Esther Gathoni: How I started my business with Sh700 capital

Since 2008, Esther Gathoni Macharia has made great strides in the onion business, having moved from retail trade to wholesale.

Gathoni revealed she started the business in the Wakulima market in Nakuru with a capital of Sh700, a journey that has since been a success for the former orange trader.

“By then, I was down. I had Ksh 700 only which was my starting capital as a retailer. I would buy onions at Ksh 17 per kilo and sell out there as a retailer,” she said.

The businesswoman gets her goods from both local farmers in Kiawara, Bungoma, and Ortum and those from neighboring countries, including Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Uganda.

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“We prefer those coming from Tanzania because the quality is high and it is cheaper compared with the ones from Kenya,” she explained.

The journey has, however, not been a smooth sail for Gathoni, who has struggled with multiple challenges, including varying prices, competition, and sourcing quality goods.

“Challenges are there, especially for us wholesalers. For instance, with our current economy, people don’t have money, and we are forced to sell our goods on credit. Sometimes we end up losing money because we might give onions to an untrustworthy person.”

“Competition is also a challenge, especially when it comes to prices. You might have a specific price, but someone else is selling it at a cheaper rate,” She noted.