How Shally Akinyi Started And Grew Her Retail Shop in Dandora
Shally Akinyi has turned a small idea into a steady source of income by running a general retail shop near her house in Dandora, Nairobi.
Her retail shop sells dairy products, soft drinks, diapers, and also offers M-Pesa services. What makes her hustle unique is that it was born out of love for her children.
Akinyi says she started the business so that she could stay close to her children and raise them herself. “I just love being near my kids,” she said.
Her shop, located just a short walk from her house, began with a capital of about Ksh 20,000. While her partner helped handle the M-Pesa registration, Akinyi focused on stocking and setting up.
A few months later, her husband supported her with another Ksh 20,000. They used Ksh 15,000 to buy a second-hand freezer and the remaining Ksh 5,000 to stock milk.
At first, her customers were mainly friends, neighbours and family members from around Dandora. “Watu wa area ndio walikuwa wa kwanza,” she explained.
Over time, her customer base has grown because of how she treats them, with care and honesty. “I always give service yenye hata mimi ninge taka kupokea,” she added.
One of the biggest advantages of her business is its location. Being close to home gives her flexibility. She can run errands or check on her children without closing the shop for long. “Hii hustle haina restrictions,” she adds. “Nikihitaji kuenda home naenda then narudi haraka.”
However, running the shop comes with its own challenges. Since she deals mostly with perishable goods like milk and yogurt, she sometimes experiences losses when products spoil or are returned. “Customer anaweza rudi aseme maziwa imeharibika, and I have to replace to keep them happy,” she explains.
Another challenge is record keeping, especially because most payments go through one till number. “It’s hard to separate sales for different items, so knowing exact profits for each product is tricky."
Since joining MESH, Shally says she has benefited in different ways. She has received financial support to grow her business through loans offered by MESH partners like Jiinue, gained new ideas from other Meshers, and even learned how to manage mental health while doing business. “Nimepata motivation kutoka kwa meshers wenzangu.”
To those who want to start a similar business or any hustle, Shally has a message: “It’s never too late to start again. Be yourself. Usifuate watu juu today might not be the same as tomorrow.”
Check out more about Shally on MESH
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