 and welcome back to why and the morning it's entrepreneurship Tuesday today my name is by Moses or it's by morning social media platform and yes special thanks to color me Val for that amazing interview and for the cakes that we had to taste after so good things happen when you watch why 254 and today is not an exception we have Ellen more Helen Mwangi was the the founder of Helmas collection which is a menswear fashion line now quapa studio I could tell us that more about the story Kari Busan a sense and all right your camera is number four number four so just in case I left anything you can say it about yourself okay good morning viewers my name is Helen Mwangi the CEO and founder of Helmas men's collection we deal in menswear from basically shirts trousers suits shoes anything to do with men that's what we deal in it sounds more like gentlemen for me yeah because it suits pants shoes and I've checked out your Instagram which please share that with them so they can see what you're about as we have this conversation your camera is still number four okay our Instagram page is Helmas men's collection Helmas Helmas men's collection all right and the Facebook page is the same the Facebook page is men's collection all right but you didn't start out doing men's well men's fashion yes how did it start out for you when you got into this fashion business I started with handbags handbags ladies handbags I did a bit of them for like one year but then I things changed so I started doing menswear when you say things changed what happened exactly yeah the business was good in the beginning but with time you know fashion especially for ladies keeps changing it's very dynamic yes very dynamic so I decided I want to try something else I had this passion I really loved handbags and I also loved seeing smart smartly dressed men so I said now that handbags have not worked let me try the other one let me try to make a moment look smart so yes so my eyes can enjoy yes so before you get into this handbag business in the business you were employed as I was employed I was working as a waitress you were working as a waitress this was not satisfying to you it was not because right from the beginning even when I was starting the hotel employment I knew that I want to go the business way that I knew from the word go so when time came I had to transition all right what are some of the things you learned during your tenure in an employment that you carried with you into business creating networks creating and maintaining proper networks people that you can depend on in terms of maybe business yeah that's what I learned creating and maintaining creating is one thing maintaining is another so I did both and I can tell you for sure some of the clients I used to serve when I was still a waitress are the same same men who buy from me to date wow yes the networks that you created so creating and maintaining networks is the biggest lesson you've learned in this business or as an employee yeah all right so when you say creating and maintaining I know creating is is simple easier said than done yeah maintaining what is this maintaining you're talking about maintaining is just just now how do I put it this constant communication constant communication following up on them knowing how they are fairing letting them know about your every step like now I let them know all of them actually when I went to Kampala because that's where I started I when I first bought the first batch of handbags it's the same men who bought from me and ladies goes I had told them I'm quitting employment and after this this is what I'm thinking of doing so I called them I told them there assignment is here can you now promote me and they came and bought yeah and it was very nice all right so that is a big lesson we learned today creating and maintaining your networks is a very important when you're getting into business and that is Helen Mwangi the CEO and founder of Helmos right there yeah so moving forward and now that you were running the business what are some of the the things that you didn't expect getting into business that you met and said I wish I knew I was going to meet some of these things these are what are some of the challenges the challenges there are many they are many because like I've told you I was a retrace so there's no way I did like say entrepreneurship or something like that but when I got into business the first few years were a bit difficult because there are things I needed to have learned before I started the business but thank God I joined and what is it called I joined an organization called into Centronomy entrepreneurship and that's where I started I studied entrepreneurship and the lessons I learned from there are the same things that I work with today yes what are some of these policies that you learned from Centronomy right there Centronomy I learned about like accounting I learned accounting is very important it's very key it's very key also how to handle employees also how to handle the customers yeah you have created them the maintaining part it is wider it's very large so you have to know how to do it professionally because you don't have to go to travel bring a consignment keep pushing them keep pushing them in the process if you don't do it professionally you're going to lose them you're going to lose them yes so you always have to do this things professionally so three things I'm getting from creating maintaining your networks knowledge is also paramount yes when you're getting into business and you found yours at Centronomy and you studied entrepreneurship all right how do you keep yourself sharp in this skills how do you maintain sharpness in the skills a lot of research I do a lot of research and then sometimes I spend time with my customers like I'll call them and ask ask like you know they are those who are friends other than just customers so we call them and we go like have coffee with them and I ask them now no we are not at the shop we are not doing Bia Shara we are here let me know what do you think I can improve I can do to improve our services yes so getting to talk to the customers yes and getting into their heads befriending them the customer is always right here they're always right all right what is all the needs of men in Kenya when it comes to fashion what are some of the needs you've met that you didn't know existed in the market okay when I started I thought doing menswear business is just clothing but then I realized that there was need for quality like I told you the handbags business I started from Kampala but then when I started when I transitioned into menswear I started from Gekomba my capital was 7,000 by that time because the other business didn't go down didn't go well so I was left without any money the only savings I had is 7,000 so I went to Gekomba I bought some clothes came and they sold then I went to Isli for like within one the first one year of menswear business went to Gekomba and I went to Isli then I learned that it's not just about clothes it's not just about covering the nudity there is more to doing the business than just covering the body covering the body so that's when I realized that I need to improve in terms of quality quality we are talking fabrics the type of fabrics that you pick the fabric the way they are cut you know like you can't wear a baggy jeans and a nice top yeah so those are the lessons that you learn along the way so the cuts the threads the finishing the fabric it's more than just covering the body it's not when it comes to the fashion exactly yes all right I see your Instagram is projected on our screen right here I'd like to like us to go through it but your bio says we are located at stalls ground floor market stalls ground floor shop a 9 market stalls is between city market and Jimmy Mosque right there shop is the first one from Mosque all right so yes the first one is I like