 To why in the morning if it's Tuesday it's entrepreneurship Tuesday or why to for for channel is where you can find us across all our social media handles at Michelle Ashira is where you can find me across all my social in this particular session We dive into an interview that looks at I am not sure if it's up and for me because having a conversation with my guest It has brought it up to also interior decor So if we'll come and will them say when you when you look at your kitchen and do like apane I can plant some vegetables. I can plant some plants, you know kitchen gardens This is a conversation for you. So stick around because we have so much information coming your way. So in the studio I am joined by Njoki Kamau and She's a plant enthusiast definitely that I'm not sure you and she's also the founder of alpha plants. Thank you very much Njoki for creating time to be with us. Thank you. Happy Tuesday. Happy Tuesday Michelle. How are you feeling this morning? I'm happy. I'm happy. It is raining You know rain for our plants and this is a blessing all the way. So I'm very happy It's very good weather to grow things now and most so happy that I'm here. Thank you for this opportunity I'm looking forward to having a great session. You're very much welcome. Thank you. Yes, you're a plant enthusiast Yes, I am so tell us a little bit of a background information of who Njoki is and also Yeah, who Njoki is. Njoki Kamau is first of all I'm a mother of two a boy and a girl and I'm also a wife and I am an accountant and a teacher Then above all those are more so a plant enthusiast I developed interest for plants when I was very young. I was born in in the village in Muranga I come from a place called Ishii So in there my parents were farmers so they raised us from farming they paid our school fees and everything from farming And so I got the basics of farming from that and I developed an interest in that just normal normal growing of things and I think as a person it was there was also Natural liking for plants because I remember when I was five years old I had a small garden and one time my dad had grown cabbages in the off field, but mine did well so I sold to him and Even if he paid me one ball, it was a big thing The only one within my siblings that had money. So yeah, so growing things has been within me and in me The other thing is that I went to school. I went to Mugwede Girls High School and From that I went to Strathmore school. I did accounting and after that I joined the University of Nairobi and took education so I have a bachelor's degree in education Thank you for that brief background now from the point about your passionate about plants Definitely. So how did that transition to you studying a whole business around it? Yes So what happened immediately after school? I got a job as an accountant and you know you are told go to school Get a job. So I got a job as an accountant and I was very happy. I was I was working and still I am with a very great organization and But I did not have much time to To to practice my hobby for business. So within me I kept feeling like I would do something else that gratifies me So COVID came and we had a bit more of time on our hands And it was time for me to sit back and think of what else can I do? Probably supplement my income because at the time of COVID we had pay cuts. We were at home We had much more time. So I did a lot of thinking a lot of Trying to figure out what I could do. I knew I loved plants. I knew I loved everything about plants, but I Couldn't really point at what pointed ways that so what I did I Went on researching on what are people doing around gardening one I realized that people were now embracing gardening people are now conscious of their health and people are now Loving the idea of having a plant and being at home. Everyone else being at home. They were starting to notice Oh, this place needs something. Yes, yes, especially when you're in your house Yes, I need a free particular space. We can add something there Yes, in fact, if I could tell you about my first client my first client told me that they just created their home office And they realized that from where they got they you know, they were moving funny They were not buying new furniture. They were moving at it. They were converting a table into an office So they realized that space that they moved the table from needed something So that she asked me what what would I put here? Do I put a wall hanging up an art or something? I told her plant and that's that that happened to be my very very first client. So yeah really It was about it was about Just growing something and There's so much in in order there's so much within me about, you know Putting a seed down into the soil and it comes out and it's food or it's a beautiful flower or it's It's it's a tree or you mean it's a fruit tree. Yeah. Yes You feel very very fulfilled and even sometimes when you even do it for business You realize that the gratification is not even in the money the gratification is in That achievement of this food this food and it's healthy food. So and you go to grow that Yeah, totally organic and also environmental friendly. Yes. All right. So from the point where you've done your market research What you get what guys doing the same industry when it comes to plants and everything so What did you decide to settle on? So what does alpha plant deal with? Yes alpha plants Alpha plants is a business venture. So when I did my research, I realized I could do first of all I wanted a business that Wouldn't take So so much of my time on the ground because remember I was still employed and I did not want to cheat my employer Maybe with time I would transition at that point. This was my thinking with time out Transition into the business, but I wanted something that I could do and not take up take up so much of my time That was number one and two. I wanted an authentic idea. So what I did is I Sat down and decided to divide it into three three arms. So alpha plant has three arms There's an arm of landscaping, which is quite technical. This the biggest of them, which is the urban kitchen Gardening Which which which we do organic foods and there is the indoor plants Which we we do for homesteads, you know in in the in within the living spaces in the homesteads and in Coprics in the offices in the office spaces. So with The biggest arm of it, which is now the urban kitchen gardens. This is where we Install we come up with a setup Like when we come when you when you contact us the first thing we do we come for a site visit We want to see