 Helo, thank you so much for keeping us company. This is why in the morning and speaking of entrepreneurship, Tuesday we want to see the online marketing platform where you can order for services that you need. I'm speaking to George Karim. He's the co-founder of the Swift Aid marketplace. Good morning. Good morning. Good to have you here. Thank you. Now maybe to begin with, tell us about this platform and how it has become an enabling marketplace to ensure or to aid me in getting the services that I need. For example, what you just mentioned before we began this broadcast about say I want to have a shift. How has that been aided through your app? Okay, basically it's a mobile marketplace where you get a wide range of services and we actually have registered service providers who are mostly freelancers. We have two aspects of the app. We have the Explorer which we deal with businesses and we have Swift Aid on demand where you now get these skilled professionals from cleaners to plumbers. To electricians. So basically how the app came about it was a Sunday morning back in 2017 and all my clothes were dirty and the house was actually dirty. So on calling my cleaning lady she told me that she was sick so she couldn't come and do the service. So I had to actually work my way around that whole week and that's when the idea came up and I thought like why couldn't we start a platform where it would be as easy as just calling an Uber or a taxi. You know you get the services if and then at least when someone comes and does a job maybe in your house you have the option of rating them after the job. So it will also offer people better experiences at least you will be able to choose depending on the reviews that the service provider has gotten. Also your platform offers that aspect of if the services are done badly I can comment. Yes. Alright so since 2017 I think 2 years they've been perfect or how has it been? Okay the idea was conceived in 2017 so started developing the app but we've been majorly doing jobs like in 2019 so we actually got into real business. And for me I've seen the app tech is good because whatever services that we add onto the app because it just started with cleaners and maybe electricians so we've been adding different kind of services depending on the needs that we get. Okay. So it was very difficult from personal experiences because what also made us come up with a place where you can go for businesses was I was having trouble because when I travel I needed to maybe I needed to take a shave so it was very difficult for me to know which place to go to. So you know you can't go to any premise so if there's a place where you can get when you look for maybe a beauty business you can get and you can get some reviewed business so that at least you have more confidence in actually visiting the place. And also host professionals even like later engineers and doctors once I had a problem with my daughter she was sick in the eye and we were told to go and check on an ophthalmologist. First of all clearly I didn't know who that was at that time but it was difficult for us because it took us like 2-3 weeks to actually get one and you had to come all the way to Nairobi and that's when I thought many people must be facing this problem that you don't know the professionals who are around you. You might be needing a cardiologist and you don't have to travel all that far so if you have a place where you can just go and check for these people as in our slogan is hustles handled it will ease your hustles. And you'll be demonstrating to us in a bit how you operate the application but for now Kenya is a state actually the world in general is a place where scammers are so many. How do you ensure the security of your subscribers and the people who use services through your app? How do you ensure that the people who come to the platform are so legit? Speaking for an example I need some cleaning done in my house. How do I trust the people that are in the app I call them they will come to my house and they won't maybe harm me or steal from me? First of all our first line of fans is we verify and vet these service providers so they have to provide some documents let's say probably for electricians they have to show that they have a certificate and they are qualified and they also have to upload the IDs so this documentation is a first line of defense especially the ID because if something happens you can still go to the police with these documents and second of all our app is location based so you would know where the person went to So if something happens and because now sometimes you can't control people's emotions and character because everyone is different so what we work on we're based on trust and we believe that the clients and the service providers that we have are people of good character I see the application is already here with us maybe if we could try to see some of the services offered in this platform so where do we begin? Okay our app is mobile based this is just a website so yeah so our app is mobile based you get it for free on play store and this is where we actually work on because now Also it's on play store? Yes yes yeah so what actually happens is you just maybe let's say I need a cleaner or an errand what I have to come and do is actually With the play store it's under shift aid? Yes it's under shift aid so I download? You download? Like any other app I use? Like any other app So if there is any service provider who is around this area I'd be able to actually get them on the map just the way taxes are Okay so what basically happens is you request a service just like the way you request a taxi just request and now the service provider has an option of either accepting or rejecting the request So since now we are dealing with people mostly our