By Bizna Brand Analyst
Her name is Faith. She’s only 21 but she’s the true definition of a dedicated entrepreneur. Faith runs a fruit and vegetable eatery in Mombasa’s Central Business District called ‘The City Natural Parlor’. Her business has only been running for six months and the money has began to roll in.
What got her here? What inspired Faith to settle on a beverage and salad business?
“I’ve always been obsessed with good nutrition.” says Faith. “ I noticed that most people who work in offices in Mombasa town only eat fast foods. These are people who stay on their work desks for most of the day without moving or doing any kind of exercise. This creates a really bad health pattern. I figured that making well-packaged fruit and vegetable meals available to them will really help in boosting overall health.”
So last year, while still 20 years old, Faith set up her startup idea and approached several organizations for funding. After plenty of fruitless attempts (no pun intended), she finally got funding from Swiss Re, a renowned re-insurance company. The startup fund kitty gave her She 430,000 for a share of equity and Sh 510, 000 as a loan.
Several months into operations, Faith is on a great path to repaying her loan and making profits of her own. To boost sales as well as to create convenience for customers, faith does deliveries. You don’t have to come to her parlor to get served.
She says she chose CBD because of the high number of intellectuals there who will not only buy but also be able to spread the message of ‘healthy living through healthy eating’.
For Faith it’s not about the money. It’s about changing the world.
“It would be a joy for me to be in a world where lifestyle diseases are close to non-existent. Most people forget to eat fruits and raw vegetables yet these are every important for human health.”
Every new entrepreneur faces several challenges from time to time and Faith isn’t immune. She takes her challenges by the horn and manages to eradicate most of them. There’s only one thing that’s still troubling her.
“My major challenge is marketing. I don’t have adequate finances to invest in intense marketing so I depend on word of mouth from friends and customers to help spread the message. I believe that there are plenty of people who would love to come to my parlor but they don’t know about it yet. With time, I hope this worry will be a thing of the past.”
People with dreams and goals similar to those of Faith rarely fail. There’s no doubt that she will be a success story as time goes by. The main lesson from her? Never be afraid to see help or funding to make your dream business a reality. It’ll all be worth it in the end so long as you are dedicated and passionate