 Fantastic you are still watching entrepreneurship Tuesday on why in the morning remember we are all about bringing you young and influential people Who have something for themselves that can make you learn something from it that can help you on money back at home? And remember the conversation is still on our social media platforms Facebook Instagram and Twitter is why to prefer channel? Like I always say on Instagram. There's an underscore and you can still continue to also interact with me to Brian Sakura one or one And now we are proceeding with our segment today We also on this other part of the show We're being joined live in studio by a very young and powerful gentleman Who is going to take us through the triumphs of actually starting a business online? He is a chemist by profession, but he also ventured into another business to actually supplement his main source of income Joining me live in studio is Benson Macau. Good morning. Thank you for coming through man Oh, good morning. See you bruh Uh-huh. Thanks for having me. Welcome to the show. You mentioned you are You are a chemist by profession. That means you walk you walk as a lab technician Yeah, yeah, but your main hustle is uh, is it the main hustle or both of them are made both of them I can't say they are made for now. Yeah. Okay. Yeah So when did you decide that, you know, you want to move from being a chemist by profession? And then now wanting to start to sell because I've seen you sell shoes online and you also on a company called flick mod collections. Yeah So I started flick mold Three years ago. Okay. While I was still practicing my professional career as a chemist So it started in a funny way. I have passion in shoes So I would see good shoes screenshot and post on my what's up my social media. Okay, mainly on my what's up status Then people will ask Where can I get these? Then my thought came why can I try this as a business? Okay. Yeah, then I started I Started doing my Searching for people who can help me. Okay, venging the business. All right. Yeah So I'd seen one of my friends who is called Frank Okay was already selling actually most of my my photos I was getting from him Oh, he's a photographer. No, he's doing online business Shoes so you're actually sharing the the insights together. You know, so the idea I got from Frank So Frank introduced me to the business. Okay, then I started posting consistent deal I Started dining from it Interesting because you know in this generation everybody is all about social media And the interesting thing is you started doing it with your mobile phone You never like went to a physical shop Established it somewhere and then you started having a stoke. Yeah, but how did that happen because for somebody watching back at home They'd be like really how can somebody just wake up and start posting and then all of a sudden they are going viral Yeah, it must have been something that you know created a lot of attention for you Yeah, as I have said consistency is everything. Okay, so at first I not I Never used to get clients, but I never gave up. I used to post to post to post Adil I started getting clients asking for the shoes. Yeah, so with time That that was through my what's up status though with time I opened my IG Okay, then I g I converted to a business account then I started posting there Okay, then after I g I went also to Facebook and opened my page where I posted and started boosting Okay, yeah, so when you boost you boosted with that means you have to go through a bank account Yeah, you connect you connect your page the bank account Then you boost then through both boosting the social media like Facebook and Instagram Yeah, you boost your page it will help you to get to reach more clients a certain specific audience Yeah, yeah, so they direct takes you to your what's up Then through that you get to get more contacts on your what's up. So you save you also tell them to save and Through that you end up getting more clients. So that's how it started interesting cause you know It's it rarely do you get you know somebody who has been working for so long without you know having results Like you say a person then we end up boost page. Yeah, I think they've already gotten the hack now You've mentioned your company is three years old now, or you've been doing it for three years When when officially did you start? I? Started officially in 20 20 20, yeah, yeah, that is just During the pandemic, yeah Okay, how did it go because I remember on the covid pandemic track so many things water stands to you You know people are trying to figure out what can I what can I do us compared to like even you know I'm going to meet people physical because now people are back at home There's nobody coming to the market physically, but for you a lot of the fact that you went on social media Do you feel like that even get I'll say that fortified your business and gave you that standing on the market Yeah, I would say it really helped me most people was were at home That's I am doing the pandemic. Yeah, so most people on social media Okay, so I really took that chance to boost my pages and through that many people were texting Well, how can I get this I saw this on Facebook? How can I get it? Yeah, but most of the but we end one challenge Because we have the local suppliers who Suppliers with their shoes. Okay, most of