Inversk Magazine June 2021 Issue by Enterprise Magazine Kenya

02 I Inversk Magazine I June - July 2021

INVERSK MAGAZINE

CONTENTS - JUNE 2021

| VOLUME 2 NUMBER 2

8 | Editor’s Note // Kimani Patrick

10 | theTopline - Business Headlines You Need to Know

COVER STORY 18

| UAE’S UNDER 35 INDIAN TYCOON PRATEEK ON BUILDING $100 MILLION BUSINESS EMPIRE Maser an independent, dynamic start-up that is driven by technological innovation, focused on disrupting the consumer electronic market, with its budget-friendly electronics for quality-conscious consumers in the Middle East and African markets. BY INVESK EDITORS

FOCUS 20

| ACCELERATION AND INCUBATION OF BUSINESS TO STRENGTHEN GROWTH IN 2021 Companies can benefit from joining the Ibuka program by getting visibility and exposure. The program exposes companies to both local and international investors in the capital market. BY CATHERIN KHASOA

| 3 WAYS PR CAN IMPACT YOUR BUSINESS With the digital space having evolved and matured over time, having a clear brand voice especially on social media becomes integral to any business. BY SELFINE ONYANGO

| BUILDING A RESILIENT AND MENTALLY HEALTHY WORKFORCE Adopting a listening strategy and culture keeps you as the business owner to be aware of the disruptions and stresses your employees and clients are going through. BY MERCY RUBIE

| THE STRAINED CHANGE IN AFRICAN FASHION INDUSTRY FROM INADVERTENT COVID-19 The global community is currently paying attention to African fashion, as there is an itching appetite across the world for African designers to curate new lines, serve local consumers, and enter global market. BY IRINA STASIUK

| RED PILL OR BLUE PILL: SECURITY, SOCIETY, AND SCIENCE, POLITICIZATION OF COVID-19 Science is becoming more and more political, health is becoming more and more political, and there is no escaping the fact that security and health & safety is also becoming more political; with the risk management firms becoming caught in the crossfire. BY MICHAEL J. PADILLA

SPOTLIGHT - LEADERSHIP 14

| SECURING THE BASE: DESTABILIZING THE OPPONENT AND GAINING THE VISIBILITY IN A GLOBALIZING WORLD From antiquity, the ability to secure the base and destabilize the enemy has enabled corporations to dominate others, nations to subjugate others, and individuals to win over others socially, economically, and psychologically. BY JEREMY THUKU

June - July 2021 I Inversk Magazine I 03

INVERSK MAGAZINE

CONTENTS - JUNE 2021

| VOLUME 2 NUMBER 2

ENTREPRENEURS 24

| HOW THIS KENYAN IDP BECAME A CEO Luis’ insurance company, Emerging Markets Consulting was created to provide inclusive insurance solutions to the under-served. BY LILIAN KINUTHIA

| HOW ROSE MWANGI ROSE FROM AN EMPTY BOOKSTORE TO BECOMING THE CEO OF AFRICA BOOK HUB Her love for reading stretches back to her childhood, where she would be fascinated by her dad's passion for reading. “My association with books began when I was a little girl, my father being a reader, encouraged me to join him." BY INVERSK TEAM

| GEORGE NJOROGE’S CODE WORLD: BRINGING SOLUTIONS TO THE LEGAL INDUSTRY Enfinite Solutions, the company he helped to start, offer 6 main products targeting law firms and legal departments. The first suite has been around for ten years and contains three products to law firms through software. The second suite was made for legal departments. BY DEBBIE GITAU

| AT LOISE KAMANU'S MODEST COLLECTIONS, A SHELF STORAGE IS KSH.1500 AND DELIVERY NI TEKE TEKE If you have an online store, Modest Collections will offer you a shelf from as low as Ksh.1500 per month as well as in-house delivery services by her TEKE TEKE team at a separate cost, you may view their rate card at www.modestkenya.com.

BY JOHN JIM GICHIA

INSIDERS 12

| CHOOSE TO CHALLENGE - GENDERED LANGUAGE IN JOB DESCRIPTIONS BY BRENDA AKINYI

| THE DEAD END OF A BUSINESS IDEA BY IAN DENNIS

| INSIDE THE KENYAN GOVERNMENT’S CONTINUED QUEST TO WIDEN THE TAX BASE BY TODDY THAIRU

| RISE OF QR CODE TECHNOLOGY IN COVID19 PANDEMIC BY GEOFREY MUGO

| HOW I PARTOOK & WITNESSED THE LOSS OF 8 MILLION KES TO A CONMAN GANG WITHIN A WEEK! BY SYLVIA WANDIA

04 I Inversk Magazine I June - July 2021

INVERSK MAGAZINE

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

May 2020 I INVERSK MAGAZINE I 05

INVERSK MAGAZINE

CONTENTS - JUNE 2021

| VOLUME 2 NUMBER 2

Pg. 26 CONTENTS - June 2021

THE 4 UNWRITTEN RULES OF MARKETING From Inversk.co.ke

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06 I Inversk Magazine I June - July 2021

First Word Embracing a Hybrid Work Model Does Not Have to be Hard, Start by Involving your Team in the transition Process. BY KIMANI PATRICK

bout 16 months ago, the world of work came crumbling almost to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID19). In addition to being a threat to public health, the economic and social disruption, the virus threatened the long-term livelihoods and wellbeing of millions across the globe – work places were closed and work from home became an option and ultimately a norm. This necessitated swift action and among the progresses made, by late 2020, the world had vaccines which have already rolled out with millions already vaccinated. With vaccines increasingly rolling out, countries beginning to map out their roadmap out of lockdown and lifting restrictions, and companies beginning to bring workers back, there is one hard question that needs answering – how do we choose to return to work? As the workplace becomes safer from the pandemic, business leaders are conflicted with the decision on whether to recall everyone to the office and be a predominantly office-based firm, remove an office presence and remain a fully remote company or give their employees a chance to decide whether to work remotely or in the office as and when they wish – a hybrid model. Whichever the choice between the last two, organisations will have to decide which roles can work purely from remote locations as well as develop a framework and policies on

organisational communications and work delivery, supervision and appraisals. It is not as easy as it seems. When embracing a hybrid model, which is the focus of this article, leaders will have to decide which roles will go remote and which ones will remain in the traditional office or who will come to the office on which day. Roles such as sales, customer service, programming, PR and technical writing, accounting, data entry can easily be managed remotely while duties in such as those in medicine, firefighting, driving, sanitation and retail require to be on-location model. However, some employees find it harder to stay focused at home, feel more disconnected to the workplace and miss seeing their colleagues face- to- face and hence yearn to work from the office. This is because in-person connections, meetings, organic collaboration, and impromptu conversations before or after a meeting are important for productivity. If you consider the hybrid model for your business, the first thing I recommend is for you to involve your employees in the process. Hold a meeting with each team and get to hear from their desires and their use cases for in- office work and how they would like to be supported in a hybrid environment. During the meeting, evaluate together how the team will be kept connected to each other and to the company values and mission for remote members. Also, collaboratively decide when virtual meetings should be held as well as when to have supplant in- person events or town halls in order to keep existing traditions alive through transition. Second, give your managers the tools and structures to ensure equality between remote and in- person performance management. Third, you will have to decide

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which aspects of your company culture you want to nurture and protect, and which you can potentially let go. To do so, you will need to set up a team which will define the targets and come up with a roadmap which takes into account various case uses - including both office-based and remote workers. This is so because those working in the office are mistakenly considered to be more committed, even though those outside the office may be working just as long and delivering even better results. A framework should also be established to ensure remote workers get equal performance evaluations, salary raises and promotions with their colleagues in the office. In winding up, having a hybrid workday set up will require you to ensure those working remotely are effortlessly connected with those in the office as well as having a few in- person events where employees must attend. For new hires, looking for people who are savvy at working remotely is important; someone who has experience in working remotely in the part has an appetite for change, is a good communicator, is comfortable with technology and has other professional skills per job requirement is the best fit for a remote role.

Kimani N. Patrick CEO & Publisher kp@carlstic.com +254710254524

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Inversk Magazine is a publication of The Carlstic Group Limited. Views expressed in this publication do not in any way express the views of the publisher.

June - July 2021 I Inversk Magazine I 15

theTopline business headlines you need to know

Equity Named Biggest Lender in Kenya

NSE acquires a 4% stake in Dar-es-Salaam stock exchange

Equity Bank was in April 2021 named the most stable lender in Kenya by the prestigious Africa Business Magazine. This is both in terms of revenue and asset growth as the bank hit over Sh1 trillion in asset value making them the first bank to reach such margins in East and Central Africa. This is after it finalized the acquisition of BCDC (Banque Commerciale du Congo) back in 2020.

The Nairobi stock exchange (NSE) early April disclosed that it acquired a 4% stake in the Dar es Salaam stock exchange (DSE). They cited strategic reasons for this acquisition.

The rankings based on the 2020 end year financial results show that Equity’s total assets are valued at Sh1.015 trillion, followed by KCB Group at Sh987.8 billion. NCBA Bank ranks third with Sh527.6 billion followed by Co-op Bank at Sh464.5 billion. Equity Bank also emerged top among the top eight lenders in the country in terms of net loan growth which rose to 13%, as compared to KCB’s 10%, Absa’s 7%, and Co-op Bank at 6%. The bank also recorded the highest revenue growth among tier 1 banks in Kenya at 16%, followed by Co-operative banks at 10%. NCBA Bank had revenue growth of 6%, KCB five percent while DTB and Absa Group reported 1%.

He adds that they had exited before and got profit from the investment. However, they reconsidered the position and felt that they, “should have taken a strategic position and so we went back and took a bigger stake of almost 4.9%.”

Being ranked the most valuable money lending company will enable the company to raise more capital, especially from the international markets, win more customer mandates, and signal to the management that they have the right strategies in place.

“Back in 2017, we took a position in the DSE. DSC was doing an Initial Public Offering (IPO). And it has always been part of our regional strategy to invest in related businesses and so we invested in the DSE during the IPO,” said Geoffrey Odundo, CEO of NSE.

Mr. Odundo also revealed that they were initially targeting the acquisition of a 10% stake but restrictions on external investors prevented them from doing so. Therefore, they were narrowed at 5%. He said that the value of NSE’s investment in DSE has declined and attributed this to a decline in DSE’S share price.

Kenya to Reduce Budget Deficit to 7.5% of GDP in 2021/22

Kenyans in Diaspora Send Home a Record Sh31.5 Billion in March

The Kenya National Treasury projects that the budget deficit will reduce from 8.7% to 7.5% of the GDP in the fiscal year 2021-2022 that is set to begin on 1st July 2021.

Kenyans living and working abroad sent home a record remittance of about Sh31.5 billion in the first quarter of 2021. According to data from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), foreign remittances in the first three months in March grew 27 per cent from Sh24.8 billion, that was sent home in March 2020, to 31.5 billion shillings this year.

The treasury plans to do this by introducing measures such as reducing wastage and inefficiencies, applying ring-fencing development spending and raising revenue collection. The government agency predicts that through the resumption of international trade, investments in big four agenda projects, stable inflation and foreign exchange rates, and increased lending to the private sector, the economy is expected to expand by 7% in 2021.

According to the National Treasury’s statement, the government is to use Ksh.81.75 billion received from the World Bank to increase electricity connections in the country, promote green energy, strengthen the health and education sectors, and strengthen debt management. The loan is set to be approved by the end of April or early May and is part of the development policy operation loan III. 10 I Inversk Magazine I June - July 2021

The continued growth of remittances from abroad is credited to financial innovations which have opened up more convenient ways of transactions including sending money directly to the recipient’s mobile phone. According to the CBK data, The United States of America was the biggest source of remittances to Kenya, accounting for 55.9 percent of remittances last month. The United Kingdom comes in second, accounting for 11.2 percent while Saudi Arabia came in third, accounting for 4 percent. Other key contributing countries are Canada and Australia, at 2.9 percent each. The CBK is conducting its firstever

INVERSK MAGAZINE

theTopline NSE Informs Gold Traders to Provide Information to CBK

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) is seeking information on gold exchange traders who traded in the Absa New Gold ETF listed in the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) market during the pandemic. NSE informed the traders who had transactions above $10,000 (Sh. 1.08million) to report directly to CBK. “Upon request from Absa Group Limited, market participants would be required to submit, directly to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), the required KY C (know your customer) information and supporting documentation of the respective clients who invest in the NewGold ETF in amounts exceeding $10,000 or its equivalent in any other currency carried out by the Market Participant,” said NSE CEO Geoffrey Odundo. Trade-in gold stocks escalated this is because investors wanted to safeguard their assets against the falling shilling, declining equities, and uncertainties caused by COVID 19 pandemic. The fund contains gold bullion that helps institutions and retail investors to invest in gold.

