By Jackson Nyakoe
Majority of university students rely on their parents and guardians for financial support to cater for their day to day needs. This is not the case with Collins Kipkirui. The Moi university student is making serious money moves with his multiple pool and shoe business.
Here is the entrepreneurial journey of the young businessman as told by WoK.
Background
Collins Kipkirui is a 4th year student at Moi University main campus pursuing a degree in education (physics, chemistry). He is founder of Sharks Pool and the CK Shoetrends. Collins has always desired to be independent and this is the fuel that propelled to start his businesses.
“I always wanted to better myself. I wanted to financially stable and move away from depending on my parents. This is what as made me try new things and explore opportunities that come my way,” he told this writer.
“My buddies also play a vital role in supporting and encouraging me”, he added.
CK Shoetrends
He sells new and secondhand shoes at his shop located just a few meters from the university main gate-opposite the popular F2. CK has a strong presence online and can be found on Instagram @Kip4keeps_shoes where they display shoes and notify their clients on the delivery of new stock.
Shark Pool
His other venture is Shark Pool, a popular fun spot located in Eldoret town.
Profitability
He faces his fair share of challenges but that hasn’t deterred from chasing his dream.
“Balancing studies and business at the same time has always posed a challenge but I’ve always found a way to balance the two.
He went on add,
Selling second hand shoes is a challenge, at some point you may lack a constant supply, on the same note, not all sizes of shoes will be available, which pushes you to sell limited sizes especially the small sizes 36-41”.
In a good month, the businessman makes Ksh80,000.
Future outlooks
Collins future plans are well planned out. He intends to spread his business to other parts of the country and even go international.
“Am intending to intensify my business by branding ‘CK Shoetrends’ locally and internationally. As an entrepreneur, the key objective is to mobilize Moi University fraternity to access and consume our products because we give the best of our services”
Mr Nyakoe is a journalism and communication student Moi University.