the items were not coming because like most of Because the stock can be held. Yeah due to covid. Yeah, so inputs rather. Yeah, so getting the Shoes up to the problem. Okay, but with that you can explain to them After the pandemic things will be well But it'll pick up well after the pandemic. Yeah, it's right now. You're getting the clients even physically. Yeah, exactly Even physically. Yeah, so you're making profit some good amount of money in There yes or no. Yes, I'm making and that's why I'm here. Yeah, to talk to talk maybe to someone Who is tell them tell them? Yeah, okay Yeah, straight, that's your camera right there, okay, so I'm here to talk to someone who is in the house We we have a challenge of unemployment in our country, but we still got our phones Yeah, and Laptops, I believe most of the use good phones and laptops So it's always a good to come up with ideas where you can get something something to help you in terms of Money Employment and with that you you get to think outside the box. Yeah, yeah, which ends up helping you a lot too I agree with you on that one. Let's go back to your original profession. You studied You're a chemist by profession. Yeah, that means you studied bio. Do you study industrial chemistry or something? How how can a lab technician transition to now coming back to selling shoes online a lot of people be like How is that reception for people Did they receive you as a chemist or a physicist or a shoe seller because these are two different fields and Interacting them at the same time. It's not easy. I believe I Know with people at first they'll wonder But when the money starts coming, yeah, they they usually start appreciating you So at first people were wondering Benson is posting shoes And other pictures is posting himself in the lab doing analysis So they were kind of confused. You said you're doing industry or quality something quality Assurance quality sure and the I'm in the pharmaceutical industry pharmaceutical industry. Yeah, I'm unfortunately a human medicine and Human and animal husbandry There's always been that animal husbandry So when you say that agriculture medicine Medicine yeah, yeah Interesting because the two actually are not coherent. Yeah, I love let's come back to you Being the the gentleman that you are of course, you mentioned young people who are back at home There's high rates of unemployment and there's somebody who's watching back at home and they're feeling like now Where should I go to nearly some of course flannis if I do your job? You may drop my CVs come a company. Yeah, I know the person you're going to say your business online And like you said, I love the way you mentioned it the power of a cell phone using your mobile phone to earn money Especially in this digital generation. What is your word to them? So my word to Those Maybe the huge all someone will cause in the business. We even have all people who are doing online shoes And we also have the young generation there. So for someone who? Wants to start and have an idea go for it and be consistent about it Okay, yeah, don't give up if you have an idea put it into practice put it into practice and be consistent about it Yeah, and after us our faith Things you'll get into place. Good. Good. Good, right You're on the company. You said it's flick mod or flick model or flick mod flick mod collections Yeah, is it a modeling agency or a clothing lines too now that you are also affiliated with selling shoes online? It's just maybe I can say it's Major we deal I deal with shoes or plainly shoes plainly shoes Yeah, so both gents and yeah and ladies. Yeah, so When you get to it you get to understand it more for me. I'm working. I'm working from Monday to Friday Okay, 8 to 5. That's a job. That's my office. Yeah, the office. Yeah, okay So I'm also operating flick mode So what's this is on your mobile phone? Yeah on my mobile phone But maybe you have a client in town who wants a shoe and sure in the office or in the lab So I have my delivery guy. Oh, you have a delivery guy. Yeah, that means you've given somebody an opportunity An opportunity. Yeah, exactly Yeah, so I'm happy because I've created an opportunity for that guy. Oh, right? Yeah, and what's your friend a family relative Just a friend close friend in town. We have many delivery guys, okay But so I have I have I can say I have to Why mostly depend on when I get I get a client I call he delivers And that's good. And what what is making me more up here? I've seen those delivery guys They are starting their own shops right now like from the business you from that job or opportunity You get them. Yeah, exactly. Is it because of the money you pay them? Yeah, the network So they get to know the sources They also saving I can also add the youths to save Seven Just was exited we talked about the seven culture. Yeah, it's a little bit easier actually they when they had their jobs They had a lot of money There was that pressure to actually maintain a certain image and now when you're out of this in you're falling into financial crisis So from your experience even as an entrepreneur, and I love the fact that you're pointing out What are some of the skills from you that you also learned to start the business because I believe you served or somebody gave you startup cash I see you said right. Yeah, so if somebody watching back at home, they