the space that you have and then from that we are able to design Something for a garden out of it. It may even be on concrete. It may be on your balcony on your rooftop It may be on your backyard or even a small shamba somewhere that you have So with that we'll be able to design what what what suits your needs We also have a conversation with you to understand what exactly do you want do you want food? For just for household consumption. Do you want I have I have people who've come to me because they want to Be a bit more to adopt a bit more of a healthy lifestyle They want herbs they want spices they want to lose weight. They want to check on what they eat So we will when we understand that we are able to design for you the garden plastic the plants that you need So we will be doing if it's vegetables and we really recommend that you consider taking the traditional Vegetables so we'll be planting for you managus Terraris spinach, of course Kale's Some we have been done in the rema. I don't know if I don't know what the English word It's the traditional Traditional vegetable so anything can be planted on your own your kitchen garden because I think like most question will be like Can I really plant anything that I want in my kitchen garden? Yes. Yes, anything basically? Yes I don't see what yes, but we'll also consider the environment the where you are at We will also look at the aesthetics of it. So we want to create a really beautiful something is a kick garden that Will not mean to you that will not mean to you mess will not mean to you all those things so it will be very well done and neat and organized and also it will Even the way we arrange the crops on the garden is going to be very very nice and very attractive Okay, but yes, basically everything you know that As you're talking and you being passionate about plants and bringing out a business out of it Someone who's watching this conversation and they also into this space where they love the you know Urban farming also in comes to plants and they want to get to jump into this that sort kind of business but they don't know how to go about the aspect of just Understanding the like the skills dynamics when it comes to plants arrangement the layout. So how do you how did you get your skills on that? Well, yeah First of all, I'm quite a statistic naturally. I'm artistic number two. I did a lot of reading and a lot of research I wanted to understand which which which crop goes with what which plant goes together with which What can you plant as companion plants? What so what what does well where what are the environments for this type of plant like I can I could tell you my The guest was here before me. Yes She told us that Cales grow almost anywhere, you know Yes, there are those that grow almost anywhere and there are those that You really have to research and find out and even some create a condition for them Like put up nets or a small sort of greenhouse for them to do very well so had to do a lot of research around that and That is what I would recommend have the knowledge knowledge is there in fact It's the biggest asset for this business the knowledge and the skill and that you have to learn And unfortunately, we do not probably have so much time to go to school and learn and sometimes even with the school You don't really get There's a gap between what you learn and what you get on the ground So the best thing is do the research do a lot of self-teaching go to the ground and see what is what is happening Try to grow something somewhere, you know, what you're interested in try to grow it and see how it does observe Just empower yourself with as much knowledge as possible also Speak to people who are in the business or people who are doing the same thing as you are aspiring and They'll be able to guide you. They'll be able to I was lucky to meet Fantastic people who introduced me into business who are mentoring me who are telling me don't do this do a don't do be and Really knowledge is everything and for me it was investing in that knowledge that the business is Propelling I mean we're starting off when it comes to capital How did you go about that and do you start as a as a sole proprietor? Did you have like a team? Okay The question of capital in fact, I was thinking about my wow the capital here Is almost zero. It's really almost zero what what what you need and What you need really is the knowledge that's number one when you have the knowledge Number two and for me how I started or other my business model was more into I looked at where I was at And I wanted to work with what I had And what I had was not money, but the the passion and and Some space in my home. So that is where I started and that's what I had so in terms of capital I Invested in Relationship networking with people who are in the business and who would partner with me Like I told you I do landscaping landscaping is quite technical and quite artistic and it's a whole It's a whole scope on its own So for me to be able to achieve on landscaping I I needed I sat down and listed what I needed and what I needed was one I needed nurseries that I could partner with that would give me Flowers and plants and trees and all those things that come with it. That's that was number one number two I needed A nursery that was doing organic Foods that I could get the seedlings from that was number two and number three and he did people who are making flower pots and and of different types and And and and I partnered with all those people I went around looking for them and God was gracious with me He gave me very very good people fantastic people who are willing to support my dream and we partnered and that's how I started So for me I did not invest like a hundred thousand or fifty thousand I just started by social capital that's social capital and then I now did Social media marketing. I remember with that that my first client the one I told you we did a plant for so she told me When we did when I recommended she told me go find a plant that is that will suit and she told me don't mind about the budget So I went and looked for the best the best pot and the best plant and we put it in that space We took a photo and I posted it. I sent it to my friend and told them look this is what I'm doing I'm now alpha plans. This is what I'm doing and that brought business So that was the beginning and with that client. She paid me a deposit So really I did not invest money in terms of capital but I did in a lot of investment in terms of researching and getting the knowledge and Getting the social capital. Yeah, right