A lot of graduates are out there hoping that one day they will be invited for an interview and probably get that dream job. Some others are already employed and not happy about either what they do, the salary they earn or just feeling not really doing what they were meant to be. Basically they don’t love what they do and don’t do what they love. What they don’t realize is as they continue complaining time is moving and they are getting older.
It is important to note that with the use of your social media pages you can pursue a hobby, passion or venture and make it your source of livelihood.
If you look at my company Google Performance Review below, I have on average 30, 000 people searching me online. That is on average 1071 people everyday either searching For Safety Training, Consultancy or Safety Equipment. That does not necessary mean they will all procure the services or goods from me but it means they have known that I exist, or my company exists or I have some products that they need so one day they may buy from me or refer someone. That is the power of online/digital marketing.
You do not need capital, a big office or much appliances to start with. I started with just posting items and articles on my Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter account and with time some few clients started recognizing me. I didn’t have even a thousand shillings but I knew the source of the products, understood them and negotiated with suppliers of what we would do in case I got a deal. A lady called Monicah of Njunu Computer Cyber Githurai 45 allowed me to be using her Cyber at Ksh 100 per day and so I could write alot of articles and post images. Later a digital Expert Prince Richardson noticed my hustle and helped me to develop and manage my website and so the long journey started. We launched www.nairobisafetyshop.org which was last year voted as the best E-commerce Safety platform.
My friend, you have a phone and you are always on Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram following Manchester and Arsenal, following each complain about BBI and Liking Kilimani mum Udakus and liking every Instagram uploads from the who is who, waste a lot of bundles following and liking people who are earning from their uploads and you remain -1 broke. Why not be a little bit creative.
What is your hobby, talent, gift, passion???? What are you doing to earn a living with it? Have you recorded images or videos of what you do or can trade and tried sharing? You are in 200 Whatsapp groups and most of them you cannot tell how you joined them and yet all those group members don’t have a clue of what you do or can do and yet you keep blaming the government, economy, your pastor, education system, your uncle or brother. Chanuka!!!
I have three companies all of them trading online and I do not need an office though later I opened one for logistics and coordination. I would wake up at 4am, start writing relevant articles and fill them in all platforms and shared in every page and group that I could access, through out the day I would keep doing that upto 9pm. Sometimes I could go into a supermarket, take photos of some products, upload on my pages and put some profit margins from the market rate, get calls to sell them, request client to pay and I would use the payment to go buy from the supermarket and supply. Some of the big clients like SportPesa, Fairview Hotel, Bhachu Industries etc found me posting items in Facebook pages and gave me orders and actually paid full amounts in advance. At some point I printed 500 business cards even before I registered a company. went round in streets, estates, visited some of the big churches on Sunday and handed over my business cards and luckily I got a deal or two from all these. One deal I remember was to train a group of house girls on Hygiene and Nutrition at Thome Estate. I had researched and written an article on the topic then someone saw it on my LinkedIn and shared with another who was interested. I was paid Ksh 20,000 for a 3 hour session I could not believe it. Actually the convener is the one who said what she would pay me, and set a cab to pick and drop me.
Think about your networks because these are your networths. Think about your church and the churches around you. Think about the schools around you. Look at your phone, put some bundles and scroll in all the social media platforms that you have. Those are potential clients. They can buy from you, or give a chance to display your talent.
People watch me on Inooro Tv, Family Tv, Citizen and other media stations and probably wonder how I got there. In my daily consistent routines of posting articles and products in groups and pages that I didn’t even know, some individuals noted the passion and the experience and gave me a platform. You have seen me train the GSU Recce group, KDF, UN Staff, flying to different regions to train…they all read an article on some stuff I had written and felt they would engage me to pass on the knowledge to their team.
I remember one day I woke up, wrote an article and after sharing, several hours later I received a call from Victoria Rubadiri then working with NTV inviting me to be hosted on the Victorias Lounge program as the person they were to host had an emergency. You see, they saw my article but didn’t know me and through that an opportunity showed up and I was the right potential candidate. Value those networks because you never know who is watching or reading it and one day they could connect you with someone urgently requiring your service. If you don’t build your dream, some one will hire you to help build theirs and you will always be dissatisfied and unfulfilled. Get up! Arise! Pursue your dreams!