want to start a business and They don't have the money, but they're getting some two three five coins here in there How do they start serving to appoint they open up a business? Like going with online I think with online you really need very little savings with online Yes, because with the online we have Shoes I think I guess for shoes they have categories. We have the high quality medium and low quality Okay, and of course that goes with the prices So if the low quality even with 500 you can have a shoe you can sell it at a thousand and then a profit of 500 then with that you can keep saving you say because I Don't think getting a 500 to go to a supplier to get a shoe. Okay Can be a large problem be something which is manageable, right? Then with that you keep saving you keep saving because we all have shoes which go for Let's say in a wholesale they go for five thousand old sale price. Yeah, that's also is it one shoe Is that one pair of shoe or a couple one pair of shoe and this could be maybe a Jordan a Nike Yeah, I call those below me a boots. Yeah, they are going for five thousand So that one can be a bit of challenge. So you you starts down there down there Yeah, so for you started with second hand because I because I believe getting to a place where you're importing You know bundles of bells that have let's say fresh clothes from the factory from Dubai But did you start with fresh or a second hand? I started with there with fresh new Fresh new ones. Yeah, but directly from the company. Yeah, directly from the company. Yeah, so at the moment. I'm still doing Retail, yeah Retail is I get it from my distributor and sell in Litte So my long-term plans which I'm planning maybe next year Okay to venture in the business of now importing and do a whole sale Speaking of importing Does the issue of licensing that comes with you know having a solid import-export business From a personal perspective and experience. How can someone go about that cause, you know, there's carry in there They start up cash the security. It's a whole budget away from the business itself And you have to monthly pay those. What did they call those monthly payments that come with the carry and even the government that deduct So with them for a start-up, yeah When you veggie the business you get to know those people Among those people you can't fail to get one person who is willing to help you. Okay, so for me I've gotten a someone who has introduced me maybe to them to the importing world Okay, so I can still import through him Okay, as I learn because I've not started the business of importing and doing who will sell So you're getting from somebody fast. Yeah, use it But yeah, but he has already told me if I want to import yeah, can import through me. So talks are in place Interesting now let's come back to your competition. Every business has a competition Even this job itself has another competitor out there. How do you handle competition? And maybe if you have maybe if you have or you don't have How do you how do you like ensure that you're balancing the curve? Because there's usually some point where some businesses are quite high and they have a massive Audience or they have massive clients and yours is just operating down below. How do you equalize that curve to stay stable? Okay, so when you talk about competition in online, I usually say online is the future Okay, yeah, and it's competition is very high From the likes the comments Yeah, yeah, and also many people nowadays they have learned online online is a good source of business and In the shoe business, we have we have a lot of people who are doing it online right now Okay, so how you go again is that competition for myself is to understand your customers What they want understand what's new? What's new in the market? Because for fashion keeps changing. Okay, but we have classic shoes Like the air force one the converse also the canvas Yeah, those are like the one you have the ones you go to these are Jordan's nice. These are Jordan's Yeah, okay. Yeah, so for competition you understand your clients understanding a client Yeah, no, no, what's new in the market or what they want and That's why it's your client. You know what is near the market and timely Timely deliveries Yeah, because when someone needs something and she don't deliver in time they lose trust in you Speaking of delivery We've seen stories it has always happened I don't know what it keeps on happening to these tycoons where somebody entrusted somebody with a product worth millions of cash They gave them to deliver but the delivery guy will be Tiamali Agafanya one, two, three, three, ten million is a capote I don't know how to debug to claim on social media when it comes to trusting a delivery's guy How do you determine that this guy even if it's a relative it has happened in fact to people who are closer or Closest to you. Yeah, how do you determine that I'm gonna trust this guy? And if at all it's a contract should you terminate it when they veer off it? Okay with it's it's a it's one of the main challenge on the online business But it's all based on trust. We only hope for the best. Yeah, so it's not a sure bet You know it with time it becomes a sure bet with the time maybe when you have someone People have used him you have seen comments on people About that guy is a good delivery guy and for you also