Damaris Muriithi is the proprietor of Dama Mobile Spares, a repair shop and distributor of mobile phones spares.
With five branches spread across different locations within Nairobi County, the entrepreneur has employed over 100 people.
She also runs an e-commerce website under her brand name where customer’s outside Nairobi can order mobile phone spares.
Here is her story as told by WoK.
In an interview with Citizen TV, Damaris noted that she had no plans of venturing into any kind business as she wanted to be a teacher.
She stated that after completing high school, she was invited to Kirinyaga by her aunt who later organized a job for her.
Damaris noted that she would sell mobile phones scratch cards in a small center and she would earn Ksh 1,500.
She did the job shortly before she was invited to Nairobi by her cousin who offered her a job to sell mobile phones accessories.
“I was employed at a shop in Luthuli Avenue but business was not good where I was employed, forcing us out of business,” she said.
Damaris went ahead to look for a job elsewhere and she was able to be employed at a mobile phone accessory shop along Munyi Road.
“That’s when I sold a lot of mobile phone spares and slowly I got to love the job and I developed a passion towards it,” she said.
With the interest that she developed towards the business, Damaris was determined to learn more about it.
She wanted to find out about the suppliers, how to import the goods and the profit margin among other crucial factors.
“I got the experience while at the same time I was saving because I wanted to get into this business because I was inspired by my boss,” Damaris noted.
In 2016, some four months before quitting her job, Damaris gave her former boss a notice, informing them of their departure.
“By the time I was leaving I was in good terms with my former employer. I then looked for a shop that had no goodwill and started stocking up,” she said.
However, Damaris explained that the stock was not enough and she would lack some specifics that clients wanted.
This forced her to buy from local suppliers after which she would sell albeit with a small profit margin.
“I would put a small profit margin because I want to keep the customer,” she said.
Damaris noted that the business picked up faster and six months into it, she was able to open a second branch.
“I have employed over 100 people. I thank God because I’m able to easily manage my businesses. I have all my businesse on my fingertips. I understand all the operations,” she said.
