WOMAN OF PASSION: Dirty laundry is big business

Caroline Kusimba believes in second chances. At 41, she acknowledges that her second chance came from her business, Swirl Laundry. “I was a duty operations manager at Kenya Airways until September 2012, when I opted for early retirement to pursue my business full-time,” says the mother of three.

“After graduating in 1998 with a diploma in airline ticketing, I worked as a casual with a local bank that had just floated its shares. I worked there for six months, handling customer inquiries, then joined Uchumi Supermarkets the next year, where I worked in customer service.”

Caroline enjoyed her job, and she was good at it. However, one day while preparing a credit note for a customer’s return, she met one of her lecturers from college, who told her about a suitable job opening related to her training.

“She told me there was an opening at Kenya Airways (KQ) and I should apply for it,” says Caroline. Caroline applied on a lark, so she was surprised when they called her for an interview, and even more surprised that they hired her as a customer service agent in 2000.

“I held this position for two years and went on to become the duty operations manager in 2008.”

Despite being on a steady salary, Caroline never seemed to have cash in her pocket. “I was constantly borrowing money from my sister. She had a catering business near the United States International University - Africa that was doing really well. She told me I should start a business “ya kufua nguo.” Caroline laughs.

MENIAL JOB

“When she put it that way – kufua nguo – it didn’t sound like something I wanted to do.” The idea was planted though – whenever she travelled, Caroline opened her eyes to how other countries did their laundry. After six months of groundwork, Caroline started her first laundrette in 2010. It was next to USIU. Her target market was the university students who lived off-campus.

“I charged Sh60 to wash and press one kilo of laundry. I charged an extra Sh70 to iron. Pick-up and delivery services were free. Students loved the convenience!”

Pretty soon, Caroline had taken over a significant chunk of the clientele from the well-established mama fua’s in the area.

 “I was able to get the extra money I needed to take care of a few things in-between the month.”

The flipside to having such a market was the lull in business when school was off-session, and rent, salaries and other costs were still due. Running the laundrette as a side-hustle also meant that Caroline couldn’t be as hands-on as she wanted.

 “I later discovered that one of my employees was running his own laundry inside my laundry.” She closed shop after one year, taking away some crucial lessons.

One of Caroline’s main duties as duty operations manager at Kenya Airways was handling customs and immigration. A sensitive duty that called for plenty of sober decision-making and wide consultations with far-flung embassies. Caroline managed this duty

exceptionally. It earned her recognition and promotions, but it also halted her progressive career in the airline industry: “I ended up facing disciplinary action for a passenger I cleared to Europe. The hearing started at around the time KQ started to lay off staff. I seriously considered resigning before they got to me. But eventually the case was ruled in my favour, and I opted for the early retirement package.” Caroline was 37 at the time.

“I already had a laundry running in a small mall off Argwings Khodek Road, in Nairobi” Caroline says of her second chance.

 “I’d opened it in early 2012, taking a Sacco loan to set it up and buy machines – two were second-hand washers for Sh400, 000, and a brand-new drier for Sh750, 000. I had four staff.”

BUSINESS WAS PICKING UP

Business was picking up – she had won a contract to launder towels for a popular hair salon that had four branches across the city; she also had a handful of regular corporates and one major five-star hotel she would later add to her portfolio.

“I outsourced most of the hotel’s work because I didn’t have the equipment to handle such capacity. But whoever I was outsourcing to didn’t launder to my high standards or deliver on time. The hotel kept sending back items to rewash. This contract forced me to rethink my business.”

 It was around this time that KQ made its final payout, in late 2012.

“I got a million shillings and invested it all in my business. I bought a roller from E-bay and two more second-hand machines. Then I moved to a bigger space on Kirichwa Road, off Ngong Road in Nairobi.”

I meet Caroline here, early on a Wednesday morning, for this interview. It’s business as usual – Sam, the laundry manager, is loading the washer with white and blue towels from a nearby sports club; Wanjiru is on the roller, feeding it with white bed sheets; Mwende, the administrator, is in the back office preparing invoices for billing and whatnot. Caroline and I sit in her cosy office outside – she has black coffee, I have black tea.

Being in business full-time, Caroline felt where her entrepreneurial shoes pinched the most, working toward making the business sustainable.

 “I negotiated credit terms with my suppliers to match what I was getting from my clients, this freed up cash. I also partnered with them in training my staff on their products. I dropped several clients because they weren’t paying on time. We’re making money now.

“I also hired the right people to work with; I poached my laundry manager from another company, and I hired an accountant to manage my books. Last month, I incorporated a board, which has a 20-something year old sitting on it. I’m looking to upgrade my equipment soon and expand business,” she adds.

CAROLINE’S COUNSEL

• As a business, ensure you have a visible presence on social media – hire a youngling to manage your social media accounts.

• You can grow from having several small clients who pay on time rather than having one huge one who doesn’t.

• Identify a bank you can partner with – my bank has supported me in training and financing.

• Join a network and get a mentor – these two are crucial to entrepreneurs.

• Have a succession plan for your business – my kids are already in it, running one of the leased laundrettes in Pipeline, Nairobi.