After clearing his Business Administration and Accounting course at Machakos University, Brian Tom stepped into entrepreneurship after efforts to secure a job were futile.
He started small businesses, including selling movies and second-hand wear, before moving to Nairobi in 2015 with a promise of a job opportunity.
“I sold movies …among them DJ Afro videos, we used to get one at Sh30, so if you sell five movies, you get Sh700. I also sold mtumba, shoes between 2013 and 2015. In 2015, I moved to Nairobi as I had been promised a job, but when I arrived at my new workplace, I realized that I was just going to work a low-paying job and not the one we had agreed on according to my papers,” he said.
Brian quit the job after seven days and engaged in an online carpet and wallpaper trade alongside a friend. It was while in this trade when the idea to sell curtains was born. His friend was, however, hesitant about the curtain business claiming it requires a lot of labor.
Leading Facebook Groups to Market Your Products
When the two parted ways in 2017, Brian fully focused on selling curtains, a job he does up to date. He started with Sh2500 where he bought his first curtain and sold it online at Sh4500.
His business acumen saw him start a curtain company that operates under the name Curtain KENYA. Initially, he would make the curtains, but when the business expanded, he hired people to make them.
He noted a great demand for wallpapers among his clients prompting him to introduce them. He credits Facebook groups such as Kilimani Mums Marketplace and Kileleshwa Marketplace for his success.
“On a good day, I can make between KSh 10,000 and KSh 20,000 a week,” he said.
Through Facebook groups, he has managed to sell his products to customers in Kenya, Zambia, the US, and the UK.