service providers are not tech savvy most of them because you'd understand like cleaners and some of maybe electricians and some of them actually come from below income areas So you'd not expect them to be online 24 hours so we came up with an SMS service where if someone requests a service you can the service provider will get an SMS text message which he'll then go to the app and now continue with the service if he'll accept or reject And in these maybe say one year because you've said in 2019 it's when the business was okay have you encountered any problem that has maybe legally have you been sued have you had someone being sued have you had any problems? Not really because you see basically we work on reviews and what actually pushes us is we have a problem in our country right now of unemployment You can see it's so much we having so many graduates coming out of vocational training they don't have they are not able to get formal employment let's say you graduated as a mechanic or a plumber Getting that formal employment is quite hard so we are giving it's just giving them like we are giving them a platform where they at least have a chance that maybe a client might just request for a service So in terms of the services that have been offered who is limited to your application are you accepting just any services or you have specifics? We have okay the services they are just normal services but yeah we have specific we don't because now we can't take every service we add a service when a need arises So if we get a feedback from clients is when now we can add a service or maybe if we get a service provider who wants to provide a certain kind of service that we didn't feature we can now try to accommodate them and actually see how we can accommodate them and add such a service to the app Maybe you could take us through some of the services that are already in your platform Yeah we have plumbers, electricians, carpenter, mechanics We also have cleaners, errands, nani, gardener, cooks So it's a wide range of services So we also have repairs now the carpenters and we also have delivery Delivery? Yeah we have drinks, food, gas and water Yeah this came about when now I saw an opportunity because normally these small businesses don't get a platform to advertise or like the SMEs for now you know marketing is quite an expensive affair And that is why we want to give the small businesses a platform Like now the wines and spirits guy or that cafeteria in your neighborhood can also register there and actually you can request anything you want from them So the water shops also and maybe the gas vendors So mainly our app is just to factor in the common monainchi and understand that since now technologies has taken off for the past decade It has taken off quite a bit and this is also another decade where we are going to see information will be key And tech will be key in many things that we will be doing in our daily lives Okay so now speaking of unemployment and being a platform where you can earn your money from What do I require to register with you and it's still the same thing, how are you benefiting? What you require is just we need some of your documents just like normal ID and maybe certificates and also where you said now we need a certificate of good conduct So that we can actually see that those are now the steps that we take to make sure the service providers are required to people of character And as a client you just register with your phone number because most of the transactions are done online We don't advise to pay cash but the exact option but we advise if you pay through the app it's much more safer because you can follow up Which app? The app itself? So I have an option after the services has been done I pay the person who came to do it via your app So how do you now benefit from that? We charge a commission for every job that is done So it's just automatic the service provider gets a small cash just for linking them We had a problem with online taxi and I remember they were saying people take a lot of money in terms of the commission Now how do you ensure that or how have you gotten to a point where you feel I am not oppressing my clients on my app Where did you agree with these people? Did you have a written document? Did you agree on this contract? This is how I'll be getting your mind so when I'm there I'm comfortable I know if I have registered with you and I've done the services for say 100 shillings Commission is 10 shillings to the person who the platform How did you come about with that? We actually did a survey and they actually went and asked around because now you have to What separates us from now every other platform that exists with this kind of services is us we do not have fixed charges In our country now we have not gotten to a level where you can charge, a plumber can charge you per hour Just like they do in the rest of the world So what happens is we went and did a survey and actually so like normally how much do they charge for a small job And then now we came up with the percentage and after after taking the survey most of them said it was quite reasonable So your clients are comfortable? Yes Right now in terms of claiming services have been offered to me or maybe I'm assuming say a kawash And I came and told me we can do this and then say they disappear Who do I go to report first because I got this person through the app I have nothing to do with them How now do I have to follow them? You have to report with us and now as we'll follow it up you told you Are you doing the same thing online or I can now call you? You can now call us, we have a line and we can follow up because I told you the app is location based So in fact all this information we have so if this guy went somewhere we actually know where he is And this is