NAIROBI, Kenya, April 11 – After giving birth about a decade ago, Adelaide Njeri, like many other women in maternity, thought of what she could do to keep her occupied without taking attention away from her baby.
Coincidentally, at the time, her late mother-in-law was unwell and couldn’t consume sugary items that she liked, such as cookies, cakes, and pastries, unless baked using organic inputs.
This prompted her to start baking ‘health cakes’ in her kitchen, using the basic equipment that she had access to, such as the traditional stove ‘jiko’ and the utensils they used at home.
“I would sell whatever remained to neighbors and friends, who helped to spread word about how different my cakes were,” posed Njeri.
Within no time, she started getting bigger orders for wedding cakes and birthday cakes through the referrals.
“Based on the orders I received, it felt like it was time to formalize operations, so I registered the company Ajani House Limited,” said Njeri.
The entrepreneur thereafter reinvested the money she had gotten from previous sales into opening a physical store, where she could serve customers that she couldn’t while operating from home.
“We realized people wanted to taste cakes before buying, so we decided we should give them a place they could sit down and enjoy with coffee and juices,” remarked Njeri.
Through a working capital facility from Grassroots Business Fund, a global impact fund manager, Adelaide was able to purchase more specialized equipment, which would not only make work easier but also enable her to fulfill orders more consistently.
“I met Grassroots through a mentor who had suggested I attend the Jiinue Growth Program that was being conducted by the organization,” stated Njeri.
The program sensitized her to the common mistakes new entrepreneurs often make that negatively impact business performance, management, and operations.
“When I started to make money, I remember paying a contractor a huge sum to design our store without conducting proper due diligence on whether they could deliver. They didn’t, and I fell into so much debt,” said Njeri.
Additionally, the entrepreneur was also provided with life skills and soft skills to enable her to expand her general skill set and build her resilience to tackle both life and business challenges.
From running production and marketing, among other company operations herself, Adelaide has since been able to grow Ajani House Bakery to employ about 30 staff.
The company also recently opened another outlet in Nairobi CBD to serve more clients, with plans to open several other stores across the country.
“Our ultimate goal is to create opportunities for more young people by opening more stores and sourcing agricultural products from more farmers, particularly women and youth,” said Njeri.
She advises budding entrepreneurs to have clear goals and practice consistency, grit, and discipline, qualities without which it can be very difficult to manage a business amidst all the market disruptions.
