At Loise Kamanu’s Modest Collections, a Shelf Storage is Ksh.1500 and Delivery ni Teke Teke

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 was not always 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 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 view their 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.

Loise 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.

Last but not least “In business, you can’t have everything figured out, every day is an opportunity to learn,” says Loise.

She advises anyone who wants to get into business to just do it now. Start small, think big, start now. However, she emphasizes that you need to have the right strategy and admits not everyone is cut for business. There has to be a balance in society but in your position always do your best.

In the next few months, Modest Collections is looking forward to having a platform, to incorporate more bikers who would like to earn through deliveries. Loise is also looking into finding a solution, to store perishable products for her clients as well. In the coming years too, Modest Collections is set to go countrywide.

Feature done by John Jim Gichia for Inversk Magazine