Tuskys Sells Assets to Avoid Liquidation

Tuskys Supermarket has decided to sell some of its branches assets to avoid liquidation to pay over Ksh 1.02 billion owed to creditors. The more than 60 creditors had applied to have the retailer liquidated due to inability to clear debts. The retailer had earlier revealed that it opted to sell its assets following their delay in receiving a Sh1.6 billion debt from an undisclosed Mauritius firm. The supermarket has also revealed that it plans to sell non-core assets like fixtures, furniture and fittings in 19 branches which have mostly been shut by landlords for rent arrears. According to documents filed in the High court, the sale is expected to generate about Sh911 million that will be used to pay off some of the debts. Tuskys had requested the court to postpone the liquidation cases for one year and allow it to continue repaying the debts, arguing that its business is still commercially viable and its financial position is still redeemable. However, Hotpoint Appliances, one of the leading creditors pushing for liquidation, argued that the petition for liquidation should proceed. Hotpoint added that no financial adviser or secured creditor, including Tuskys’ primary bankers has come forward to back its revival plan.

Uhuru and Suluhu Ink Deal to Build DarMombasa Pipeline

Kenya and Tanzania in May signed a deal to build a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) pipeline from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa. This announcement was made by the presidents of the two nations during Suluhu’s 2-day state visit to Kenya. The two further said that the project is a part of long-term plans to expand infrastructure between the countries, as a way to resolve outstanding diplomatic tension and issues existing between Kenya and Tanzania. “This is a long-term project. We have agreed on the need to ease the transportation of key energy resources and have reached one such understanding on the transportation of gas ” President Kenyatta said. He added that the two countries will continue meeting regularly to discuss more ways to boost Kenya’s diplomatic relationship with Tanzania, among the agenda being the construction of Malindi-Lunga Lunga-Bagamoyo Road. President Suluhu on her part said that she has directed the concerned government officials in collaboration with the ministry of energy to begin the works on the project, discuss design, cost and all logistics needed.

Kenya Set To Receive 48 Billion Shillings from IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will provide Kenya with access to US$410 million once the IMF’s Executive Board, which is set to meet in the coming weeks, finishes a review of its financing program. The money is part of the US$ 2.34 Billion finance aid under the Extended Credit Facility and the Extended Fund Facility that IMF extended to Kenya in April 2021. This was in order to help the country deal with the effects the pandemic had on the economic sector as well as to deal with the country’s debt problem. In a statement issued on Monday, May 17, IMF now projects the country’s economy to expand by 6.3% in 2021 after it met its fiscal balance target at the end of March 2021. “IMF staff commends the authorities’ decisive policy actions to contain the Covid-19 outbreak. Their actions helped to cushion the blow to the economy and maintained the momentum necessary to advance their economic reform agenda,” read the statement. IMF also commended the Kenyan government in their efforts to increase transparency and fight corruption. Upon the money’s disbursement, it would support Kenya’s efforts to accelerate and expand vaccinations as well as support Kenya’s long-term economic vitality. June - July 2021 I Inversk Magazine I 11

INVERSK MAGAZINE

ADVERTISER’S FEATURE

Choose to Challenge - Gendered Language in Job Descriptions Gendered wording creates perceptions about the workplace and often decreases the level of interest, especially in female candidates. Women tend to shy away from applying to jobs whose descriptions contain heavily gendered wording. This is not because they aren’t qualified for the jobs, but because the gendered wording implies the workplace is not gender diverse and that women wouldn’t belong there.

ob descriptions are the first point of contact between the company and the larger applicant pool. In the r e c r uit me nt p r o c e s s , gendered language in job descriptions has the ability to significantly affect the candidates you attract to your application and eventually hire. It also has the tendency to make the role and organization less appealing to a certain gender. While organizations are not allowed to explicitly advertise for men or women, we find that gender preferences come out in subtle cues. This also hinders an organization’s efforts towards being more inclusive. Additionally, when it comes to interviews, according to a Harvard Business Review (HBR) study, if you have only one female candidate in your candidate pool, the likelihood of them being hired is slim to none. On the other hand, having at least two women in the pipeline raises the likelihood of one of them being hired to 50%. Over and above this, with competition for the best talent being at an all-time high, companies must identify the biases in their recruitment processes and work to eliminate them. In this blog, we tackle the different ways gendered language is presented in job descriptions. We also suggest ways in which hiring managers can avoid using them unknowingly to be more inclusive. Job ads with gender charged language affect an applicant’s perceived sense of belongingness: G endered wording creates perceptions about the workplace and often decreases the level of interest, especially in female candidates. Women tend to shy away from applying to jobs whose descriptions contain heavily gendered wording. This is not because they aren’t qualified for the jobs, but because the gendered wording implies the workplace is not gender diverse and that women wouldn’t belong there. The opposite however does not affect application numbers from male candidates. Words such as ninja, guru, rockstar or hacker are often used to 12 I Inversk Magazine I June - July 2021

BY BRENDA AKINYI spruce up a job description. However, keep in mind that they are inherently associated with the male gender. Use gender-neutral descriptive words. Examples include project manager, consultant, developer to avoid putting off awesome candidates who might slip away. Having too many requirements in a job description affects your pool: Research shows that female candidates are less likely to apply for a job if they do not meet 100% of the requirements listed, while male candidates only 60% of the same. With this in mind, in order to build a more gender-diverse and robust pipeline, it is important to ensure you have only the most critical requirements stated in your job descriptions. Keep your must-haves to a minimum where possible. Consider having a “nice to have” section that shows a clear difference between your must-haves to encourage more candidates to apply. Concise, easy to read job descriptions are known to attract a greater number of applications. Mind your use of pronouns and adjectives to be more inclusive: When describing the tasks an ideal candidate is expected to take on, mind the pronouns and adjectives you use. By removing limiting pronouns and adjectives, you appear to be more inclusive. Y ou also have an opportunity to choose from a broader applicant pool and increase your c ha nc e s o f hir ing the b e s t candidate. Alternatively, instead of describing an ideal candidate for a specific role, try listing the success metrics for the role. This way you have more people applying because they know they can achieve the goals set out for them rather than fitting into an ideal description. Lean towards the use of “Y ou”, or “they”. For example, “ As the project manager, you will be expected to oversee the work of Analysts to meet client expectations.” Aim for more inclusive language. Show your commitment to diversity and equality: Diversity & equality are

even more important now as it has been proven to have a direct correlation to an organization’s bottom line. Reiterating your commitment to promoting an inclusive culture increases the appeal to your job openings. This helps to promote a more diverse applicant pool. Y ou may also showcase your team on your career pages. Share some statistics on the composition of your team. Y ou could also include a statement to let potential candidates know your organization promotes diversity. Make sure your equality statement is genuine and unique to your organization rather than a cut-and-paste or superficial one. Don’t miss an opportunity to showcase the benefits of working in your organization to potential candidates. Mention all the inclusive benefits that will appeal to a diverse group of people. Examples include parental leave or child care facilities etc. Ultimate ly ge nde r- inc lus iv e language empowers everyone and should be practiced internally before it translates outside of the organization. Keeping this in mind will help organizations bring great people on board and make the workplaces more inclusive. Brenda Communications and Marketing professional with a history of working in the Recruitment and the Telecommunications industry.

Spotlight Leadership: Securing the Base: Destabilizing the Opponent and Gaining the Visibility in a Globalizing World BY JEREMY THUKU

T The mastery of policy, politics, education, art, writing, actions, work, business, language, communication, career, and generally all our life pursuits are critically important in our earnest and conscientious activities. The way we apprehend reality all the time is by starting where we are. That is the base. A cognitive process must guide the process of securing the base. The cognitive process is a process of adding to what is around us. Nations worldwide that have succeeded economically, socially, and militarily have always worked to secure their base, making themselves visible worldwide. China, Russia, and other nations struggling to depose the U.S from a unipolar and hegemonic system for instance can only become global powers by securing the ground where the United States has thrived, such as in the technology, economy, military, international aid, global leadership, counter-terrorism, cyberspace, human rights advocacy, democracy, global funding, and foreign policy. Short of securing the base in these areas, such nations would have no position. Similarly, 14 I Inversk Magazine I June - July 2021

businesses, corporations, and firms worldwide that have gained brand equity have always worked to secure their base and consequently destabilize the opponent's base. Corporations must explore the possibilities of their chosen field and strengthen their base to achieve such brand equity. From antiquity, the ability to secure the base and destabilize the enemy has enabled corporations to dominate others, nations to subjugate others, and individuals to win over others socially, economically, and psychologically. Slavery and colonialism, for instance, were perpetuated through the use of knowledge to obscure reality and force a particular perception of existence as a norm. Therefore, the art of winning in life narrows down to the ability to secure the base. In Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, Crusoe names a man he encounters on an Island, Friday, to mark the day he met him. He teaches him to say Master and lets him know that this was Crusoe's name.

Crusoe secures the ground and gains visibility. Master and Subject become the terms of exchange between the two. Even in simple interactions-How, are you, Friday? I am fine Master-help express the unequal relationship. Crusoe is the teacher, and Friday has nothing to teach. Similar anecdotes are seen in Shakespeare's The Tempest, where Caliban with book knowledge and Prospero with the knowledge on the history and geography of the Island engage in an unequal relationship. Prospero is the producer, and Caliban is the Master who disposes of it. Prospero has to demonstrate humility and Caliban the authority for Caliban has secured the ground-The true nature of the relationship between the West and Africa and the relationship between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. When such ideas become popularized, they percolate through society and become part of the general consciousness. When corporations effectively define themselves as

INVERSK MAGAZINE

LEADERSHIP

to why they exist as Caliban and Crusoe do, they end up influencing the consciousness of their customers and, in the long run, win their loyalty. However, this definition must be based on truth and professionalism. Securing the base calls for the realization that in a globalizing world, struggle underlies all our being with two struggles being significant in a human society-The struggle with nature and the struggle with ourselves. The struggle with nature because we eke out our living from the environment calls for a balanced relationship with nature. The two struggles are essential to individuals and nations, and businesses as the struggles with the environment and ourselves threaten our stability. The struggle with ourselves dominates our daily endeavors, particularly on ideas and decision-making where resources are scarce. The world has been defined by struggles over communism, over capitalism, over slavery, over colonialism, over imperialism, inequality, market dominance, and over psychological independence. During the cold war, the conflict was grounded around the geopolitical and ideological struggle for global influence by two superpowers -The Soviet Union and the United States. The cold war period was one of the most unstable periods as two global powers and their allies threatened to incinerate each other with nuclear snowballs that could have led to nuclear Armageddon. Nevertheless, the United States, with its ability to secure the base on military and economic aspects, diffused the situation. Capitalism

triumphed over communism, an evil empire as Ronald Reagan would call it. With a secured base, mutually assured destruction could not prevail, and an order was established with Western ideologies shaping globalism. In the same breadth, significant corporations and companies such as Apple Inc., IBM, KFC, McDonald's, Safaricom, Procter and Gamble, Boeing, Equity Bank Limited, Optiven Group, Samsung, and Amazon, among many other companies, have been able to secure their base and win huge market share. Such companies have realized that the cognitive process is adding to what is around us and consequently have focused on continuous improvements on what they do, holistically embracing the Kaizen approach that calls for business activities that continuously improve all the functions within the organizations. Such corporations use standardized processes that eliminate waste and redundancies and implement a process that ensures quality management. Of particular example is Optiven Group that has gone beyond and borderless in its core purpose. The real estate giant has endeared itself to customers by adding value to its products, listening to customers, inspiring society, and settling people to their homes. With focused leadership and intentions to secure its base Optiven Group continues to dominate the real estate market regionally and internationally. Other corporations such as Safaricom and Equity

