IT firm owner who never went to computer class

He surprised his teachers and parents when he chose to go into business after scoring a B plain in the national secondary examinations.

Robert Mwangi says he took this route because he has never been a fan of sitting in a classroom and learning about theories. Practical work and getting his hands dirty is his natural cup of tea.

“I have never liked the classroom learning model and I told my mother, who is also a teacher, that the best learning is where one follows their passion with a commercial sense,” he says.

With these words, he cut short his studies and left home to try his luck in Nyeri town.

Now he sits pretty in his Westlands offices in Nairobi, but it has been a long journey for him. However, what makes his adventure in the business world more compelling is that he taught himself IT skills.

Taking into account the level of success he currently enjoys, it is hard to believe that back in 2012, Mr Mwangi left home armed with only an old desktop computer and a modem that was extremely slow, making Internet access a costly affair.

PASSION FOR COMPUTING

He had not also figured out what precisely he would do in the IT field but a deep-seated passion for computers egged him on.

His business journey started proper when his friend told him about online jobs. He began scouting the cyberspace for the virtual jobs and immediately started earning an income.

“My friend taught me a few digital marketing designs and in November 2012. I earned Sh6,000 and in early December another client paid me Sh15,000, which made me start spending more time in cyber cafes,” her recalls.

From the proceeds, he invested in a wireless connection that gave him a more stable Internet connection.

However, it was not all rosy as there were plenty of challenges. The online jobs were not sufficient for him to earn a decent income and to make matters worse, some clients refused to pay for work already done.

“I started doing digital jobs on web designs, search engine optimisation, social media monitoring and email marketing but they were unreliable and very frustrating,” he notes.

The hardships at some point became almost unbearable and doubts started creeping into his belief in the whole idea of going into business. He started questioning the wisdom of ignoring his mother’s advice to pursue a degree course in engineering.

NEW SETBACK

Left with limited options, he stuck with online jobs, braving all the difficulties.

“By December, life was hard and I told my wife to go home with our child and leave me in town to hustle,” he says.

“On December 23, 2012, a client surprised me with a Sh15,000 payment and a request that I take up more jobs from him over the Christmas and New Year holidays.”

Lady Luck appeared to have smiled on his way and he hoped this would be the beginning of better things ahead.

However, a new setback emerged; Internet connection in Nyeri was becoming increasingly unreliable and it would be impossible to meet the tight deadlines for the plenty of work he had been given. He opted to travel all the way to Nairobi to do the work.

He spent a night at a friend’s house, where he worked overnight and outsourced some jobs.

In June, 2013, he moved to Nairobi with his family to benefit from faster and cheaper Internet connection. He worked from his Umoja Estate home but endless distractions forced him to rent a private office within the estate.

MOVING OFFICES

However, he soon learnt that having an office in the estate did not endear him to many customers.

“I would get local clients seeking digital marketing services but when I told them I was located in Umoja, they disappeared,” he adds.

Mr Mwangi relocated to Westlands and this gave him a huge boost. He also formally registered his firm, Janeson Media, a digital recording company.

Business started flowing in from big and small companies. And gradually the startup grew from strength to strength. The firm, which now has six employees, makes Sh150,000 monthly in profit.

His clients include politicians, celebrities and tour and travel firms, as well as retailers of IT goods and services.

“Some (customers) want someone who will manage their social media sites and give them regular feedback,” he

Social media, he notes, holds huge opportunities because of its versatility.

“Think of people using the social sites in a matatu, in the office and at home and you will realise the tech-savvy group is rising faster than those glued on radio and television,” he says.

ONLINE FOOTPRINT

Music is another of Mr Mwangi’s passions. At his Westlands office, he is putting up a digital music studio to help budding artistes.

“I do audio-recording only and I have worked with many musicians in the past year to prepare demo recordings that they forward to the many radio stations. I am working with several producers on this project,” he adds.

The Janeson Recording Label has been registered as a subsidiary of Janeson Media and has since enrolled 200 upcoming artists.

He says that while the youth and many working-class people are embracing the Internet, many companies in Kenya are losing because they do not use social media as avidly as they should.

“They have no footprint online, which makes it impossible for Kenyans to contact and do business with them. Online media shortens the distance, reduces charges and enables prospective clients to check a company’s profile online before committing their money,” he adds.

He says Kenya lags behind in digital media marketing as there is no curriculum for students to learn and enlighten them on online jobs.