when it comes to having proper or increase in yields like at the end of the day and What a couple of measures that you take To increase yield yes, I know looking at the aspect of also reducing on expenditure. Okay. Yeah, okay. Yes so what I have done is the My business works best when I look at the economies of scale when I buy more I get bigger discounts when I buy more of So what I do I do a lot of marketing Yeah, I do a lot of marketing and I need I understand that I need to be buying like a wholesale buyer from my Partners who are now the Nasser is for me to be able to get bigger discounts and and that reduces the cost Even for my pricing of the product as I do the landscaping for a client Or as I do the kitchen gardens or as I supply the indoor plants So meaning that because I'm buying in bulk I get a better discount and I am able to sell Competitively to my clients. So there's no middleman. No It's just me and my partner and the client. Okay. Yeah, and and sometimes It's such a model. It's such a beautiful model for me that I'm even able to compete with my my own partner sometimes because they give me We are able to work out those discounts and my clients are also happy The other aspect that I'd like to mention, please do. Yeah of this is that With my model, I'm able to get the best, you know, because because I'm not restricted to one Nasserie that I get plans from you see if I started a Nasserie for myself today for plants I would have to sell my plants whether they are good or bad, but now I go out to the market I will buy the best spinach Spinach seedlings. I'll buy the best Palm trees if I'm doing landscaping. I'll buy the best grass if I'm doing When I'm doing landscaping I'll buy the best indoor plants because I have the opportunity the chance to choose from my my social capital the networks that I've created so that also Works for me on the upside because I'm able to give you the best competitively and And I do not have to incur so much in No setting up the the base the behind the back end And when it comes to for someone wants to get into this particular business when it's or even urban farming in general so what a couple of steps when it comes to you know proper planning and looking Setting up proper planning and just having the proper projection before you actually even embark when Putting your seed on the ground when you talk about probably the kitchen garden in this case. Yeah Well the proper planning and especially for the kitchen garden number one is to understand Your client needs. Yeah, they want food just for the household. Do they want some health? You need to understand what what they have number two You ask for someone who would want to start this they need to be passionate about it and number three They need to understand the benefits or they need to understand the plants. They need to know what does other than Feeling your stomach. What does what does a spinach do to your health? What does a mint do to your health? So they need to understand those health benefits For any plant for a kitchen garden. So that way they're able to to put up a Solution that suits their client needs That's that's and that that's really boils down to learning to investing in knowledge and a lot of research So that they understand and they meet that need. So that's then the step number one number two in the into the planning they need to have the source of authentic and organic products seedlings in this case or seeds they need to have that and it's very very important that They research or they invest in that because if you're not if you're if you're getting it wrong at the seed level You're getting it wrong all the way So you have to get it right at the seed level and the other thing is in in The budgeting for the project so they need to to budget for the project and know how to do the quotations So that they are not overcharging undercharging and all that and they need to stick to that so that they're able to deliver on the project And lastly they need to be very professional When we are when we are doing you realize that there's a difference. There's a difference in There's a difference in the way we at the urban setup look at Want to be treated rather want to you know days away And and there's a there's really a difference. They need to be very professional They need to provide a professional service and they need to be also to to be ready to follow up with those gardens They need to be able it's not just about putting a seat down You need to be able to see that seat to the point of harvesting Yeah, so they need to provision for that even in their planning that yes I've set up a garden for Michelle next week I'll be going to visit the garden to see what it needs or it is okay or whether she needs to add something You know in another three weeks I still need to have to go back from especially for me when I set up a kitchen garden I will make sure I visit you at least Four times and the first the fourth time we will be happy. Oh, you guys all for maintenance. Yes We do maintenance and and and we do it for free. It's in the passion. Yeah, so we will visit We will we will we will Advise we will help as much as we can and for me I look forward to the first harvest So I will come to we do the first harvest together together. Yeah Usually like a celebration. Oh, yeah, and mostly seen about for four weeks five weeks Yeah, and I feel like this composition breaks a lot of misconception when it comes to farming because people think like, you know It's just putting the seeder and just watering it Hail and wait for the harvest but there's a lot of Thought through the process that you have to put in planning and just projecting your produce and everything so let's look at When it comes to just the indoors planting, I feel like it's an interior decor now You're going in a sort of an interior decor setup So what is that what a couple of the right plants and how do you go about it? Yes? How we go about it with the interior The indoor plants and this one you you need to have An artistic mind to some extent and also understand the plants and their needs so their plants Or rather how we go about it is we look at the space and We look at their factors that come into play like the the level of lighting The accessibility to sunlight so some plants will do better near a window A window others will do better at a balcony others will be okay in the dark Others will be okay better in the bathroom because there's moisture so for us we look at the environment the in the space and some of the plants that really like we have funds fun