Bank have secured brand equity by securing their base through customercentric initiatives, destabilizing other competitors. In the endeavor to secure the base, corporations and businesses must focus on delivering the promise. Companies should be about being faithful to their customers. This aspect has always defined significant brands such as Equity and Optiven. The element of overpromising to customers is pretty discouraged and where honesty becomes a core value. No business or nation can thrive without being innovative and without advancing technologically. Crusoe and Caliban had to be creative by giving language to Friday and knowledge to Prospero respectively and win their loyalty. Through language, naming, and knowledge, they conquered the minds of Friday and Prospero. Individuals, companies, and societies have to adequately sell their ideas, become unique, become innovative, work towards customer satisfaction, and define their position with many specialties to become dominant in their field. Sam Walton, the Walmart founder, underscores this by arguing that there is only one boss: the customer. He can fire everybody from the chairman on down simply by spending money somewhere else. Michael LeBoeuf supports this ideology in the book How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life. He argues that every company's greatest assets are its customers because, without customers, there is no company-An argument to concur with. Employers have to show — not tell — what their company is all about. Every small step matters – from sending email/text reminders to candidates a day before the interview to sharing employee pictures, videos, and office pictures, so candidates can virtually experience or visit the workplace. This will help candidates get a taste of company culture and team without physically visiting offices. Jeremy Thuku is an Economics Graduate, Certified Public Accountant (CPA-K) and Certified Investment and Financial Analyst (CIFA-K). Reach him via jthukujeremy@ gmail.com

June - July 2021 I Inversk Magazine I 15

INVERSK MAGAZINE

MENTAL HEALTH

The 4 Unwritten Rules of Marketing FROM INVERSK BLOG

he ultimate goal of every marketer is to successfully build a brand story that not only synonymous with the target clients but also effortlessly attracts and converts new ones. Marketing is critical to an organization since it accounts for about most of the buyer’s journey up to sales, taking over what traditional salespeople handled. However, marketing is not a walk in the park, if anything, it tests your resolve, patience, and skills to the limit. This is not to scare you but prepare you, nothing good comes easy. Basic rules on marketing go a long way to help you reach your goals, as well as set you apart from the multitude. In this piece, we delve into some of the unwritten marketing rules. 1. Story Matters: Brian Halligan, the CEO, and Co-Founder of HubSpot says that “It's not what you sell that matters as much as how you sell it!” showing how crucial a brand story is to marketing. The moment you venture into the marketing world, your brand ceases to only be about the product, it becomes a part of the jigsaw to an independent story. Like any other story, its success completely depends on the emotional connections created with the customer. One of the misleading assumptions new marketers make is thinking that an amazing product speaks for itself. Regardless of how good the product is, the modern client wants to engage with a brand that gives them a reason to feel valued. As Angela Prilliman in her piece on Ten Things a Marketer Should Know, we are no longer living in a build-it-andthey- will-come world. Maja Jaredic, the Co-Owner and Marketing Director at Flight Media advice on Why Is Marketing So Hard and What to Do Aout It, you need to focus on the story only you can tell for your brand to acquire the voice it needs to succeed. For instance, make your audience feel authentic. Aspire to create a consistent story that is unmistakably unique and memorable. Learn from brands who have thrived at this, for example, Apple, a brand that has managed to upstage competition by being notoriously authentic. Create a story that resonates with the audience by answering the 16 I Inversk Magazine I June - July 2021

following; what makes your product relatable to them? How will they feel when they use it? Does it appeal to their emotions? This is a rigorous process that requires commitment, as Nancy Duarte explains it, “Spending energy to understand the audience and carefully crafting a message that resonates with them means making a commitment of time and discipline to the process.” To start with, treat your audience like close friends by giving them a reason to invest their emotional energy with your brand. Use exquisite strategies to initiate emotional character campaigns, keeping in mind that consumers mostly react to stories that relate to them. In short, “speak to your audience in their language about what’s in their heart.” 2. Technology Isn't Everything: Technology has revolutionized marketing and is so far the least expensive, most direct way to reach a world of potential customers. Any brand can put their name on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn and hope that someone notices. However, marketers should not make the mistake of entirely phasing out the human touch in favour of technology, it might be everything, but magic. Always seek to empower humans with tools such as social media to create a complementary combination that is a marketing force. For instance, empower social media handers with tools such as for their work, sales team with analytical tools, and so on. 3. Digital Marketing: “Ignoring digital marketing is like opening a business but not telling anyone.” According to Pew Research, internet usage among adults increased by 5% in just the last three years and grew even higher with the Covid-19 pandemic. The way people shop and buy has changed along with it, meaning that offline marketing isn't as effective as it once was. Businesses apply digital tools such as search engines, social media, email, or websites to connect with current and prospective customers. This helps a brand reach a larger audience, as well as target prospective clients most likely to buy your product or service. Additionally, it’s costeffective compared to traditional advertising, also enabling you to measure success daily as you see fit. For instance, social media's targeting features show social media ads to a specific audience

based on demographics such as age, gender, location, interests, networks, or behaviors. Also, content performance and lead generation are made easier. Pay- per-click (PPC) or search engine optimization (SEO) strategies serve ads to users who've shown interest in your product or service, or who've searched specific keywords that relate to your industry. Meanwhile, digital analytics software gives you a comprehensive, start-to-finish view of all the metrics that might matter to your company — including impressions, shares, views, clicks, and time on page. This is one of the biggest benefits of digital marketing Adapting to Change Considering how much marketing has changed in the past 10-15 years, from radio to television to the internet, there is a need to stay relevant in this rapidly evolving environment. Most of the changes have ruthlessly influenced and transformed the marketing world, sweeping aside those who failed to respond accordingly. Some of the renowned international brands, such as; Y ahoo, MySpace, Kodak, among others, fell off the map due to their failure to adapt while they were ahead. Consequently, emerging firms like Google and Amazon at the time have now overtaken them. Lately, during the pandemic, brands that quickly adapted to the now popular online platforms for their sales and marketing have not suffered as much as those who delayed. As a marketer, aspire to be a leader even in uncharted waters, this way you avoid playing catch up to your competitors.

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INVERSK MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

UAE’s 35 Indian Tycoon Prateek on Building $100 Million Business Empire Maser an independent, dynamic start-up that is driven by technological innovation, focused on disrupting the consumer electronic market, with its budget-friendly electronics for quality-conscious consumers in the Middle East and African markets. BY INVERSK TEAM

Africa is known as the land of opportunities and the next big thing to watch out for. More and more entrepreneurs are eyeing the African market for opportunities and business expansion. Let’s take a look at one such entrepreneur and business tycoon Mr. Prateek Suri, founder and C.E.O of Maser Group, which has set foot in the rising African economy on a mission to take over Africa. Born and brought up in Delhi, India, Mr. Prateek Suri, received a BE in mechanical engineering from BITS Pilani (Dubai campus) in 2010. He started his career in the trading sector, supplying goods across the Middle East and North Africa region, an invaluable experience as he had the opportunity to research and understand customers. Mr. Suri later decided to start his own business when he discovered a gap in the market for consumer electronics in the Middle East and African market. Armed with this knowledge and discovery, he then aimed at producing budget-friendly products with a keen interest in quality. In 2014, Maser Electronics was established. Initiatives such as JAFZA (Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority) by the UAE government in Dubai enabled Maser to become the tech giant that it is today. JAFZA, a trade catalyst and a business hub based in Dubai offers access to huge business opportunities in the region with ease and efficiency and today boasts of being the world’s largest free zones in the world. Maser an independent, dynamic start- up that is driven by technological innovation, focused on disrupting the consumer electronic market, with its budget-friendly electronics for quality18 I Inversk Magazine I June - July 2021

conscious consumers in the Middle East and African markets. Started by word-ofmouth recommendations from satisfied customers, and 7 years down the line, it’s among the leading manufacturers of home electronic appliances. With his business empire worth over $100 million, Mr. Prateek has his eyes fixed on Africa which he describes as a major market segment. Especially with the introduction of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) which is

expected to increase trade with the member countries in less than 3 years. Thereby, reducing and streamlining tariffs which will ease policies across the unified continent. Giving Maser the advantage of a bigger playground for its products. Driven with value-conscious and top- notch specifications, Maser has been able to thrive in a challenging business environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Registering positive sales and sustainable growth through leading

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e- commerce platforms. And thus, becoming a leading player in the re-distribution of high-quality, low-cost products. The company runs on the ambition of becoming a global leader in the affordable consumer electronics segment. "Our competitive edge lies in giving viewers quality gadgets and free content thus, contributing to World Bank's call for inclusion in matters concerning technology", the Maser C.E.O tycoon explains. As he dives into the future, he strongly believes that every human has a right to information regardless of their economic status. Research shows that the future population will demand larger screens. And that is why the Maser Artificial Intelligence team is working round the clock upscaling the quality of videos shot on High Definition (HD) cameras to perfectly fit into their 4K screens. That keeps TV content bright enough and engaging as they plan to launch 8K resolution screens soon. Competing in a market that is largely dominated by big brands such as Sony, Samsung, LG, and many others. The company has been able to attract and form a huge client base market leaving footprints in the electronic sector emphasizing innovative, technological, and passionate techniques to make high- quality products that are accessible to all. The Maser tycoon noted that a 50- inch LED smart TV will sell for about $380 in Kenya. In 2020 under his leadership, he was instrumental in Maser receiving funding from a UK-based private finance company for investing in a state-of-theart, 100% export facility to boost its manufacturing capacity and to meet its growing customer demand. Aggressive to penetrate the African market, the company is making significant strides to expand its market and have distribution centers with reliable partners in Kenya, Rwanda, and Nigeria by April 2021. “Kenya was one of the places where customers approached us through email and direct contact and for that reason, we understood the market potential of Kenya. Later on, some customers told us about the business potential of the e-commerce platform Jumia. After that, the firm’s approach changed and soon it intends to open up an office in Kenya for e-commerce business. ” he expounds. “I got much inspiration from the response which we got after redistributing from Jebel Ali Area and re-export our products to African countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and the Gambia. The company

soon intends to open up offices in Kenya for e-commerce business”. This project, he says, will in turn create jobs for local people in Kenya and the neighboring countries. Despite the company’s presence in the African market, the company will retain its warehousing facilities in the Jebel Ali Free Zone for redistribution to the continent. Currently, it has a product portfolio that spans LED televisions,

“

Our competitive edge lies in giving viewers quality gadgets and free content

”

display televisions for outdoor use, home theatre systems, soundbars, and power banks. With television being their biggest product portfolio, which has made the brand known and trusted. The company is currently working on increasing its supply channel and has the confidence of rolling out more products in the near future. Later on this year, the company is planning to introduce washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, and iron. With strong sales and sustained growth, the company is now poised to enter an ambitious phase of expansion into the larger African market. “Maser is planning to invest USD 300 Million in LED TVs, Aircon, washing machines for sale in the Middle East, and Africa over the next 3 years. We will be expanding our product portfolio by bringing new products such as display TVs for outdoor use and educational TVs. We have also done trial sampling for split air conditioners for the Middle East market and Africa. Later on, depending on the size of the market we have captured, we intend to do warehousing in Kenya,” the company said in a statement.

January-February 2021 I Inversk Magazine I 21

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MENTORSHIP

Acceleration and Incubation of Business to Strengthen Growth in 2021 Companies can benefit from joining the Ibuka program by getting visibility and exposure. The program exposes companies to both local and international investors in the capital market.

