When I was young, I dreamed about starting my very own business. This was of course brought about by the flimsy notion that being my own boss was a very “cool” thing. Later on in my adult years when I was a few pounds wiser, I saw the folly of my ways. Most people though dream about being their own boss at some point in their lives. Sometimes the thought is triggered by long days at work, or a fallout with the boss, however the thought always disappears as fast as it came. Career frustrations aside, this idea has materialized more among young adults who have been forced to adopt a more entrepreneurial spirit as they see the opportunity to start a business as a learning experience that teaches them to be creative and nimble.
Another path to becoming your own boss – and one that may not come to mind right away – is to open a franchise. The perk: the groundwork has already been laid by a trusted brand. The potential downfall: not everyone is cut out to launch a business, even with the support network of a franchise.
In 2007 when “franchising” was not so common in the country, Naomi with a brevity that only she can explain decided to venture into the field. With her courage, persistence and resilience, she trudged on, and now she is the proud owner of three centers in Karen, Kilimani and Lavington, under the Kip McGrath franchise, a real life example of what can be achieved if you put your mind to it.
The Beginning
Growing up, Naomi had carefully shelved any ideas of ever being her own boss. She admired her mother greatly, a teacher by profession, and desired to follow in her footsteps. She remembered fondly how her mother would teach with such patience even to the slowest of students. She never gave up on them, and she never tired of bettering them year in, year out every school year. Soon after Naomi had completed her university degree, having worked hard and attained the highest GPA, she began the tedious search for a job. Back then opportunities were not so scarce as they are today and within no time Naomi had landed her first job, as a teacher in a private school. What she thought would be a fulfilling and life changing job ended up being a horrible experience. Her employer would go for months without paying them, and to worsen it, everyday she would see new students enrolling to the school. This did not go well with her, and months later, she tendered in her resignation; all her hopes of being a teacher like her mother going up in flames too. Seemingly looking like her dreams had vanished, she went back to the drawing board and found herself at a college in Westlands.
The director of the college had developed a program for matching volunteers in different career fields to various organisations, and much to her dismay, he did not have a placement for an organisation looking for a teacher. He however gave her a brochure he had chanced upon, of a center located in Westlands and asked her to try her luck there. Not one to shy away, Naomi called the number on the brochure and lucky enough they were looking for a math’s’ teacher. That is how she landed at the Kip McGrath tuition center under the leadership of Rose and Ben McLean who were the Master Franchisees of Kip McGrath centers in East Africa. Naomi began to work in 2007 as a teacher, and after a year in employment, she had made up her mind, she wanted to be an owner of a tuition center. So she started saving for her dreams. Every month she pushed herself to save more than 50% of her dues to realize her dream, all the while continuing to work at the center.
Two years later, in 2009, an opportunity arose for Naomi. A lady who had previously owned a tuition center in Karen was looking to sell. The buying price was steep but Naomi still jumped at the opportunity. For capital, she used her savings; her family also gave her some money and a small loan from her local bank. She had her first center at 25. As a young lady then, she needed support. She approached a good friend of hers who had been a teacher for a number of years and had a keen interest in joining Kip McGrath, and after some deliberations she joined her in the venture. Highlighting the importance of partnerships in business growth, together they grew the Karen center. Two years later in 2014, the lady who was running the Lavington center was looking to sell, and Naomi and her partner managed to buy it too. After two years, in 2016, the lady who owned the Kilimani center was looking for a buyer and they bought that too, making them the proud owners of three franchised Kip McGrath centers in Nairobi.
Kip McGrath the Franchise
Kip McGrath was introduced in Kenya in 2005. A tuition center like any other but with one difference: the technology that came with it from onset. At Kip McGrath, the first thing they do when a student is brought in for tuition, is to understand what really is the root cause of the problem that is causing the child not to grasp some subject. They deal with students who are having trouble settling in school, those who are having a hard time transitioning from different school curriculums and those struggling with keeping their grades up. The students go through a free assessment and from there the teachers are able to understand the unique need of the child following the school curriculum, and work with them individually. Due to its imminent success since its inception, it’s clear that their methods of teaching actually do works. They don’t drill students, as their main area of concern is often geared towards the student, making sure they understand the concepts. Sometimes the parents are not too patient with this method, because the normal style local tutors use is drilling, which Kip McGrath tends to shy away from.
Running a franchise is not an easy feat. Sadly most people come in with the notion that since they are under a big brand, not much is needed from them and they don’t give it their all. They think the franchise will do the leg work for them, and the money will magically come pouring in. This is a notion that needs to be demystified, for running a center requires the same energy and effort you would use to run your own business. This is because in the UK, and other European countries, Kip McGrath is already an established and trusted brand, and therefore being under the franchise, people already know who you are and the students come spilling in. Here however there is still a lot to be done. The brand is only known in a few locations and one needs to put themselves out there to make their business work.
On Challenges, Mistakes and Winning
Even though, life on Naomi’s lane seems to be almost perfect, she has encountered a few challenges of her own. Running three businesses so to speak is no easy feat. A notable challenge she faced and continues to face is the “Human resource challenge.” She remembers a time, when she was at the Karen center; all her teachers at the Lavington center downed their tools and did not report for duty. It was a mess, with the parents waiting and the children getting anxious. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
Naomi prefers to hire teachers who have no experience as opposed to those who have extensive experience, as the former are always eager and willing to learn, and having a staff that you grow with, is the best thing you can ever do for your company, she advises. She also took to investing in motivating her staff. “They are the reason why we are where we are today,” she says, stressing the importance of paying her staff well, on time, and giving them a word of encouragement. Also in the life of a teacher, there is a thin line between being a teacher and being a parent. Most of the times she finds herself playing both roles to a student, and whereas both roles are fulfilling, the downside, it’s very exhaustive.
Running the business has not been easy. When she first started out, she was very controlling and micro managed every single movement of the staff. It did not go well. Lately she has been learning to let go of the reins a little bit more, and to be a bit easy. Business also gets tough, and there are days she has felt like giving in the towel; but looking at a child’s progress over the months of tuition, gives her enough courage to wake up and keep at it.
When she is not changing the world one student at a time, Naomi spends her days unwinding by reading books. Her current read is Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. She also likes going for walks with her dogs. On role models, Barack Obama and her mother makes it to the top of her list. Rose and Ben, the previous owners of the East Africa franchise continue to remain as her mentors in the business stressing the importance of having a business mentor.
And her final word to the budding entrepreneur? “Be quick skilled! And as Steve Jobs once said, ‘Stay humble and stay foolish.’ Run your business, not for the money but for the highest purpose or goal and the money will follow.”
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