the colors in the first picture right there yeah thank you all right and this one is also very interesting thank you apart from posting I see you find your location yeah yeah yeah yeah you can see the street is there Kigali road yes and your circle that's a very good way to fill your location on Instagram thank you so much so apart from just posting what you're selling as you post some tips on how to drop these suits just hold it right there hold it right there back back this picture with a take xx yes so give guys tips on how to dress themselves how to how to rock these suits yes that's I am telling you it's not just about making money it's not just about covering the body it's about even giving them tips on how to wear the suit because you don't want to buy a suit at 25,000 at 30,000 you buy a number size one you buy one that is not fitting well you need to look the parts all right the two X's I'm the tick is all right the two X's X number one is something I see quite often it seems you don't like it at all no this is not the way to do it this is not the way to do it no this is not the way to do it X number two is from 1995 even now all right so tips also if I follow your page I can get I don't necessarily have to have to buy sometimes I just get tips on how I can look fresh yes and this is something you get pleasure rough all right I see you sharing your your contact information as well exactly and shots right there also so you're dealing shots also and shoes as well yeah we deal in everything all right everything socks socks yes we have we have plain ones we have happy socks any that you like all right so happy socks and suits what do you think about happy socks and suit today go together it depends they are suits that are not so formal like you can get a suit with their fabric like maybe sailing and that is okay all jeans like but they are those ones that are cut too formal yes formal a hundred percent formal yes so those ones can never go with a happy socks no it depends on the colors too it depends when it comes to fashion yes there are a lot of it depends your Instagram is looking quite picturesque right there yeah remind them the handle your Instagram remind them your Instagram handle Helmholtz men's collection Helmholtz is H-E-L-M-W-A-S men's collection Helmholtz men's collection you can get tips as well you can get to see the suits and the designs I see are your son's your son is in the building with us today all right how old is he he's 16 he's 16 so I'm guessing when you're starting the business he was around already yeah right how was it balancing motherhood and this it's about planning yourself it's not easy but you have to plan yourself yes my friends say that I'm very time-conscious and yeah you have to be this is a treaty of carried with me yeah yeah all right time is it time conscious like you're so yes he has no choice so we have a question on our Facebook today and the question is simple what are some of the bad habits you've seen entrepreneurs have or carry with them and cost in them their businesses number one and it really hurts me I wish I had control over that is when someone says that they have gotten their suits from say Turkey or Italy it's not true so you find a customer will go by they buy expecting you know if you buy a suit and 25,000 or 20 or maybe at 30,000 and you buy another one from Alex say at 7,000 the quality is not the same even the durability this one is not likely to last the same with is going to last even how it looks how it feels even the way it looks and how it feels so the customers are duped you find a customer buying and you know even tell his friends this is a very nice one I bought it she gets her stuff from Turkey she gets her stuff from see you wear it's very wrong it's very wrong it's one habit that they should not carry with them I really don't like all right I didn't see that I didn't see that I didn't see that for sure when we asked this question it was the furthest for my man tell me another thing that you've seen entrepreneurs carry with them and it's likely to cost them basically lies and it's honesty because you cannot lie for a very long time within a very short time you're gonna get you're gonna come out the truth we're always gonna come on yeah all right so like is one thing yes number two overpricing overpricing yes let customers get value for their money yes let your clients get value for their money that is very key because I can't call you today because I love allow me to call it calling because if I it's a con anyway yeah yeah yeah I'll not I'll not get away with it within a very in it in any case I'm not we are not the only people who are doing this clothes are everywhere if it is a salon salons are everywhere if it is a butchery butcher is everywhere so we are always going to have alternatives so if we sense the corn we are going to go to the next place yeah and it is wrong to imagine that the only men's clothes that I mean men's clothes shop that we visit is Helmholtz there are so many others and within a very short while you're gonna get caught you know so conning the corn is something you can stand in business all right thank you very much for that for sharing that view with us that I didn't even have remember the question is on our Facebook it's simple what are some of the bad habits you've seen entrepreneurs carry with them and are likely to cause them so let's say to our Facebook and answer that question then we'll be sampling your views towards the end of the show but for now tell me what is the future with Helmholtz with Helmholtz. What do you see it and how do you see it in future? Our biggest dream. You're a big dream I can talk. Just share that with us. Because I am tired of traveling I'm tired of going to all those countries and I feel bad when I go and you know I bring goods from wherever I come make some money then take that money to another country I feel bad about that I should grow my country so my my my desire is to plant a factory in Kenya that can produce the same quality of clothes that we are selling so that is where Helmholtz is headed. God willing. Thank you very much for that and I like the vision that you have and I like that it puts the interest of this country right at the center of it and creating employment. Growing economy and what not. Thank you very much for coming through to I in the morning. We appreciate you share with them your details and how they can get to access your services if they'd like to. Your camera is still number four. Thank you. As I said we are called Helmholtz's main collection. We are located at Marketstalls, Granpla shop A9. Marketstalls is between Jamia Mosque and City Market or just opposite task is our shop is the first one from the Mosque. Our business number is zero seven two one four double six two five seven again our business number is zero seven two one four six six two five seven call us for wedding suits call us for event suits call us for shirts call us for company wear anything that you need to do with menswear. Thank you very much if you were planning to upgrade your wardrobe you have it I said I was going to do you that favor so we have Helmholtz from Helmholtz and she deals in gentlemen's wear right there so if you're planning to upgrade your wardrobe as I said you can always hit up on a social media handles and the number so my name is Barry Moses or it's very morning every social media platform and remember we have a question on Facebook and we are going to be sampling your views your comments to us at the end of the show and it's basic it's simple we are asking what are some of the bad habits entrepreneurs carry with them and are likely to cost them tell us on our Facebook but you can also interact with us on the other social media platforms you can hit me up directly at it's very morning every social media platform we'll be back with some more wine in the morning don't go nowhere