedicated company number rather than allowing them to use personal contacts, to avoid customer loss when employees depart.
With her industry knowledge, customer network and access to suppliers, Dama’s business expanded rapidly.
Six months after opening the first outlet, she launched a second branch. The growth continued as she established herself in Nairobi’s competitive mobile phone spare parts market.
The business has since expanded beyond the capital, with branches in Ruiru and Nakuru, and now employs more than 100 people who assist in the sale of phone components including phone screens, camera lenses, charging systems, mouthpieces, earpieces and batteries for different handset brands.
Secrets to success
Dama attributes much of her competitiveness to knowing what customers need and anticipating demand before it becomes widespread.
Her experience working directly with technicians and other players in the sector gave her insight into which parts move quickly, where to obtain them and how to serve customers.
“I don’t want to be the person who tells a customer, ‘Sorry, we don’t have that product.’ That’s a failure in my eyes.”
She also closely monitors new handset launches, anticipating that demand for replacement components will follow soon after a new model enters the market.
“Whenever a new phone hits the market, I know I’ll be seeing customers asking for spare parts soon. So, I make sure I’m the first to stock them.”
Also Read: From Lake Victoria fisherman to 480-acre sugarcane entrepreneur