when you're starting you can measure him Or her from the experience and your from the experience of interaction. Yeah, okay So if you see things are not going well, you just do away with them or not as likely as possible Because now it's it's also your business into your you are risking it To yeah When it comes to let's say when it comes to numbers like you said online is very competitive And you've mentioned you boosted your page. How many followers do you got right now for your page? Is it the flick mod collection or? Yeah, they think more around to two Three thousand around three thousand. Yeah, this is on Facebook or on Twitter You said it's more of Facebook and Instagram. Yeah, that's a G Facebook's about fifteen hundred. Okay. Yeah, so if somebody wants to get a shoe from you And you said you're delivering these to both ladies and gentlemen Yeah, ladies and gentlemen to both ladies and gents if they want to get a shoe from you How do they go about with that? So we have To I can see two types of customers is the one who will pay for you to deliver He holds you to deliver he holds she has a trust in you. Okay, I made it Loyal and that's on your friends who people will know you your family Yeah, yeah, but when we boost you also get people who doesn't you know has For those one most of them insist you deliver they pay So For such people in online Maybe it's within the CBD all the outskirts of the CBD, but for places like Mombasa Kisumu because you said you can't you stay in a mackerel you come from McQuinney. Yeah, that's my home So that's your home still like living in Kiambo. So your business operates you operate from Kiambo Yeah, but you do CBD and out-of-town delivers out of town. I was I've even sold to Nigeria several Nigerians. Yeah, I was also like somebody from Nigeria DMD you send them Yeah, I have many many many more than six clients in Nigeria I should deliver through DHL or DHL And speaking of DHL because it's it's one of like the main cargo cargo delivery Companies it charges that there's an amount you have to pay and there's a place you have to sign to actually work with them How did you partner with them to get to that point? Okay phone for them? There's no partnership. You just take your parcel there the way they operate in terms of kgs. Okay. Yeah, let's see for a pair of Air force one. So it's about 1.5 kg 1.5. So there's a half was one. Yeah, let's say you're parceling to Nigeria See, there's a certain amount. So for up to Nigeria to parcel one pair of Air Force one Two is about one one point five. It's about two thousand. Two thousand. Only. Which is not like a huge amount of money Anyways, but it's huge But they are a bit cheaper because let's see I also pass it to USA through them You had a client from the States. Yeah, and it only causes five thousand to To parcel to US via DHL. Yeah via DHL. Yeah, and they are really trusted. They are good Delivered guys. All right As we are almost nearing towards the end I want you to tell or speak to somebody back at home because your main your main the reason where he's you want to share your Journey and your experience and how you venture into that business and you're using your mobile phone Just talk to somebody back at home your clients your friends Somebody who is aspiring to start a business online tell them about the power of using your mobile cell phone to start and manage Our successful business from your experience Okay, let let let me start with for those people who are Unemployed and you have your phone. You have a laptop there. You have a business idea You can go with it through online as I usually say online is the future and self-employment is always the best and If you have your professional job and you also want to venture in business It's better. It's better too. And if you have an idea go for it Be confident have consistent trust and faith and to my Clients, thank you for always supporting me. I Assure you I'll still keep giving best services to you best quality shoes and To my family friends. Thanks for their support. I appreciate much. All right Speaking of support and appreciation Who are like your main supporters when you started this muscle? Of course every every business needs support before we wind up who are like some of the people who supported you massively that you'd say I owe it to them despite the fact that you know, I started off as a lab technician I said it I studied industrial chemistry. There are people that you say who you are in a support. How do you cooperate? Yeah, so I'll start with Frank Frank is my friend. He also wants an online business called Joom Kee where he sells shoes Frank is the one who introduced me to Tronline shoe selling Okay, yeah, also have another guy the one I was selling you is is importing is one of my suppliers He's called David David has a shop in town and he has even given me part of his shop to be a pick point In town for my clients and amazing. So thank you very much for the support Okay, yeah, if somebody wants to access you, I can they get you Okay, Instagram flick more collections Facebook search my page flick more collections and also I have my business number where you can text through what's up? 07 16 455 453 Okay, yeah Thank you so much for for sharing your business insights and we are almost coming to a close of the show. Thank you so much Benson for For coming through