The plant called funds they do very well in the bathrooms as long as they can access some lighting We have a plant called snake plant that will survive anywhere in the house And it's very it's one of the leading air purifiers Okay, so it's so really even in the bedroom. You're okay anywhere And there's the most common of them all which is the money plant the one that claims Yeah, so that one will also do with the minimal lighting and in the house as long as you give them the right nutrients So what I do with my plants especially the indoor plants and I also do this with the kitchen garden I plant all my plants with composts the medium is not soil. It's compost that the compost is Decompost organic matter so when you put together All the cuttings from the forest and anywhere you put them together they decompose and they become very healthy Medium for planting any plant. I like the fact that apart from just creating beautiful spaces They come with the brings out the beautiful the smell the scent. Yes. So, yeah So, let's look at When it comes to just branding and making you making you actually Be quite different out here in the market space or a couple of things that you do What separates you from the rest? Okay? Yeah Number one I do a lot of social media marketing Lately I have I have found a lot of referral referrals to as I think as the business grows I'm getting a lot of I was referred by so-and-so who you did this and this and And that that is seeming to also be working But what I have invested in is social media marketing So what I do is I create content content by the day for my social media pages So anything I do is it delivery me I'll take a photo of my pick up with the plants inside and I'll post on and then Somebody will somebody else out there will be like. Oh, you also do deliveries. Yes I Have I have set up a place within my home where I when I prepare the small small plants We call them succulents in some small beautiful pots. You'll find them on my page Where I take photos from so there I have a camera I do and I set up and I take photos and then I post them on my social media platform So really the marketing is on social media The referrals is now coming up as the business grows All right, and how's the COVID-19 affected their demanding supply when it comes to this particular business? Hmm I must say Include also the lockdown the lockdown Yeah, yeah It's interesting. It's interesting that This business came up at a time when people needed it as much as People were Stained on their cash flows and everything They were willing to spend on plants. I mean it's the thing that they were doing at the time They were at home. Yeah, I'm on your hands. Yes Looking at your space Yes, yes, people people will tell you, you know, I've never really thought that this corner would give me some spinach Can we do something? Yeah, because that it it was that it was the right opportunity for them. However with the third wave We are experiencing a bit of Holding back because and I think it really it's because people are on a wait and see They they're not sure what what's going to happen next. So in terms of spending So you'll find that there are a lot of enquiries coming in. Can I do a can I do B? Can I you know? but let me wait and see if My employer will say that we are now closing again or if they're not sure this so there's a level of Uncertainty since last week which I have observed but it's not to mean that we will not be in business I believe we've been in business. We will continue. However little however much we will continue I know what a couple of measures that you've taken to just make sure that the business is sustainable during this time during this time Yes, some of the of the measures that I have taken One is I have a plan. I have a business continuity plan in place and that is One I Like I told you the sauce the sauce I Have ensured that me and my that network For the nurseries where I get my plants. We are operating we're operating. They are my partners and we are operating We're in operation and things are continuing. We have also reduced on Some of the expenses that we could reduce on so We we are more into conserving energy Conserving the waters conserving how we spend so that we ensure that we learn we run the business a little longer and also the other thing that we've done to ensure that We are continuing is that we continue to market we continue to make plans to be on the faces of our client and tell them That we we are here We are doing it and we are doing a bit more of Supporting the clients that are already within our portfolio so that because we have a bit more of time now we in terms of Like I told you the business is slowing down because of the uncertainty. So those that were already with us We are doing a lot of supporting we've been running A program where we are doing crop rotation for free So if you had a garden with us kitchen garden with us and you have probably you're now tired of your spinach We will be coming and planting something else for free. Oh nice very nice interesting All right couple of financial lessons that you've learned along the way this journey. It's financial. Sorry financial lessons lessons. Yes I'm an accountant so I Account for every coin that comes in but as the accountant I am I also made Miss a few mistakes when I was starting because I would get excited when the money comes and probably spend Spend it in the business spend it in the business without a plan like I would go into a shop and find this nice Sports and buy all of them without a plan. So I have learned that every expenditure for me has to have a plan I had I need to see the whole It has to fall within the strategy. I have a full business strategy So it has to fall within the strategy if it's not within however beautiful. It's not happening. We're not doing impulse buying Yeah, we're not doing impulse buying and for me because of My passion is so strong. It's so strong within me So I could be Walking around and walking in someone's nursery and I find beautiful plants and I buy them. So for me I It's I have had to learn the discipline to say it's not now. Yes. I have seen you have it When I get a client I'll buy it not now So before then I would just buy for my home and then it's excessive. I don't have space You know, yeah, so I've learned the discipline of weights. Okay. All right So the vision how is the vision looking like a couple of years down the road? Yes the vision is To have sustainable guidance within the urban space if I can meet Even 50% of the market. I'll be very happy because one it means