BY CATHERINE KHASOA

he Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) launched an incubation and acceleration program called the Ibuka. Ibuka is a Swahili word meaning to emerge. The program seeks to embrace small and medium sized companies through a 10 month incubation period. The program is designed around hosting on non-trading boards; which are the Incubator Board and the Accelerator Board. The program will enable select Kenyan companies such as the Optiven Group to fast-track its development by accessing financial advisors and consultants. Other benefits to the corporates include assistance in terms of structuring businesses, enhancement of visibility through a selection of communication channels and provision of exposure to local and international investors. Companies can benefit from joining the Ibuka program by getting visibility and exposure. The program exposes companies to both local and international investors in the capital market. The companies will gain credibility due to association with the NSE which is the largest securities Exchange in the region and one of the largest in Africa. The companies will also get expert advisory, through the consultant and advisors appointed to the incubation

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and accelerator boards. The consultants/advisors will offer technical expert advisory services to the companies to help improve their structures. The roll out of IBUKA came as many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) - despite being the largest employers - experience difficulties attracting financing for expansion due to risk-aversion among potential financiers. As a result, SMEs have been unable to grow or even qualify to meet the onerous requirements for listing on the NSE. The situation worsened after the tightening of regulations in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and the capping of interest rates in late 2016. The announcement by Optiven Group to be a part of IBUKA was officially made on the 23rd of March 2021 by the Directors – George Wachiuri – interim Chief Executive, Mary Wachuka – interim General Manager and Charles Muraguri – interim Director of Projects respectively. Through the decision, the company is expected to be officially onboarded to the Ibuka Program under the Accelerator board as players and stakeholders in Real Estate, Property Management, Hospitality and Construction. Speaking on the move to top managers serving under Optiven Group CEO Mr. George Wachiuri said ‘it is an exciting time for the

Optiven as we stand to be game changers in this fields. I am confident that together we are going to compete at next level basis while achieving our key objective of working with the IBUKA team to enable us develop our capabilities. After 20 years we are confident too that our operations will signal a definite growth patterns to showcase the difference that we have had in the market”. Mr. Wachiuri added that such growth is important to absorb the myriad Kenyans looking for jobs and who are not able to find gainful employment. The statement by Wachiuri was made as a number of companies issued profit warnings to their shareholders and is a repeat of his sentiments shared on 16th January 2020 where he urged the government to support growing enterprises for the purpose of job creation, while speaking on NTV AMLive programme. So how does the IBUKA program work? Through the program, the hostee companies, – often companies accepted into the program – are accepted after a rigorous evaluation and vetting process making. This is done in two phases PHASE I: The first is the incubation phase. This involves enhancing a company’s financial, technical, operational, commercial and strategic aspects of its businesses. PHASE II: Known as the acceleration phase, it enables a company to raise capital through debt and equity market. The company is mandated to also track valuation as well as produce specialized documents such as capital raising and equity raising reports. The IBUKA program which now has a total of 22 member companies. If successful, Optiven Group will be the 23rd member as the NSE targets to list their first firm from the IBUKA program. NSE chief executive Geoffrey Odundo says companies already in the program are at different stages of compliance as the program is helping the companies meet the required terms. Catherine Khasoa is the PR and Communications lead at Optiven Group. Y ou can reach her via pr@ optiven.co.ke

September 2020 I Inversk Magazine I 29

INVERSK MAGAZINE

FOCUS - ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The Dead End of a Business Idea Where you are on the business lifecycle will determine which of these key areas you will need to place the most emphasis on. With that in mind here are three key areas to ensure success. BY IAN DENNIS

F For the last couple of years, I have been on a journey with a number of entrepreneurs who applied for my Annual Business Walk, an initiative whose aim is immersing myself in entrepreneurs’ businesses and ideas towards their fruition. This is through advisory, business coaching, mentorship, training, and networking. The entrepreneurship journey is quite lonely and tough, and many times one is so engrossed working in the business than on working on the business. I try to bring the perspectives as to how one can work on the business because with that you hold a much strategic outlook on the business and are able to make decisions that have a much more far-reaching impact. Amongst the applicants that I recently engaged with was a gentleman named Allan (not his real name), who had applied for the initiative with a novel idea of aiding creatives to make a living. On paper the plans sound so good, this was until we had our one on one session that I, unfortunately, got to tear down his plan. Allan was on the verge of setting up a platform that would have him link artists to art buyers. The platform would be called The Art Gala. He was already in the process of initiating the development of the platform, but as I got to find out it was triggered by a few conversations and observations with a friend who is an artist. He has some interest in art, though he is not an artist but works full-time as a business development consultant in tech firms. I questioned him about his business canvas, with questions revolving around his value proposition, customer segments, and revenue streams which are key for any business. 22 I Inversk Magazine I June - July 2021

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On the value proposition, he only had the platform, which would have potential clientele visit. On the customer segment, he had foreigners who he narrowed as the art lovers who would purchase the art, and on revenue streams, he listed partnerships, promotion, and revenue share. Not quite clear where the money would be in this particular space. Despite how novel the idea may look, by googling I found quite a number existent. That is not quite the issue though, the issue is that why have many not quite succeeded more so in this part of the world. Are there no art lovers in Kenya? They definitely are! Is Art not a booming business? It definitely is as I know many who live of it. The questions and some of the lessons that I shared with Allan were as follows Understand the Customer: A business exists to cater to a pain point of a consumer by offering value. No business exists to serve itself. The Art Gala model did not quite understand the consumer and was riding on assumptions based on a few observations and conversations. Pertinent questions were not answered in the business model that would have it suitable for the consumer who is the art buyer such as, where and why do they buy their art from? How much is it that they are willing to spend on art? What is it that they look at when buying the art? What influences them towards buying their particular art? In the model, Allan had foreigners as the main target audience and the pertinent question is that how often or is there a time a foreigner buys local art? The times I have been at the Masai market I have never seen one with my own naked eyes. They mostly buy ornaments and clothes that they can immediately dress in. When I ask myself the reason, probably art is a bit cumbersome to move around with as they came for holiday, and highly likely if they are an art collector their exits a certain caliber of art or artists that they are lured to because of prestige. Resources: The tech business has little barrier to entry. If you know how to code or know someone who knows how to, you will already have a solution to offer the market. The downside is that whatever solution you are offering, highly likely there are existent players and too much market noise that you have to force yourself through. E - commerce for example you already got local and international competition through

Amazon, Alibaba, E-bay, Jumia, to just mention the least. Of course, there is still an opportunity to offer a unique value proposition, but at what cost will you compete and succeed? In the instance of Allan as alluded earlier is that his business model was already not conducive enough to provide a competitive advantage and value to existent stakeholders. The promise to the buyers is that he would offer a variety of art pieces to be bought, and the promise to the artist is that he

“

every idea is feasible and none can be immediately cast out without valid criticism

”

will get market. In order to have the platform significant in the market, he will need to concurrently speak the language of both critical stakeholders, the buyer, and the seller. To attract them onto the platform he needs sufficient resources to bridge the existent gap through marketing, awareness, and an execution team. Most tech businesses never get to

see the light of day due to insufficient resources in place. It is one thing to have a tech product, it is another thing for the product to get enough traction to serve a sufficient market. In conclusion, every idea is feasible and none can be immediately cast out without valid criticism. For an idea to disrupt or stand a chance to market and become sustainable, it must present forth a valid business proposition and have with it sufficient resources to give it a chance. The customer is at the center of any creation, if you do not serve their needs the business can survive. A fuel to have the business run is resources, people, and cash, if unavailable, the business is grounded.

Ian is the Head of Innovation at the Standard Group Plc and the host for The BusinessCoach on KTN. He is an avid writer, trained Business Coach and entrepreneur June - July 2021 I Inversk Magazine I 23

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ENTREPRENEURS

How this Kenyan IDP Became a CEO

BY INVERSK TEAM

o be an entrepreneur, “If you want to do it, do it now, if you don’t you will regret it.” Luis Kinuthia’s journey is a testament to this. He is the co-founder and CEO of E merging Markets Consulting, an inspiration who beat all odds to follow his dreams. He went through a series of business difficulties but just like a Phoenix, he rose from his own ashes. Luis Kinuthia was born and bred in Nakuru. Together with his brother, sister, and parents, they resided in a small village called Shogosho in Elburgon located deep in the heart of Mau Forest. He attended a primary school called Mutate which according to his vivid description was made of basic structure such as wood with neither doors and windows nor cemented floors. When they started their classes, they had to, “come with water to settle the dust.” His parents are both teachers and according to him, his mother taught in the same school he was in, rendering him to be called ‘mtoto wa mwalimu.’His father was a High school teacher in Nairobi. Just like a typical village boy, Luis tilled the land and looked after the cattle. In class 6, Luis was sent to stay at his aunty however, his stay was cut short after 18 months and he had

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to go back home to help manage livestock and till the land back at home. However, Luis narrates the life-changing story of him and his family being displaced. He recalls the 2007 dreadful election clashes, as the neighboring community came to attack after the announcement of the election results. He remembers how they were forced to run for their lives in the middle of the night. “We woke up to hearing screams and saw fires from our neighbors torched houses. We had to run and we only left with the only clothes we had on.” Despite none of his family members being injured, he saw many of their friends and neighbors being ferried with arrow and panga bruises. The clashes led to them falling under the arms of the government and being dependent on everything. This resulted in them moving from one relative to the next before they finally got a new place. When driving back to the site with his parents they only to found their house in ashes. “I don’t miss the livestock and the field, the only thing I miss most is photographs. My childhood from birth to the age of 14 was wiped away,” he says. Luis says after the clashes what was left of the memories is a few pictures that were handed down to him by his

relatives. These pictures, he says, are much treasured. Luis acknowledges God for where he is today. He says that he was lucky to be one of those who survived together with their parents and even managed to get a scholarship. His entrepreneurship’s journey can be said to be that of a horse’s ride – it looked up and down but had a one-twostep forward motion. At first, according to him, he was that ‘geek kid’ who thought his life was going to be all academia. Secondly, he was studying something totally different to business; Actuarial Science. He however came to change and attributes his entrepreneurial mindset to one Brian Karina, a guy he met on the campus. He says that it was Brian who introduced and got him interested in entrepreneurship. Luis narrates how he felt intimidated by his friends during his 1st and 2nd years on the campus. According to him, they seemed so brilliant with everything figured out for them and “felt sort of like a loser and had to step up.” “My friends would be talking about how their businesses are doing and how many employees they had, that made me wonder if we all were in the same school.” Being the bright kid that Luis was, it is not to our astonishment that his very business idea was to write a book. Luis was so much into Philosophy and drawing his inspiration from the likes of Pepe Minambo. He wanted to write on changing how people think but unfortunately had to give up this idea after the realization that he lacked enough material for it was a philosophy entailed material. However, he still has his drafts. Luis moved to the next business venture which was the selling of juice and coffee at school. Coffee selling in particular did so well given they were based at the ‘cold Karatina’ area. The coffee was a big hit among students and lecturers who thought they were in the food science department because of how good the coffee was. His next venture was in liquid soap supply. According to Luis, this was some good business that unfortunately had to be put to an end after they cleared campus. After School, Luis merged with four friends to start FinSAL Savannah, a business he considers his first Start-up.

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FinSAL Savannah was an agribusiness involving growing fish in a friend’s pond in Kisii and getting fundraisers. Once they sell, they would reimburse the guy’s investment plus the start-up commission. The business went on well then came to a standstill. All the fish were stolen resulting to huge losses. Luis blames this on their remote operation of the business. After a few months, Luis landed himself in the show, ‘ The Lion’s Den’ in the year 2017 where together with his friends pitched their prototype for helmet liners. According to him and his friends, the liners were meant for hygiene purposes since the helmet is over-shared. The ‘Lion’s Den’ helped them get investors but they fell out afterward and did not have enough capital to start on their own. Luis says that the fallout, though painful, motivated them to work harder so as to generate capital considering it was the main challenge. “Nobody has done the idea as we had envisioned it. People have come up with such innovations but they are still room to actually improve on it, it’s something we can embark on once we have enough capital.” Luis finally got a job with a micro-insurance company which he says shared a similar vision of helping people who don’t have insurance get access. They did so by helping them get products that resonate with them. This is where Luis got the bulk of his experience. The CEO, Richard Leftley, was his great friend who offered to mentor him in the field. When the time was ripe, Luis branched out and decided to build his own thing thus Emerging Markets Consulting was born. According to Luis, many people find it difficult transition from employment to entrepreneurship. It was a whole different case for them as it was easy to get clients and manage themselves and the business. Having launched it during a pandemic Luis says they “had never had a better year than 2020.” He adds that remote operations contributed to their success. One of the lessons that Luis learned during the coronavirus pandemic has two sides; those who suffered from it and those who benefited. When asked about why he prefers partnerships in business he says he came to this realization when in his third year. Luis realized that education was not giving him much information as he needed and decided to bring people together to contribute to a common goal. “ I am not the smartest. I am not the most brilliant person you will ever meet but I have a way of putting people together and driving them towards a common

objective,” he says. Luis says that in his partnerships he prioritizes alignment, especially of business goals. According to him, he would not go for a money-driven partner. He also likes to clearly set out engagement terms with potential partners. This is important to him because when the matrix of measuring success comes in, it will determine whether they agree or not. He adds that having clear objectives and a direct understanding of where you are headed is key for any partnership. Luis prefers to venture into business with people he has known for a long time especially over 2 years because he needs people whose strengths and weaknesses he is aware of. L uis ’ ins uranc e c ompany, E merging Markets Consulting was created to provide inclusive insurance solutions to the under-served. The ones who are not included in the insurance industry. According to Luis, Kenyan insurance products cater for only 10%, and the remaining 90% remaining are not catered for. T he traditional insurance companies have lost their interest in the people since they do not

understand them. This is because of the lack of information about the bulk of the Kenyan people. Luis’ services contextualize a product for his clients, unlike the traditional insurance companies. They do so by use of Human-Centered Design that helps understand the customers. Luis and his team go to the ground to invest in research and then create prototype products based on the understanding of their customer. They create solutions for their customers and then test to get customer’s views. When unsatisfied, they do iteration which is to re-design based on the customer’s views. They do so until they achieve the desired outcome. Luis believes that everyone should keep going and should keep doing their best. He says that when we keep going, the next step might not really lead us to where we want to be but it will lead us to somewhere equally important. “Do the best with the resources you have now, the doors will open and your success will make sense when you look behind and join the dots not when in the journey.” For business, Luis can be reached through luis@ emerging-markets.africa or via his LinkedIn account. June - July 2021 I Inversk Magazine I 25

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ENTREPRENEURS

How Rose Mwangi rose from an Empty Bookstore to Becoming the CEO of Africa Book Hub Her love for reading stretches back to her childhood, where she would be fascinated by her dad's passion for reading. “My association with books began when I was a little girl, my father being a reader, encouraged me to join him.

