After being declared redundant from her top management job, Wacu Gatoto did something that she never imagined she would ever do: She opened Washoo’s Washer, a car wash, in Nkoroi in Kajiado County, and it is growing from strength to strength.
“I never imagined I would be washing cars for a living. But looking back at the spark of events that brought me here, I am amazed at what I have achieved.
“My undergraduate degree was in procurement. I remember an interview after my graduation in November 2001, where one of the gentlemen in the panel told me something that would shape the course of my career. He said, ‘Your personality doesn’t match your degree. You are too confident for it.’
Well, I worked for two years as a procurement officer anyway. But it wasn’t until I stumbled into the hospitality industry, in 2004 – and quickly rose up the ranks to management – that I realised where my strengths lay: in my personality and how I managed people.
The gentleman was right. I worked in this industry for six years, then worked my way into property management, then a security firm.
Career crumbles
“It was while at the security firm that everything I had achieved in my career thus far crumbled. The firm was new to the market and was struggling financially. In early September 2013 – seven months in and two promotions later – the CEO called me into his office to tell me my position had been declared redundant.
I laughed. A long hard laugh. Was this a joke? No, the CEO was dead serious. He summoned HR to explain things. I don’t recall what she said because I was in deep thought: What was I to tell my family, my kids? Had I been foolish to be content and comfortable with the promotions? It was now all gone. I picked up my things and left.
“I spent the next several days at the poolside of a local club switching between reading, swimming and thinking things through.
I was lost – I was too old to apply for other jobs, too distraught to get back into employment. I wasn’t warm to the idea of business yet. What now?
Time to regroup
“A small security firm in Nkoroi invited me buy shares in their company and pioneer their new products. This had been my niche.
But the six months as their sales director were the least inspiring period I ever had in my working life. So I quit. Then I returned to the poolside to regroup.
“Running my own business was the next option. My first idea was to run a male spa. I got space in Nkoroi, but banks wouldn’t lend me the money for capital. ‘We don’t finance start-ups,’ they said.
My next idea was a carwash – it would be less capital-intensive and bring in more steady returns than a male spa. I got a shed right off the highway.
I booked it then waited for the end of the month to settle my deposit. But by the time it was end of the month, the landlady had already given it away. ‘You delayed,’ she yelled into the phone.
“Now here I was again, stuck – I wanted to run a business but there was no business to run. I wanted to give up, but a close friend advised me against it. ‘Now is the best time to start because you are on fire. You are angry and afraid. You cannot give up now,’ she said.
“So I went back to the ground. I got yet another carwash that was letting. It was a strip of land, no bigger than a corridor.
And the rent was far too high for the area. But I knew I needed to start. With the pooled resources from my husband and my savings, I built a temporary mabati structure as the washing bay and upgraded the equipment. Washoo’s Washer opened shop in May 2014.
“In the first five months of business, I grew a clientele which kept coming back for the excellent service – both the customer service and the carwash service.
I wanted more women to wash the cars but the few I got lacked the passion and patience to grow with me. Either way, my team of four guys and I managed to pull over 900 carwashes and 300 loyalty-card customers.
“I invested all I was making back into the business. I invested in my staff by having professional car experts and engineers train them often. I invested in high-end machinery and equipment. I invested in research for products. My staff was on salary, I wasn’t. “The banks still wouldn’t finance my working capital because they considered me a start-up.
I relied on shylocks – the beauty about my business is that it returns cash to me on a daily basis; so I could settle with the shylocks on time, and earn a good credit rating for me to return to them for more money. Product suppliers were also of great support; the trainings and trade discounts were good.
“The business was growing, but my corridor of a washing bay was far too small to expand our services and clientele as I envisioned. I had to hit the ground again.
I got another place right off the highway. Not an ideal location but it was a much bigger space for less money – I had room for a wider washing bay, a customer lounge and a few extra spaces to rent out. But I didn’t have the capital to expand. Shylocks couldn’t finance me to that extent. The banks were out of question.
My husband said he could support me with only a fraction of what I needed. The only solution to fill the gap was to part with my car, something I had vowed not to sell ever since I got laid off.
“We started construction in early November 2014. Our first wash was in December. I achieved my goal for the New Year – to move to a bigger space – before we closed the year. That’s a huge plus. We are up and running, but still a long way off from calling it done.”
HOW SHE DID IT:
- Start a business which will return cash on a daily basis. Even on the quietest day of business, I know I will still take something to the bank.
- Shylocks are the financing solution for the short-term and for start-ups, not banks. So find a shylock and build your credit rating with him.
- Run your business yourself. At least for the first six months, be there to run the show yourself – manage your staff and build your client relationships. Let your customers feel your presence.
- Involve your partner in what you are doing: My husband has given me the financial and moral support to keep me going.
- Don’t give up on whatever you envision for yourself or your business: Try and keep trying. Read the story about WD-40 – it wasn’t until the fortieth try they got the formula right.