Uuuuuh scary huh? Hahaha I know.. I know, it’s taboo to even think about it let alone put together organized thoughts and pen er….. type them down. I swear when I was conceptualizing this story, it was going to have the title “If I get sick” but then again you wouldn’t click on it right? Admit it or lightning strikes you now! Hahaha! Let us get right into it.
Now when I was starting out in business, a young lad in his early twenties, I was excited for the possibilities and directions my business could potentially take. Believe it or not, none of which were what I currently do. Just a month in, one thought kept gnawing at my conscience. The question of the practical longevity of my business. I was not and never have been a sickly person. When I am, I carry my sickness with so much grace. I will be having a nasty tooth ache but still limp to the office because self pity in the house is just not my kinda party.
Now, the better tragedy used to lie in the fact that, with my toddler of a business, what if I fell sick!! Worse what If I became permanently incapacitated! This my good friends is a reality most budding business men/women do not confront early on in their quest to start a business or enterprise. Because if they did, they would build capacity towards their ventures surviving anything mother nature throws at them.
Back to me, in 2012 after sending out numerous applications and not even getting regret letters, I did not want to dwell on that. I created something to get me fed in the short term. My journey into business was not deliberate, It was a short term relief. I just needed something to keep me going, occupied and at the same time get me fed, then that was such a huge priority. Did I know anything about business? Nada! Zilch!! Was anyone in my immediate family in business? LOL resounding NO! (Laugh Out Loud … if you come from Butere like me) Essentially, me in business was not well thought out, not intentional and to the very least the question of it surviving any misfortune befalling me unimaginable.
When It eventually dawned on me that my die had been cast and that I will have to play the cards I had been dealt. …aaand that there is no merciful human resource manager looking at my second lower division degree certificate and saying this is the guy I want to come and change the future of our company. That very realization sparked something within me and changed my frame of mind completely. I realized I could never possibly do this by myself. Not by a long shot! The funny thing being that, at that level of business, of taking home Ksh. 500 – Ksh. 1000 gross per day. I possibly couldn’t afford an employee at all! But I did anyway, If you know one MR. Opatta, popularly goes by MC Opash nowadays, he was my first hire. I was scared sh*tless of that move. Worse, this guy would call me boss, how are you sir! Introduce me to his friends as his Boss. This would truly unnerve me. Not because I didn’t fancy me a good title, but because of the responsibility I believed came with it.
I almost told him to go easy on that, but I decided against it. Instead, I made a friend out of him. That way, he will be torn between calling me his friend or boss. He did both! Hahaha! When out in a social place he would go like this is Joel, my friend and Boss! Sigh! NO problem there whatsoever, well atleast I just did not did not know what the problem was yet. I realized I was getting reliant on him and that there was my biggest fear!!
That I will train this guy on the inner workings of Joel ( not even the business) . The business comes secondary because when you work with someone and it’s just the two of you, you have to gel otherwise it will be one rough ride. Most business owners are a jealous bunch and it pains them when some customers come in and only want to deal with a certain employee, Many get really threatened! I had to digest and get that aspect in my stride. See the big picture was, I can’t run this joint by myself. It was not a popularity contest, rather it was a question of creating an environment that allows for the growth of my employee.
I am making it sound easy, but those were not easy emotions to process especially without prior disposition to them. Once I did though, I created more capacity with the time he covered me at the shop and that allowed time for growth, in sickness and life in general. Goodness I even started dating *wink wink*. Your typical business owners are slaves to their ventures/crafts and are scared stiff to empower anyone to share the spotlight with them.
Ask yourself this pertinent question. What if you die today? What If you got very sick for a very long period of time?? What if you got involved in an accident that permanently changed your life as you know it?? These are actual realities we NEVER want to process ( sjui kwa nini by the way ….insert that thinking emoji)
Have you set in motion any stop gap measures? ( whether in business or employed) Recovery points?? So all is not lost! I have been doing this for a while now,come April this 2022 I will be 10 years in Business!! It’s not a small time to dedicate yourself to anything, believe me. If there is one one nugget I have acquired from my exploits in those 10 years is that you can’t possibly do it by yourself. You will bring on board people, some will exceed your expectations, some will be a pain in the proverbial *ss but the overall big picture and your north star should be the fact that YOU CAN’T DO IT BY YOURSELF! ( This would have made a less dramatic title but what the hell, I live for the drama LOL!)
Oh by the way…..I run two businesses with aloooot of help, it costs me a pretty penny but I’d rather what I currently take home than none at all when I stall. That said, I know many of you have my direct phone number but should you miss me or find me unavailable, for printing & signage services call +254703 497 898 during the day you will be sorted out. For taxi and tech services ( Website, application, surveillance systems and Point of sell systems development) call +254726 636 100.
One response
Quite an inspiration..