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BY INVERSK TEAM From starting an online book without a single book, Rose Mwangi’s entrepreneurship journey is an interesting one. She is living proof that investing in your passion can make you money. Her love for reading stretches back to her childhood, where she would be fascinated by her dad's passion for reading. “My association with books began when I was a little girl, my father being a reader, encouraged me to join him when he was reading, later when he started a bookshop in our local town, I would go there frequently and had my own reading corner and I would,” Rose told Inversk in an interview. As she puts it, her’s was a case of

“reading parent raising a reading child.” Today, she is the Founder and Business Leader at Africa Book Hub, a business trainer, and a player in the transport business. Before she started African Book Hub six years ago, Rose had just left corporate employment and was also reeling from a failed food business, meaning resources were not readily available to her. Her love for books a self-belief and faith is what sailed her through the turbulent start. She began w ith an online store https://africanbookhub.co.ke/ which she operated from her house cutting out on rent. In the store she initially only uploaded books that she knew where to source from thereby cutting down on inventory cost Whenever a client ordered a book, she would buy an extra copy. With time she found herself with enough books to start a business. Most clients came from her friends’ circle and referrals. The big break came when her first client, a former workmate, and a friend, ordered over 7,000 worth of books. This helped her kick-start her business to where it is now. From there on, she has grown from strength to strength. One of the things that help her grow consistently is constantly telling people what she does, adding that, “It does not pride to talk about what you do.” Her first book store was not a conventional one, it was an office space offered by Space International. Rose approached Dr. Esther Muchemi, her sister and the CEO of Samchi Group with the idea of what she was doing. Her sister rented her an office space for one year at a very considerable price. The agreement was that after the year elapses, Rose would have found her footing and move to her own space. She says that although it was not your normal book store, it was a “step forward” and enabled her to hire her first employee. True to her word, Dr. Muchemi called her to hand back the office space one year later, despite Rose’s attempts to

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hang on for a few more months. Coincidentally, Rose and her husband had identified a space along Kiambu Road. She could open her first book store outlet at the premises and stay there for three years before moving to a bigger store in the same neighborhood early in 2020. Today, African Book Hub boasts of two stores, one in Kiambu road and another in Absa Plaza in Nairobi’s CBD. When Covid- 19 struck, her business was directly hit as schools closed immediately thereafter. Rose a fighter per excellence considered this a close of one season and the start of another. One she would have to fight to stay afloat. With these in mind, she had to make the difficult decision to let go of her employees to preserve the business”. She would open the Kiambu shop by herself, doing everything on her own. She also negotiated a deal with the landlord for her

other shop which kept it running. These shrewd moves saw the business stand strong and do even better during the lockdown period, a time when people were more inclined to read. Rose being a reader debunks the common notion that Africans are not readers, Kenyans in particular, terming it as a stereotype meant to bar Africans from the benefits of reading. She argues that most of the time it is constantly repeated to make Africans believe it and keep them down. She advises that Kenyans make deliberate efforts to become readers by creating associations and circles that will encourage reading. As such, later in 2020, she started The Fountain Bookclub - a reading club where members read and discuss one book per month. She offers a roadmap to develop a reading culture, as well as transform lives through books by urging

novice readers to “start small and read right.” She advises that one can begin by reading small volumes and move up to more complex ones all while adhering to a strict reading schedule. For instance, one can purpose to read one chapter a day, two chapters in three days, etc., and improve along the reading journey. Moreover, our passionate heroine says that it is easier to instill reading culture in children so that they grow with it from a tender age. Finally, put into practice what you read by incorporating it into the daily lives. “Reading is to the soul what food is to the body.” She says. One of her inspirational books is “Give Me My Mountain” by Dr. Esther Muhemi published in 2018. The story holds a lot of significance for Rose since it is a story she can relate to and has seen unfold. Also, Africa Book Hub was highly involved in coming up with the book, putting months of work into editing and presentations until its launch in November 2018. The book went ahead to become the best seller not only at the Africa book Hub bookstore but in many other leading bookstores in Nairobi This book was so successful that a workbook was developed in 2020 with the aim of helping entrepreneurs interrogate their entrepreneurial journey in relation to Dr. Esther's journey. It has also given birth to the “Rising Entrepreneurs Class,” a training course that started in March 2021 and is hosted at the After 40 Hotel. The class targets people in different levels of transitions, from people in employment seeking to exit to entrepreneurship, people seeking to scale up in businesses as well as entrepreneurs seeking to shift from one field to another. At the end of the course, the graduates will get a chance to pitch their ideas to a panel, where the author will be a panelist, with the possibility of getting mentorship, investment for the ideas or both.

June - July 2021 I Inversk Magazine I 27

INVERSK MAGAZINE

ENTREPRENEURS

George Njoroge’s Code World: Bringing Solutions to the Legal Industry Enfinite Solutions, the company he helped to start, offer 6 main products targeting law firms and legal departments. The first suite has been around for ten years and contains three products to law firms through software. The second suite was made for legal departments.

BY INVERSK TEAM

t is a widely known fact that the legal fraternity involves a lot of writing, so much that Franz Kafka, a twentieth-century author famously said that “A lawyer is a person who writes a 10,000-word document and calls it a brief.” However, all this writing is not an easy task, on the contrary, it’s a time- consuming activity. Many legal documents are systematic, lengthy, and repetitious. They require careful c ons truc tion, s truc ture , de s ig n, org anizatio n, and multiple cross-referencing. There has always been a need to streamline or automate these processes. In comes George Njoroge, CEO of Enfinite Solutions, who has heard this cry and seeks a lasting solution. Enfinite Solutions is a software technology 28 I Inversk Magazine I June - July 2021

company that specializes in enabling all sizes of legal firms and departments to have easier and convenient management systems. George started his company in 2011, however, the dream came way before that. He began when he and his university friends were employed at the same software company dealing with Saccos’ financial systems. This was unusual at the time since they had all majored in electronic and computer engineering. Nevertheless, their employer at the time pushed them out of their comfort zones for he believed that “engineers made the best coders.” Ultimately, George and his friends learned how to code, understood financial systems, record management among others to revamp the company’s desktop applications to web- based applications, etc.

Enfinite solutions idea was born when George and his comrades decided to merge their expertise and experience to land different gigs to make websites off work. Luckily for them, as George remarks, this never interfered with their jobs. The team eventually left the company at different intervals, with George leaving last after 3 years of employment. Thereafter, Enfinite Solutions upgraded from being a concept to a company when George left employment. He took the bold step to start this business since it was his passion from childhood. Our man attributes his mindset and grit to pursue the challenging life of an entrepreneur from his parents, who were both self-employed. “When leaving employment, our CEO had a ready product (property rental manage

INVERSK MAGAZINE

ENTREPRENEURS

ment software) and a few contacts within the industry but no ready client.” Through referrals, he got 3 clients for the software and his persistence began to bear fruits. Later, George found himself in the legal world somewhat inadvertently. He was contracted by Igeria and Ngugi advocates to develop effective software to manage the firm’s files and records. George realized that there was a niche in the legal industry and specialized Enfinite solutions for that particular market. He developed a module to offer software solutions to legal firms and departments. law firms such as TripleOKLaw Advocates, KN Law LLP, Mohammed Muigai Advocates, CM Advocates, Muma and Kanjama who are just a few of his clients. This shift to the sector however proved to be extremely challenging, the Enfinite Ceo explains that his first client came after 13 months. Before that, he would do demos without any form of conversion and had to turn to his family and friends for support.

He has been able to work with other George admits that it is very difficult for people to understand when you articulate your vision, however, when they see you putting in the work, they are prompted to believe in you. He has never looked back since. Currently, Enfinite solutions offer 6 main products targeting law firms and legal departments. The first suite has been around for ten years and contains three products to law firms through software. The second suite was made for legal departments.

you with statistics and predictions. An example is they show the growth rate of the law firm and also provides you with estimated clients you can have in the next five years. Suite targeted to the legal department 1. EliteLegal - It’s a Matter management software (this is a solution that brings details and data that is events, documents, events, tasks, vendors and people into a system of record for your legal department).

2. EliteContract - Contract life cycle management software. The software enables you to Suite targeted to law firms 1. WakiliCMS - Caters for operations in check on contracts that are expiring, that need a law firm- Client registration, File to be updated, which one needs to be opening, billing of clients, HR systems approved, which vendor has not met their KPI’s among others. 2. EliteLaw - Mainly targeted for smaller law firms and sole practitioners 3. EliteGRC - Governance Risk and Compliance 3. LawAnalytix - It's main data software, enables you to conduct an internal analytics where it provides information audit, reduce operational risk, gain control over from the two law firm systems and incident management plans, streamline provides communication and also helps in complying with regulatory authorities. Enfinite solutions license out their software as a secure service, which George assures, safeguards clients’ information. On the risks of security breaches, He explains that these can originate from either the vendor or clients. According to him, most security issues occur internally whereby people use generic passwords like password 123. To curb this, Enfinite solutions separate their client’s databases to avoid data leakages and also sign NDAs to tighten the security and avoid data theft. “The systems are built in a way that passwords are given an expiration date after a while, they also contain web application firewalls and SSL encryption to cater for the security of the legal firms and departments,” says George. George’s success has been attained because he grasped some major entrepreneurial skills along the way. In addition to his technical skills, he says leadership skills played a major role in not only having a team but also managing his clients. Currently, George has a small team that he teaches how to code and mentors. The tech wiz is also a director with his brother, David Njoroge at Igeria and Ngugi Advocates. The brother is also a partner at the firm and is in charge of dispute resolution at the prestigious firm. “It’s mainly listening to your staff and clients, however, managing is not easy but you learn through interaction,” George says. George is passionate about coding, terming it as the “passion to bring something to life” and advises anyone interested to start doing so. To become a good coder, the tech master recommends that one must ‘understand the problem you want to solve, in the shortest time possible.’ Since software products provide a solution, they should not keep on crashing. June - July 2021 I Inversk Magazine I 29

INVERSK MAGAZINE

ENTREPRENEURS

At Loise Kamanu's Modest Collections, a Shelf Storage is Ksh.1500 and Delivery ni Teke Teke If you have an online store, Modest Collections will offer you a shelf from as low as Ksh.1500 per month as well as in-house delivery services by her TEKE TEKE team at a separate cost, you may view their rate card at www.modestkenya.com

