Selling footware, toys & other items

Entrepreneur

About Me

Hi. I'm Silvia. I'm a 23 year old Kenyan lady who lives at a town called Karatina. It is an agricultural town located in Nyeri County in Kenya. I have lived here almost my whole life. I grew up in a single room with my mother and sister. My mom was a hair stylist who struggled to make ends meet. At times we'd sleep hungry, other times we'd play cat and mouse with the landlord.

Mom managed to educate us both. I managed to complete both primary and secondary education. Last year I did a 3 month course in pastry and cake making. My ambition was to start a catering company that also sold pastries and cakes. However, I was low on cash. I tried various methods. I started to use a friend's oven to bake cakes and sell them to local businesses. I was able to meet my expenses and even save Kshs 2000 a month. Unfortunately, when covid-19 happened everything went down hill. The government closed down eateries and my business was finished.

I didn't give up. I immediately used my meagre savings to open a stall where I sold slippers, shoes and toys. I also make and sell soap in my local area. These businesses tend to be hand to mouth, only taking care of basic needs. I have a small child, the beautiful one in the pictuI would like to grow so that I can save and also pay for my sister's high school education. She has been out of school since third term last year due to many arrears.

I intend to raise between Usd 1,850 and Usd 2,500 to obtain a business permit, premises and increase the inventory for my small business. I intend to call it Neema Ventures. In time I'll buy an oven and have a side bakery business. I know I can't get the amount I want right away but I'm willing to build trust by repaying smaller loans first. I appreciate all the gracious lenders on this site. Without your generous attitude a lot of people would be stranded in harsh circumstances.

My Business

I used to bake cakes using my friends oven and sell them to local businesses. However, the food and catering market is currently in trouble because of the covid.

I currently have a small market stall where I sell toys, inner wear and assorted footwear. I only make a profit of upto Usd 80 month. If I could get a business premises and permit it would grow. Below is a breakdown of my expenses:

Goodwill, deposit and rent (premises) = Usd 350.

Business upgrades (shelves, painting, lighting) = Usd 200

Business permit = Usd 75

Inventory = Usd 1200

Total Cost = Usd 1825

My business is currently hampered by lack of premises which means less customers and lower prices. Once I get the above amount I'll be able to profits of between Usd 200 and Usd 500 a month.

This means that I'll be able to pay for the loan in increasing amounts using my profits. I'm humbly requesting your help to make this dream into a reality. Thank you for taking your time to read all this.

Loan Proposal

Thank you for funding my last loan. I plan to use this one to renovate my stall to make it a but weather proof. Your assistance is much appreciated as we move steadily towards my ultimate goal, to run my own shop.

Income Source

The epidemic has forced the Kenyan government to close down schools. As a result children are at home and toys are in high demand. It's also the cold season so clothes are selling. I'll be able to repay this loan soon.

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