29 Yr Old CEO, Erick Kinoti Shares Powerful Tips On What It Takes To Be Successful

A lot has been written about him by various publications. He is a CEO who has appeared not once but twice in the top forty under forty list of Kenyan entrepreneurs.

Who is he? He runs Shades Systems, a firm that manufactures and supplies luxury tents in East Africa with an annual turnover that runs into tens of millions.

But it’s his journey to be who he is today that continues to inspire a lot of people. In an interview with The Standard last year he confessed that, “In 2004, I was working as a cashier at a hotel in Malindi. Since my work hours were mostly at night, I had a lot of free time during the day, so I started buying eggs and supplying it to hotels in the coast. I quit the hotel cashier job in 2007 with a little capital of Sh 20,000 I had saved and started distributing milk to city hotels.”

But how did he venture into the tent business? He explains how he had already expanded his business to supplies of foodstuff like rice, milk, beans and maize. He says, “ One day I met a client who not only wanted foodstuff, but also wanted a tent since he had a function,” and the rest as they say is history which made him appear on Forbes List of Most Young Entrepreneurs to watch out for.

But what can he share with young people. In a recent interview with David Odongo of The Standard, here is what the young entrepreneur had to share;

1.Spend Your Time Wisely
He says, “If you got free time, do something with it.” He shares that in 2004 he was working as a night cashier in a Malindi Hotel “but I had a lot of free time,” he says. He further shares that, “I had an option of sleeping the whole day, or lounging in the beach but I chose to work.”

2. He insists hardwork pays
“Most people keep saying they are waiting for a breakthrough to success,” he says that, “what amazes me is how they do nothing to get that breakthrough.”

He advices that success will never come on a sliver platter. “There must be good preparation, hard work, determination and discipline.”

3. You Have To Manage Your Time Well
With a schedule that begins at 4.00am, he says he works hard to complete hid day’s tasks. “People say you should work smart, but I also believe there is no substitute for hardwork,” he says.

4. You have to Believe in your Potential

He shares that although this might be seen as a cliche, “it’s true. No one can believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself.”

5. You have to be consistent.

His advice if you are thinking of going into business is, “if you selling milk, wake up every morning and sell milk.” He says, “Let everyone know what you do. Be consistent in selling milk and people will soon notice you and your business will flourish.”

Be Inspired……

Courtesy: The Standard