BY MICHAEL J. PADILLA

BY INVERSK TEAM

Entrepreneurship is all about identifying a problem and providing a solution. Loise Kamanu CEO and founder of Modest Collections, a Nairobi- based courier company, has and continues to live the true definition of an entrepreneur. She was recently hosted by Inversk Magazine Publisher, Kimani Patrick on his weekly show. Loise, a graduate of counseling Psychology from the University of Nairobi w as not alw ays into entrepreneurship. Despite coming from an entrepreneurship background, she never at once imagined she would turn to be one. After her internship, she landed a job as a land sales lady. A job she did for only 6 months and decided to quit due to family pressure to start something of her own. In 2015, her sister encouraged her to come and get experience at her 30 I Inversk Magazine I June - July 2021

shop, she joined her sister in her business for 3 years, and that sparked her to have something of her own. She used her savings from a Chama to import bags from China via Alibaba and sold them online. However, there was a challenge, she needed storage space, and that's how she got her first store in Ngara. With storage space and maximizing use of online platforms, her business was doing well. She took a bank loan to buy the first bike that she used for deliveries. Her network of business friends, would at times use her bike for their deliveries, and that's when Loise saw a need to have efficient delivery services. It's these needs that transitioned Modest Collections from selling Merchandise to offering delivery services. Modest Collections now not only offers delivery services but also a storage facility for online sellers. The startup stores your products, advertise them for you, takes inventory, and finally delivers them to your clients. Interestingly if you

import products, they pick the products for you too, sort and stock take on your behalf, simply helping you make money from home. If you have an online store, Modest Collections will offer you a shelf from as low as Ksh.1500 per month as well as in-house delivery services by her TEKE TEKE team at a separate cost, you may v ie w the ir rate card at www.modestkenya.com. If one needs parceling services to other counties, they have partnered with fellow courier companies to ensure clients can send out parcels countrywide. Like most other businesses, the COVID pandemic affected the running of Modest Collections. By the fact that most of her clients are online sellers, who depend on the importation of merchandise, Modest collections were greatly affected by the pandemic due to restrictions of importation that were placed, which totally slowed business. Loise admits that the biggest lesson she learned from this season was effective communication and diversification in business. When we say communication, it means you inform your employees, bank, landlord, suppliers of the current situation and what to expect, so you may work around a suitable plan for all. When it comes to diversification, don't put all your eggs in one basket whereby, she restructured and added a storage facility for online sellers. As CEO, having mentors and networks is paramount for an entrepreneur, Loise believes a mentor could be anyone you can learn from and who challenges you to be better. Knowledge is also key, for her reading books is a go-to as she believes that "knowledge is power." She, however, cautions and says she is selective when grasping advice by sieving what is good and not good. She admits that she has learned a lot in her entrepreneurship journey. First, consistency is key. She says that with passion and resilience you need to push your dream without no giving up. “This is the only way your brand will grow,". Another lesson is discipline, this means being diligent with time and work ethic. Lastly, Loise says “in business, you can't have everything figured out, every day is an opportunity to learn.”

INVERSK MAGAZINE

ECONOMY

Inside the Kenyan Government’s Continued Quest to Widen the Tax Base Of the various tax measures that were introduced in 2020 and that are taking effect this year, I would like to concentrate on the following two, the Digital Services Tax (DST) and minimum tax.

BY TODDY THAIRU

he year 2020 was one of the toughest that Kenyans have faced in recent memory. This has largely been as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that the world has been grappling with since the first case was reported in the country was reported in March 2020. At the time, a majority of Kenyans would not have imagined the impact that the pandemic would have on our economy and just about every other aspect of our lives. Following the onset of COVID19 in Kenya and the subsequent social and economic effects, P resident Kenyatta on 25 March 2020 introduced a number of fiscal and non- fiscal measures to cushion the country against the effects of COVID-19. The fiscal measures were submitted to the National Assembly under the Tax Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (the Bill) for consideration and approval. It only took

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about a month from the submission of the Bill to the National Assembly to the assent of the same by the President on 25 April 2020. This was unusually fast but at the time, it was a testament to the Government’s commitment to cushioning Kenyans from the adverse impact of COVID-19. Nevertheless, it’s important to note that the relief measures have since lapsed even as the COVID-19 effects exacerbate. For businesses, it’s important to understand some of these tax measures so as to plan for them accordingly as some of these taxes are bound to adversely affect the way businesses operate in Kenya. Of the various tax measures that were introduced in 2020 and that are taking effect this year, I would like to concentrate on the following two, the Digital Services Tax (DST) and minimum tax. Under Kenyan tax law, DST is defined as a tax payable by a person whose income is derived or accrued from

Kenya through the provision of service via a digital marketplace. Essentially, a digital marketplace is a platform that enables the direct interaction between buyers and sellers of goods and services through electronic means. Some of the services that are subject to DST include the provision of downloadable digital content including mobile applications, e-books, and films; streaming platforms (such as Netflix, Showmax, Spotify); provision of a digital marketplace (such as Glovo, AirBnB, Uber, etc); subscription-based media including news, magazines, and journals; electronic data management including website hosting, online data warehousing, file-sharing, and cloud storage services; online distance training or courses just to name but a few. Nevertheless, online services provided by Government institutions e.g the E-Citizen platform and online services which facilitate payments, lending, or trading of financial instruments, commodities or foreign exchange carried out by financial institutions and financial service providers are exempt from DST. DST is applicable at a rate of 1.5% of the gross revenue which is payable by the 20th of the month following that which the digital service was offered. It also applies to resident persons as well as non-residents without a place of business in Kenya. These would include the likes of Facebook, Google, Amazon, Y ouTube who provide digital services and earn an income in Kenya without necessarily having a presence in Kenya. Residents affected by the DST include foreign companies that have set up in Kenya including companies such as Uber, Glovo, etc. Other residents affected include local digital marketers, influencers, and content creators. While the introduction of DST raised concerns amongst local digital service providers such as content creators, influencers, and digital marketers, it is largely a great move for the country in its bid to expand the tax base. This is especially the case where non-resident businesses such as Facebook, Netflix, Google, Twitter are concerned. These

INVERSK MAGAZINE

ECONOMY

businesses have been deriving income from Kenya and have previously not been obligated to pay any tax in Kenya. DST is also not specific to Kenya but is rather part of a global trend that is being championed by various organizations against big tech companies in an effort to compel them to pay their fair share of taxes in developing countries, where they also derive some of their income. F or lo c a l d ig it a l s e r v ic e providers and digital marketplace providers, DST operates as an advance tax that will be credited a g a in s t a n nu a l c orporation tax payable. It is therefore not a new tax per se but will serve to bring more people into the tax net in a bid to expand the tax base. On the other hand, the introduction of minimum tax has come under heavy criticism from both tax professionals as well as businesses in general. The minimum tax is a tax on the gross income of businesses operating in Kenya that is charged at the rate of 1%. This essentially

means that unless specifically exempted, companies operating within the Kenyan territory are obligated to pay 1% tax on their gross income regardless of whether they are in a profit or loss- making position. The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has remained adamant that minimum tax has been necessitated by the many Kenyan businesses that continuously report losses despite being in business for many years. Also, KRA insists that every taxpayer must contribute to the national cake for purposes of nation- building. W hile KRA may have some justification as to the possibility of businesses fictitiously reporting continued losses so as to avoid paying taxes, these are issues that KRA can deal with on a case-by-case basis through tax audits and investigation processes. This would be a fairer way of dealing with such businesses as opposed to the introduction of a

“

Digital Service Tax is not a new tax per se but will serve to bring more people into the tax net in a bid to expand the tax base

minimum tax which will also hurt genuine businesses that are struggling to break even and are therefore reporting genuine business losses. This is especially true during the current times that businesses are struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic. These genuine business concerns have led to two court cases challenging the constitutionality of the minimum tax provisions in Kenya. One case was filed by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) in the High Court in Nairobi. The second one was filed by the Isinya East Sub County Bar Owners Association at the High Court in Machakos. The petitioners in the Machakos case were seeking among other things, conservatory orders against the implementation of minimum tax pending the hearing and determination of the case. These orders have since been issued meaning that minimum tax currently remains suspended until the matter is heard and determined. While this signifies a temporary reprieve to taxpayers, it remains to be seen whether the same will be made permanent when the matter is heard and determined. For now, taxpayers can expect the Government to continue on its quest to increase the tax base in Kenya through new tax measures especially given that the budget is set to be read in June of this year as is the norm. Unfortunately, there’s every likelihood and indication that ne w tax me asure s w ill be introduced despite the persistence of the COVID-19 situation. It’s therefore likely to get much worse before it gets better for Kenyan taxpayers.

”

Toddy Thairu is the director and Lead Consultant at Astute Consulting. Reach him via tmwangi@ astuteconsulting.co.ke

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INVERSK MAGAZINE

COMMUNICATIONS

BY SELFINE ONYANGO

3 Ways PR Can Impact Your Business

With the digital space having evolved and matured over time, having a clear brand voice especially on social media becomes integral to any business.

ublic Re lations and Communications are for spin masters. I cannot emphasize how many times I have heard that statement thrown at Public Relations (PR) professionals. Though usually shared from a negative point of view, we are indeed spin masters only that, we actually work for the better of your organization. In my campus days, our lecturers always referenced how relational Public Relations and Communications as a career are. Of course, it made sense I mean it’s Communications. However, it was not until I got into the market, that I understood this relational bit and how critical our role as communicators is to a business brand, reputation, and overall success. Many a time, organizations d o w np la y t he s ig nif ic a nc e o f communications and its impact on the bottom line. The most common excuse being it is too expensive or we have no budget allocation for it. Well, if you check on a majority of successful businesses, they have tremendously invested in their PR and marketing efforts. If done right from the onset, PR can reap enormous benefits for businesses. So, here are three ways PR can impact your business.

is to influence your target audience’s view of who you are as an organization. Ideally, you want to be perceived from your most presentable side and that is precisely what a PR professional helps you with. Please note, I stated from your most presentable side and not coming up with a side altogether. Brand perception and identity stems from how you as an organization want to be perceived and if that personality resonates with your target audience. Having an understanding of your brand’s personality sets the tone for how you communicate and in essence, what you choose to communicate. For example, if your brand’s personality is competence, your communication and tone will exude re s pons ibility, e ffic ie nc y, be ing dependable and successful. However, if your personality is excitement, your communication would be imaginative, daring, spirited and youthful. With the digital space having evolved and matured over time, having a clear brand voice especially on social media becomes integral to any business.

PR increases brand visibility: PR works hand in hand with marketing. The major difference being, PR helps tell your story from various point of view. It shares your brand’s why to your target audience in the most authentic and relatable way. As PR helps with brand perception and David Ogilvy rightly put it, “the more you identity: As PR experts, our overall goal tell, the more you sell”. In applying different PR tools and 34 I Inversk Magazine I June - July 2021

activities, PR professionals help share your brand’s story via various channels. These could be via media relations, social media, business events, speaking engagements and partnerships. All these activities help showcase your brand and if the messaging is done correctly, provides increased positive brand visibility. At the end of the day, for you to sell, people need to know you and your product or service. For example, collaborating with an influencer that resonates with your target audience, will not help you reach a wider audience but can also have a Return On Investment when they actually purchase your products after the influencer exposes them to your product. The key to influencer relations is in identifying the right influencer, it is not the number of followers here, but rather in their credibility, value-add, and overall influence on the audience targeted. Another way is to tell your story through your staff. Having them share it from their point of view, is not a great way to have advocates but, it gives a human aspect to your brand and a relatable one for that matter. PR increases brand credibility: If asked why you engaged with any business, one of the answers would be because you felt you could trust them. Trust is a key component in the buying process and for that matter, being perceived as trustworthy is critical for any business. How then do you create trust? Some ways include being consistent with your service delivery, responding to relevant customer inquiries, and sharing helpful information with your target audience. Over time, this gives you credibility and with that comes authority. PR experts help with this by providing strategic counsel on the best activity to engage in for maximum impact. Other ways to achieve credibility include thought leadership pieces, influencer connections, and networking strategies. Bearing this in mind, strategy plays a key role in determining how best to apply these PR aspects to your business strategy. If you have no idea where you are headed with your communication, executing it will be the most tedious task. However, if well planned and executed Public Relations and Communications can yield great remarkable results for your business.

Selfine Communications professional with experience in PR Strategy Development, Media Relations, Social Media Management and Event Management.

