Selling prepaid mobile phone airtime vouchers
Jones
Kisooni- Mumbuni- Machakos, Kenya
34% repaid
Entrepreneur
Name
Jones
Member since
April 2014
On-time repayments
310 installments • 10%
About Me
AM A KENYAN MAN AGED 39 YEARS. BEING BORN FROM A VERY POOR FAMILY MY FATHER WAS POLYGAMOUS. AM THE LAST BORN IN A FAMILY OF 9. MY FATHER DIED WHEN I WAS IN CLASS 8 IN 1989. AFTER COMPLETING MY PRIMARY EDUCATION I HAD NO HOPE TO CONTINUE WITH MY EDUCATION SINCE THERE WAS NOBODY TO PAY MY SCHOOL FEES. FORTUNATELY I WAS AWARDED THE PRESIDENTIAL BURSARY WHICH CATERED FOR MY SECONDARY EDUCATION. AFTER THEN I JOINED NATIONAL YOUTH SERVICE AND DISCHARGED IN 2001. AM MARRIED TO CHRISTINE AND WE HAVE TWO CHILDREN, PURITY AGED 10 AND PRINCE AGED 4.
My Business
I AM WORKING AS A SECURITY PERSONNEL AT KENYATTA UNIVERSITY HENCE I HAVE AN INCOME OF THIRTY TWO THOUSAND SHILLINGS A MONTH. I OPENED A BUSINESS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF SELLING MOBILE PHONE AIRTIME RECHARGE VOUCHERS. THERE ARE OVER 50000 STUDENTS AND OVER 5000 STAFF IN THE INSTITUTION, HENCE THE SUPPLY OF AIRTIME CREDIT CARDS HAS NOT BEEN ENOUGH. THE RETURNS FROM THE CARDS WILL ENABLE ME TO PAY THE LOAN COMFORTABLY AND HAVE SOME MONEY FOR MY FAMILY. I DECIDED TO DO THIS BUSINESS AFTER DOING SURVEY AND KNOWN THAT 90% OF KENYANS OWN MOBILE PHONES. FOR THE PHONES TO OPERATE THEY HAVE TO BE RECHARGED WITH AIRTIME AND THIS IS WHAT AM SELLING. I HAVE ALSO GONE IN TO MOBILE MONEY TRANSFER BUSINESS. I JOINED SAFARICOM'S M-PESA AS A DEALER LAST MONTH. THIS GOES HAND ON HAND WITH THE CARDS BUSINESS. I INVESTED USD 500 IN THE MONEY TRANSFER BUSINESS AS MY FLOAT. AM OPERATING THE CARDS BUSINESS WITH LESS THAN USD 300. AM NOW LOOKING FORWARD TO INCREASING THE CARDS STOCK BECAUSE THE DEMAND IS HIGHER THAN MY SUPPLY.
Loan Proposal
When i get this loan i intent to invest it in buying more recharge vouchers to increase the supply. I have employed a girl who sells the cards and transacts the mobile money transfers. Although this is a business that needs about USD 2000 I have decided to start small. I believe in growing to that amount. Currently i have build a small kiosk as seen in my profile picture where i operate the business. The girl i have employed goes for a new stock of cards two times a day. we need to have cards worthy 500 dollars a day but currently i operate with less than 200dollars. Since we buy the cards from town we incur transport expenses daily to go for the cards twice. I look forward to getting the loan so as to increase the supply for higher profits.
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Loan Info
Project Type
Classic Loan
Disbursed amount
$325.00
Date disbursed
Jul 29, 2014
Repayment status
Late
Projected term
71 months
Other loans
Lenders
Republic of Korea
United States
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