the information that we give to maybe the authorities to actually follow up because we have to work with them Yeah and also what I didn't mention is also the app has an option where you can have like a side household Now where we have agents, agents for these services Let's say you own an investor and most of the time you are free with your smartphone So you can go and recruit some ladies to maybe who are cleaners Then when someone requests for the service you send them to do the job You get your cut then you pay the cleaners Now explain to me how does that happen, I have trained you I want you to send someone they will pay you either by cash or only Yeah mostly now they'll pay, it depends we have that option of cash Because some people may not have money on the phone So if they are paid cash we have a system where they have a wallet in the application Where now it will have a negative So they have an option of actually refilling that wallet And actually clearing that commission Because ok I know there are times when people might want to Maybe we have connected them to a client and they may not want to pay up the commission Yeah because now if I have an option I can decide not to pay it So what happens is now we give you 24 to 48 hours to actually clear the amount Or now your services won't be seen on the application Now how do you determine the price or the cost for the services offered and know your cut Because I'm assuming these services will vary Do I have a standard value or amount that I will charge for specific services Can I negotiate with my client assuming I'm a cleaner On the app I've said I do the cleaning with 500 Then I meet my customer out here and we negotiate and they will be aware if I'm a cleaner Then I do it, do you still expect a commission What happens is now the cleaner goes and does the job Then if they have completed the job And put the amount that they want to be paid Because now you see it's in our Kenyan culture to actually bargain You can't have a fixed price on anything Actually that won't work at least not now But we give them a leeway to bargain That's why I said we wanted to actually tailor Suit this app for the Kenyan market and for the common man Because I know a cleaner will come there say 500 Then you say no 500 is too much do for me for 300 We'll still get our commission but it will still be Our commission is a percentage so if they have agreed that is it So it's upon me as a client to know how much I charge And know what I want to be left with Okay now in this era of so many businesses online How do you ensure that you still remain there With all these competitors especially now delivery Because we have other platforms offering deliveries of food Ya ya you know there's Uber Eats and also Glovo So basically ya I think you just can't run away from competition And you try to be different and unique in your own way So that's what you know these companies have come from abroad And the style of working is actually suited for people who are not Basically from Africa So as we are trying to tailor suit it for our people And that's why I said we don't we accept cultures like Bagaling you know and things like that So it's just about being different because you can't all be the same And as we are trying to focus on the small businesses And because I know there will be a day Even Mamamboga can be selling our stuff online And you'll get it delivered in your house You know not because now what happens now is Only the big businesses can afford to do this But as we want to actually focus on that Mamamboga that small business lady or man In the neighbourhoods actually Alright as we come to an end of this discussion How do we ensure security in terms of Sabah claims? Um Sabah claims Ya ok that we obviously now that is now tech Where we actually ensure our servers are secure And so that is just about securing your servers And because obviously you might get some attacks at times With the Sabah attacks but you try as much as possible to seal all the loopholes Can anyone use your app to do any harm to anyone? Um not that no definitely not Ok so finally maybe one of the challenges that you have faced And if you need to be addressed in as much as unemployment is concerned And how you feel the youths will benefit from a swift aid Um the challenge is what we have now We have not gotten to a point where internet is actually cheap For the low income earners And people who live in the low income areas And also we have not had enough smartphone penetration But all this is taking time And I know this will be a different decade Because if you checked on 2010 Actually a phone like this will cost a fortune So but since how things are coming up We have to hope that that's why I'm saying that one day Momboga will be selling her wares online Just one more question Are you based here in Nairobi or the cities or even in the villages? Um normally it's the major cities Because that's where internet and smartphone penetration is quite high Especially now here in Nairobi But that is our hope But the app can work anywhere in Kenya So long as a service provider Even if it's in Bandera If a service provider has registered in that area And we have verified them They can be seen on the map Thank you so much for your time here And telling us how you are changing life out there We wish you all the very best And thank you so much for keeping us company This is why in the morning I was speaking to George Karimiko Founder for Swift Aid Market It's a mobile application where you can order services You need be it food, be it cleaning Be it whatever you want to be done You can do it through the app You can go to play store and download it then You can ask or request for any services that you need We'll be taking a very short break See you in a bit My name is Dereva Hilary