INVERSK MAGAZINE

SOCIETY

Building a Resilient and Mentally Healthy Workforce

Adopting a listening strategy and culture keeps you as the business owner to be aware of the disruptions and stresses your employees and clients are going through.

BY MERCY RUBIE

Mental health is a state of wellbeing and not just the absence of a mental illness. It’s the capacity to live your best life and productively deal with the challenges we’re faced with. Mental health resilience involves exploring our stressors to identify unique strategies that allow us to recover, renew and practice regular positive and healthy habits or responses when faced with stress or unfavorable situations. There's no better way to learn a new skill than from one another as iron sharpens iron. Additionally, just like any other skill, mastery of mental health resilience comes with practice. How then can we create a mentally

healthy environment for our employees? By creating support and resources to support the diverse teams in our businesses to manage their mental health and that of their families; Creating awareness on mental health; Training management team to support their teams; Reducing mental health stigma so our people are free to talk about mental health; Shifting from a reactive to a preventive approach towards mental health; Leading the conversations on mental health from the top; Provide flexible work schedules to meet non- work needs; Encouraging employees to focus on mental health or to take time off; Providing access to mental health professionals among many other ways. Adopting a listening strategy and culture keeps you as the business owner to be aware of the disruptions and stresses your employees and clients are going through. According to a people survey

that was conducted by KPMG in 2020, it showed that most employees considered leaders who demonstrated empathy and emotional intelligence to be their preferred employers of choice. Employees who felt their wellbeing was prioritized during the pandemic proved to be more productive according to the survey. In addition, the retention rates for businesses that kept their employees more engaged and prioritized their wellbeing were higher than their counterparts. COVID-19 has and continues to present a test to every business owner’s leadership abilities and personal resilience. Navigating through the complexities of protecting your people, their health, and livelihood while upholding the goals and targets of your business requires high levels of resilience. This pandemic has brought with it the need to lead with greater purpose, impact, to embrace empathy and humanity which starts by being mentally healthy and understanding what matters to your workforce and clients. How will you as a business owner build your individual mental health resilience? Is it through delegating so you have less on your to-do list, hiking, doing physical exercise, spending time with family, eating healthy, finding humor in your daily life, making time for your hobbies, setting realistic goals for your business, or revising productivity metrics for your employees? During times of tumult and uncertainty, CEOs and business owners are wise to stay tuned in to employee sentiments. By understanding employee needs and preferences, leaders can better manage talent risk and support business growth. In the end, mental health is as crucial as our physical and financial health and we need to take care of our health. As business owners, we should have a commitment to protect our health and that of our employees both physically and mentally to enable them and ourselves to be more effective and productive.

Mercy Maina is a trained risk auditor and certified counselor. She helps people live intentionally and truthfully by exploring their thoughts, emotions and feelings.

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38 I Inversk Magazine I January - February 2021

INVERSK MAGAZINE

TECHNOLOGY

Rise of QR Code Technology in Covid-19 Pandemic With the coronavirus pandemic, most businesses are interlocking the technology with their business models. Hotels now have digital menus where you scan for your menu replacing old traditional ordering menus.

BY GEOFREY MUGO

Q QR codes seem to be the new mammoth in transactions nowadays within this Covid-19 pandemic era. QR codes, short for "Quick Response codes", involves the use of bar codes that are read by mobile phones to complete transactions in terms of digital payments. The rise of QR code technology has been led by the global pandemic as a way of avoiding one on one contact. In developed and developing economies, different government- run systems are switching to technology as a key front to solve the Covid- 19 pandemic. Those black and white patterns are finally taking off. Let me dive into the three major sector shift of the technology which is Hotel, Health, and Travel. With the coronavirus pandemic, most businesses are interlocking the technology with their business models. Hotels now have digital menus where you scan for your menu replacing old traditional ordering menus. The software tool has made the paper format to become obsolete. Perusing menus has now become a thing of the past. Moreover, the distribution of information between hotels and clients has become more customer-centric. Safety procedures and protocols are being laid down through the use of QR codes. In my opinion, the hotel business seems to have taken a dynamic shift on transactions for purposes of coping with the new norms globally. Travel regulations have also changed and tour companies are using QR codes as proof of healthy travelers moving from one country to another. Physical exchange, a major contributor to the pandemic has forced travel agencies to rethink their strategies on customer

journey interaction. Tap, scan, and go is their new slogan. For instance, we are no longer seeing queues within the travel network due to the adaptability of a quick and efficient processing system known as the QR code system. Moreover tracking data has evolved companies to get to know user interactions on their platforms which in turn give information used for revenue uptakes within their sales model. Digital health has revolutionized the health sector in the past year since the pandemic erupted. One way that health providers are relaying information is through the use of health applications or so-called "health apps". The rise of QR codes arises in the transfer of data from health providers to the end-users. We have seen recently in the health industry adoption of digital certificates which help users evaluate their health status. This transfer of data is led through QR code technology. Also, the digital health codes which analyze one’s history travel to determine whether they are a threat to people are proof that the technology works.

In terms of security issues, the users want health apps that are compatible with companies that let them keep their own data. In winding up, there is no doubt that the three sectors have led to an up growth in QR code technology. Each sector is affected differently but the technological process is the same. Furthermore having been a witness to the surge of the covid19 pandemic, I do believe that QR codes will be the future of transactions since the innovation is gaining traction at a fast pace. Lastly, new technologies are led by a shift in market changes, and in this case Covid-19 pandemic is leading the market to QR code system hence the uptake.

Geofrey is a fintech strategist and the Founder at Framework Concpets June - July 2021 I Inversk Magazine I 37

INVERSK MAGAZINE

FASHION BUSINESS

The Strained Change In African Fashion Industry From Inadvertent COVID-19 The global community is currently paying attention to African fashion, as there is an itching appetite across the world for African designers to curate new lines, serve local consumers, and enter global markets.. storytelling around benefit, purpose, values, experience, and authenticity. A few questions they need to ask;

BY IRINA STASIUK

he novel coronavirus is indeed a human tragedy that has ravaged hundreds of thousands of lives. With its growing impact on the global economy, its effect is steadily trickling down to affecting the lifestyle of people in all regards. With the governments across the board launching unpre cede nted public - health and economic responses, there is a daily evolution and which in turn is changing the face of the fashion industry in Africa. "Fashion changes all the time. It is not a piece of fabrics, it a full history," says Dennis Osadebe, founder of the Nairobi- based D&D Clothing. Fashion is a germane facet that is imbued in one of the basic needs of life (clothing), but we will not shy from the fact that fashion is a secondary need during the ongoing pandemic and not a necessity, like food and medical care. Frankly, the post- COV ID- 19 customer won't be an emotional buyer again, but an emerging realistic and logical buyer when buying clothing products. Then, the posing question is how would you apposition your brand to feed people like that? This is a lingering factor that needs to be triggered in minds towards the face change of the fashion industry in Africa. The major determining factors

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affecting consumer buying behavior are quality, price, trust, availability, frequent advertisement, sales promotion, brand image, freshness, and habits. However, the triggering factors that affect fashion enthusiasts' shopping behavioral patterns are brand reputation, brand value, simulation/trial facilities, and personalization possibilities, and store attractiveness concerning products and services. Hence, African consumers have become more ope n- minde d and experimental in this regard. Fashion is a trillion-dollar industry employing millions of people across the globe. Sequel to this changing landscape, fashion shoppers are affected to a great extent by these swift changes. In furtherance, it has been gathered that the African fashion industry has been experiencing some changes in the last few decades. This is no exception to the fast-evolving fashion industry whose best plans and activities fail amid economic change and actions of competitors. At post-independence, there was a string of changes in the African fashion industry where dressing style was chiefly influenced by the effects of globalization, and which consequently led to the fusion of African and western dresses. Generally, for African fashion brands to be outstanding post- COVID-19, they need to have a focal point on

How will the novel pandemic change the fashion and retail business? These are poignant fears that might need to be allayed for the fashion industry in Africa to fare well. "Y ou need to understand the consumer now better than before," says Dennis. Nevertheless, it is evident that there are some learned lessons from the pandemic hiatus and its depression trance; fashion brands had to rethink their design, some had to approach Maximalism or Minimalism. Secondly, fashion shoppers became more conservative, which affected the customers' buying behavior, fashion brands had to become more affordable with a high level of integrity. What would the impact be on the manufacturers of our clothes? Broadly, the impact of the pandemic on clothing manufacturers is an effect on the employment level in the fashion industry, especially in this period that demand for clothes is dropping. This will in turn reduce cost (labor, cost of production, and cost of sales) for fashion companies. On a fortunate scale, this is a good time to reset and reshape. A perfect time to reflect inward on what resources can be well harnessed, where quality fabrics can be locally sourced, and how these products can be transported without the need to travel. Would the African fashion industry be able to recover from the heavy blow of the pandemic on the industry? The perfect answer is Y es, it will. We can always expect business survival to suffice over profitability in the short term. Reimagine what the new normal would be and try fixing them into your business model.

Irina is a Business Consultant at D&D Clothing. She is passionate about business strategies and process automation

June - July 2021 I Inversk Magazine I 39

INVERSK MAGAZINE

BUSINESS

How I Partook & Witnessed the Loss of 8 Million KES to a Conman Gang within a Week! Feelings of hatred and grievances have become more pronounced as individuals seek to find spaces of more certainty and comfort in the face of the pandemics. In this sort of environment, extremism can thrive.

BY SYLVIA MUNDIA

F For the most part, it seemed like a normal Monday morning. The smell of coffee filled the corridors, meetings, murmurs, and laughter all around as the latecomers rushed to get into the office unnoticed. Having settled and listed my daily deliverables, I stepped out to the break-out area to grab a quick coffee and briefly catch up on the weekend with my favorites. “Morning, Come on, I need you to meet some people who we are looking to work with. Grab a notebook and ask *Sandy to join you” I heard my boss behind me before I could even see her. A bit thrown off as I had a tight schedule on my desk to get to; I quickly downed the remaining gulps of coffee as I rushed to the office already anticipating a 42 I Inversk Magazine I June - July 2021

hectic day contrary to my hopes. Sandy’s frustrated sigh on the delivery of the instruction was as telling as the chuckle from her desk mate - Basically, I would not want to be you right now. Walking to the meeting room that was carpeted wall to wall with huge windows overlooking lush gardens and a gorgeous water feature in the middle of the business park; both Sandy & I knew that we were privileged despite all the headaches that sometimes came with the territory. I mean, we worked for a pretty prestigious family business located in the leafy Karen Suburbs in Nairobi and the perks were good enough to overlook the challenges. In any case, many would have killed for half that opportunity. Sandy was my subordinate but did not feel like one. I could never really see myself as her boss as we’d become friends and she truly complimented my leadership often giving me a different, much-needed perspective on many matters. I was the upbeat head of operations; full of life, positive vibes,

and genuinely into my people and mission while she was the skeptical, low-key, fund manager with an uncanny ability to call bullshit on people and things. We worked for a family-owned SME in the financial/investment space that did many things within the financial spectrum including lending. Upon entering the room, the first thing that hit you was a beautiful, clean, white floral scent and a stunning African redhead seated next to a man who was impeccably dressed in a black polo shirt that seemed to be a blend of cashmere and cotton. Well-poised, they said ‘Hello’ in unison as we took up the empty seats opposite them. Our boss; *Rosalind, introduced the two as *Kate and *Phil and proceeded to tell us that they were potential investors who had been commissioned by the Government to work on a project in Mombasa then got a call and excused herself telling us to listen to the proposal they had and discuss what it is that they needed.

