She Quit Her Job At KQ To Start A Business With Just A Laptop & Facebook Page

Would you quit a well paying job at Kenya Airways?

Meet Gloria Michelle Otieno who quit her job in the customer services department at the Kenya Airways because she was dissatisfied. She says she wasn’t passionate about it but on the other hand advices that not everyone who hates their job should quit but they should have a plan

In her recent interview with the True Love Magazine, she says that her plan was to use her excellent social media skills and her ability to write proposals business plans and CVs.

How It Started

Her first client was a 22 year old man who she did a CV for 200 shillings and a cover letter for Ksh 150 after he was impressed with the CV.

After the young man landed an interview he referred her to his cousin and that is how the cycle began.

She asked happy clients to post their testimonials on her Facebook page and when she received more than 1,000 CVs in the first few months she knew she had business and she needed more people.

Related: Meet Dr. Alfred Mutua: From ‘Mjengo’ To The Best Performing Governor In Kenya

And that is how she started Recours Four Kenya Consultants Limited; a company that provides recruitment, selection, training and development of staff and design of corporate uniforms.

It also offers training, helping to bridge the gap between education and employment by equipping participants with the required skills necessary for the workplace.

Do you Love Being In Business?

“I love what I do and I am thankful that I have the chance to live my passion every day. I now know what they mean when they say that your business is like your baby,” she says.

“When you do what you love everything in life just somehow falls into place and the vision becomes very clear,” she emphasizes.

Ms. Otieno studied pharmacy in South Africa and even though she did not enjoy it, it helped develop her critical thinking and problem solving abilities. She is now doing a degree in management and leadership, majoring in human resource management.

What Are The Challenges?

Even with the joys that come with being a business owner she says that it also comes with many sacrifices.

“It means working longer hours than your staff, taking the time to understand your staff, identify weak areas in the business and not being afraid to point them out.”

Related: How 22 Year Old Agnes Mulewa Built A Multi-Million Business In Just 6 Months

She says that staff tends to emulate the owner and that the owner is meant to sacrifice and be the first one at work and last one to leave except if there is a meeting or an important engagement.

“The owner must always pay the staff their salary whether the business has made money or not!”she states.

She however feels happier now than she would have been if she was still employed.

“Each day I wake up excited about going to work, to see the new possibilities the day has in store for the business and to discover the new things I will learn.”

Her Advice To Young Entrepreneurs

“An entrepreneur must have a plan. You must understand your business and the direction you want it to take. You should have a working knowledge about the business you plan to start before you start it. You also need common sense, appropriate experience, follow through and attention to detail,” she concludes.

Related: Meet 29 Yr Old Who Used His Acquired Skills To Help Beat Unemployment

If you are planning to quit your job, do you have a plan?

Courtesy: True Love