Ruth Waithera is the managing director and the lead designer at Beautiful Steel Interiors Ltd.

I started my business as a consultant for interior décor. This allowed me the flexibility to undertake training courses on interior architecture. My consultancy work on interior designs allowed me to build up startup capital and a client base that led to the opening of my business in 2018.

When I started, my initial clients were friends and family. These were important in giving feedback and criticism on where I needed to improve as I opened up for a larger client base. Today, I am a specialist in interior fit-outs (ceiling, floor finishes, furniture design, paints, soft furnishings and décor) for both commercial and residential spaces, planning, construction drawings and 3D impressions.

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It took longer to break even than I expected. Barely two years as a startup had passed when the 2020 pandemic came calling. This pandemic really hit the construction industry. Most of my customers pulled their brakes as a financial self-preservation measure.

Although we have seen brighter days after the slowdown of the pandemic and the opening up of the economy in 2021, we nose-dived into an election year and things slowed down again. To complicate matters, the cost of running a project has been very high due to the rising inflation. Materials are at an all-time high, with those that need importation really impacted by the depreciating shilling.

Going into interior designs and construction was a bold step out of the ordinary for me. Previously, I had been employed at a books business. I managed a books, stationery and school uniform distribution business. I didn’t have prior in-depth experience in construction and interior décor. I guess this is the reason why every customer who gives my work a five star rating is always a major milestone. I never thought I would crack this line of business.

Never take a loan if you don’t have a proper plan on how you are going to spend it. I learned this the hard way. I took a loan without a concrete plan on how I would use it. I ended up using almost half of it for things that I had not planned for. The repayment of the money was a very painful experience because I had nothing to show for it.

I used to be very conservative with my banking practices. Each month, I would queue up at the bank and fill up the bank transaction and cash transfer forms. This was too cumbersome and I quickly found myself absconding these duties month on month. I changed my strategy by migrating to a Sacco and joining a table-banking chama. I am currently considering trying my hand at money market funds.

Think of your life as a ladder. Allow yourself to go up one step at a time when it comes to personal growth, career success, financial stability and everything else you wish for. For instance, if there are habits you want to change, you must appreciate that it will take time for you to do a complete turnaround. The same with wealth creation and saving.

You cannot save today and expect to recover the years you have previously lost in a day or week’s accelerated earnings. I will take time which is why at all times, you must appreciate that what you do with the money you have today will determine what you have tomorrow.

A version of this profile feature on Ruth Waithera was also published in the Saturday Magazine. The Saturday Magazine is a publication of the Nation Media Group.