INVERSK MAGAZINE

BUSINESS Phil took over as soon as Rosalind left introducing himself further as Kate’s husband and father of their children at which point Kate lifted her phone to us to show us their adorable sons. It was obvious that Phil was American from his heavy accent but Kate’s was much more toned down. He proceeded to tell us how they had a billion worth project with the Government and had relocated to Kenya temporarily to execute it. My first thought was how flamboyant and extra they were. We already knew so much of them unprovoked and it was pretty clear they were giving us as much information as possible to put us at ease. I glanced at Sandy and I could tell her bullshit radar was on full. She was quietly leaning back on her seat with a blank stare and the occasional acknowledgment of what the two were saying. By this point, Kate had taken over the conversation telling us about her own goals now that she was moving back to the country to support her husband in bringing to life the billion worth project. Her face against her red shoulder-length hair down in a bob was flawless – chocolate, rouged cheeks, and the perfect pouted baby pink lips. It was hard to not stare at this extremely handsome couple. There was however something so off with how much detail they were giving for a first-time interaction and I could not shake the feeling that there was much more to them than what they were presenting. They proceeded to the agenda finally; telling us that they needed a 2.5 Million loan to get settled into the country as they prepared to begin the project in a couple of weeks. At this point, Sandy sat up and gave a knowing look as Kate was picking up the discussion handing me a title deed that they were hoping would serve as collateral for that loan. My suspicion at this point was ringing so loudly. They did not look like they didn’t have two million shillings to pay rent in the suburbs and the school fees of their boys who were joining a premium school within Karen but they had a whole explanation as to why they were cash strapped and in urgent need part of which included having moved faster than anticipated. Sandy at this point was completely checked out and knowing her; I knew she had dismissed them. We wound the meeting down and the couple left the premise promising to come by in a few days after we’d made the deliberations as to whether to loan them or not. As soon as they were out of the door; Sandy and I looked at each other knowingly and even as I was telling her how strange I found the whole interaction, she was backing me intently telling me that she for sure knew they were conmen. We went back to the office and had an honest discussion with our boss Rosalind about the concerns that we had regarding the whole

arrangement. She was however dismissive saying that Sandy had pulled me into the skeptics club and she didn’t like it one bit. According to her, the couple provided an opportunity to make quite a bit on the loan and not only that but to also be potential high net worth investors as soon as their project was on. Being the operations manager, I followed up later with her but she shut me down and told me to let it go and proceed with the paperwork. We followed the process of verifying the asset and beginning the transfers but the said asset did not feel much like one as it was a plot in Ngong that had an unfinished building that was not in good shape at all – so to even sell this asset, the worst-case scenario would be very difficult and would require cash to bring down the building first. All these concerns notwithstanding, we went ahead and loaned them 2 Million shillings and paid 500,000 shillings to the school where the children were supposedly attending. Sandy and I let it go and moved on, after all this business belonged to Rosalind and her family; little did we know that this was the beginning of the biggest scam to ever hit the organization. Two days later Phil and his stunning wife Kate, showed up at our offices again. This time with another gentleman whom we’ll call Kariuki for the purposes of this story. Kariuki was a tall sturdy guy with a heavy American accent and a subtle Kikuyu one. He came dressed in Khaki shorts, a green T-shirt, and open sandals – too casual for what the meeting was in my opinion. I met them first as they were entering the main door and directed them to the meeting room and told them we’d be joining them shortly. Rosalind and the other Director, the one who had made the introduction; were the first ones in. By the time we joined; there was already rapport established which was both good and bad as it seemed we had missed an important interaction. We settled onto the agenda and Phil proceeded to introduce Kariuki as a friend but also a colleague for many years in the States. Kariuki took it over-explaining what his business was, but, the more he talked, the more I had a sinking feeling that this was going to end up terribly. This was because, as Sandy and I shared shocked looks at the outrageous details; Rosalind looked more elated by each statement. Kariuki was in the Gold business. First thought for me was, wow, never been there, have no clue what that would even look like so I’d stay put; however, he ‘simplified’ the details quite a bit with the most important thing being that he needed 6 million shillings to complete the transaction and travel to Dubai where he was set to make the sale within 48 hours then repay the 6 million shillings loan and interest and the matter would be closed. Simple enough, right?

The decision was made in haste as this transaction was time- bound. I found myself in the middle of what can only be described as a hasty heist. Based on the discussion, we were to acquire 50 kilograms of gold from a popular suburb close to Westlands and have it examined and verified in quality at the Ministry of Mining, after which we would keep 4 Kgs in an escrow as while Kariuki would fly with the remaining 46 Kgs for the scheduled sale in Dubai. I accompanied Kariuki to get the gold then together with an armed guard from the Congolese gold retailers drove to the ministry where verification happened and I took 4 Kgs to the escrow and Kariuki left to the airport with the rest of it. Just as I was getting into Karen at Galleria, I got a call that the 4 Kgs that was at the bank was needed at the airport to have some certification for the complete package so as to allow Kariuki to fly. At this point, it was already 5:30 p.m. and the whole thing was beginning to seem off even to Rosalind but we were in too deep. She joined me at the bank and we went to the airport with the portion we had and it was taken by an officer. Kariuki who had been with us all through had to go board his plane and so Rosalind, our Security guy and I were left waiting for the gold. We waited until 9 p.m. and by this time the Security detail had managed to sneak away at some point feigning that he was going to the washroom. As time was moving, it was becoming clear and obvious that we had just given out 6 million shillings and we had no form of security. Rosalind went through the motions from disbelief, to anxiety, to denial, to bitter acceptance as we were headed back to the office. I was too exhausted to indulge any emotion on the way but what kept lingering in my head is how gullible we had been. I wondered if I could have done more to change Rosalind’s mind but eventually; when we did talk a couple of days later, she confessed to me that deep down she had felt the doubt but it was too exciting an opportunity to pass up. A big lesson for me was never to make a decision hastily, excitedly or when part of you is telling you it’s too good to be true. Always follow your gut. Especially in unfamiliar territories. Wandia is a bubbly creative who enjoys story telling, food, exploring minds and nature

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INVERSK MAGAZINE

RISK AWARENESS

Red Pill or Blue Pill: Security, Society, and Science, Politicization of COVID-19 Science is becoming more and more political, health is becoming more and more political, and there is no escaping the fact that security and health & safety is also becoming more political; with the risk management firms becoming caught in the crossfire.

BY MICHAEL J. PADILLA

he talk of the town these days, are the COVID vaccines, their efficiency, their side effects, their purchase, distribution, application. Y ou would be hard- pressed to find a topic more polarizing, more controversial, inciting more hatred and fury! The world is split into new mental, political, ethical camps: the vaxxers and the anti-vaxxers, and all those in between, those questioning, those trusting, those rejecting, those longing, those believing, those doubting… The victims of these endless debates are many and varied, family members, colleagues, friends, bosses, clients, doctors, nurses, scientists, neighbors. Beyond the social, political, economic barriers that we all knew existed, now we have another one to split us in half, where do you stand? Where does your company stand? Where do you stand? And where do your people stand? Is it a matter of opinion? Of critical Of

thinking? Of beliefs? Of faith? Of science? evidence? Science is becoming more and more political, health is becoming more and more political, and there is no escaping the fact that security and health & safety is also becoming more political; with the risk management firms becoming caught in the crossfire. Even if we accept that firms can institute and enforce their own policies towards their employees, they undoubtedly cannot do so with their clients. The politics of business are now becoming more and more dependent on issues that we never touched before: our own belief system, our own view of the world, our social understanding, our political bearing, our world view. These things that we tacked away, religiously compartmentalizing our own ideas and views, are now coming back with a vengeance to haunt the way we live and the way we do business. It was not long before all business and security firms more prominently, had to address a very basic issue, a fundamental issue of human existence, rather than an operational quest. Is there an objective reality, scientifically guided or is everything a matter of personal and social perception? Should there be room to doubt the pandemic? The response? The aftermath? Is anything objectively measurable or is everything a common construction of our flawed perspective, ready to come tumbling down? I am afraid I have no answers for you on those issues, but I do have some answers on the operational issues that arise from the pandemic and the rift between scientific understanding and public belief. In my view, this is a very basic problem; once we become familiar with early on in our lives and interactions with our fellow people: it is a matter of TRUST. A s A nthony G idde ns has exquisitely highlighted in his works about post-modernity, the more technologically advanced (and dependent) a society becomes, the more trust it requires in order to run smoothly, as the citizens can

no longer comprehend, know, or perceive the intricate scientific and technological w orkings of the services and products they use. But they use them, anyway, based on their collective trust! This trust is now broken, and war internal and external is on the rise, as society and science are recalibrating their paths to reach a new equilibrium. In all my companies and particularly Al Thuraya Consultancy and ICESERVE24, that is what we primarily strive for: to earn and maintain the clients’ and the communities’ trust. We have been helping customers travel the maze of Travel and COVID requirements since the beginning of the pandemic and we have also supported the local communities in their struggles. This trust is valuable to us, as well as the respect of civil and personal liberties, as well as the safeguarding of public health and safety. And if the above statement sounds complicated, it is because it is actually one of the most difficult issues I have ever had to face as Head of the Group. My own views, my own beliefs, and my value system are often in dissonance with what I see happening around me. The challenge is intense and real, who are you and what are you standing for, when what you believe comes into question? I am still struggling to answer that, but one thing is for sure, your personal views always subside towards the benefit to the people you serve, from whatever post. And no matter the struggle, united we stand and divided we fall! Michael Payano is the founder and CEO of Al Thuraya Consultancy™, bringing a unique understanding of risk analysis and supporting his customers in understanding culture and traditions of countries to be better employers and investors.

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INVERSK MAGAZINE

PAID CONTENT

Why you May Need a Personal Coach? A personal coach is qualified in going deeper into your disabling patterns and highlighting them for you so you know how to handle them and be aware of them when they show up.

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BY INVERSK TEAM Sippy Chadha came to Kenya from India some 20 years ago via marriage. Equipped with a degree in Finance from Toronto Canada, she was excited to make Nairobi her home. She had ambitious plans for herself as a financial advisor yet found herself against many challenges that were in her way to success as a top achiever. A friend recommended she take on a Personal Coach to help overcome hurdles. Not knowing what to expect, but without any other option, she went for a session. The session was deep and

insightful. It went directly into what she wanted to create very specifically. The coach was able to identify her blind spots that were in the way of her ambitions like where she was being stopped. Where was her own inability to take risks to scale up her business coming from? Sippy was sent to boarding school at the age of 5 in India and that little girl made it mean she was abandoned by her family. Since that moment, Sippy played it safe in her comfort zone so as not to be too risky for fear of being abandoned. Once this blind spot was cleared for her, many ways of behaviors that were stopping her emerged. She didn’t deserve to be successful etc. After that session, she took on many sessions each time shedding past baggage to create space within her to create her dream goals. She went on to be a filmmaker, a lifelong dream. She wrote and directed a Kenyan Danish feature film SUBIRA that won 15 international awards and represented Kenya at the Oscars 2019. Most of us live from patterns from our childhood that stop us from achieving our dream goals. Without realizing we stand in sewage that just has us making the same mistakes called vicious cycles. A personal coach is qualified in going deeper into your disabling patterns and highlighting them for you so you know how to handle them and be aware of them when they show up. Once the sewage is dismantled, space is created within for life to stop becoming a struggle. By declaring your dream goals and making strong and clear intentions with your personal coach you are able to crossover from your disabling patterns towards being a top achiever. In fact, what starts to show up is the ease and flow towards your dream goals as abundance is our true nature. Sippy believed so much in the power of a personal coach that she got herself certified as a Personal Coach and now helps others achieve massive success. S he can be re ac he d on sippychadha64@ gmail.com WhatsApp: 0724696755

First Word Embracing a Hybrid Work Model Does Not Have to be Hard, Start by Involving your Team in the transition Process. BY KIMANI PATRICK

bout 16 months ago, the world of work came crumbling almost to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). In addition to being a threat to public health, the economic and social disruption, the virus threatened the long- term livelihoods and wellbeing of millions across the globe – work places were closed and work from home became an option and ultimately a norm. This necessitated swift action and among the progresses made, by late 2020, the world had vaccines which have already rolled out with millions already vaccinated. With vaccines increasingly rolling out, countries beginning to map out their roadmap out of lockdown and lifting restrictions, and companies beginning to bring workers back, there is one hard question that needs answering – how do we choose to return to work? As the workplace becomes safer from the pandemic, business leaders are conflicted with the decision on whether to recall everyone to the office and be a predominantly office-based firm, remove an office presence and remain a fully remote company or give their employees a chance to decide whether to work remotely or in the office as and when they wish – a hybrid model. Whichever the choice between the last two, organisations will have to decide which roles can work purely from remote locations as well as develop a framework and policies on

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Inversk Magazine is a publication of The Carlstic Group Limited. Views expressed in this publication do not in any way express the views of the publisher.