By Prudence Minayo
Maggie Wakori is the owner of a successful shoe company named Sidmar Premium Rubbers. Together with her husband, they import shoes, mostly from China and sell to different wholesalers and retailers. Before settling on the shoe business, the couple tried their hands in many other ventures. With her husband’s love for shoes and her marketing skills, they worked towards owning their own shoe manufacturing company one day.
Here is her story as told by WoK.
Background
She lost her parents at a young age but luckily friends and family came through. Her parents had been successful in business and her father was a politician in Gatundu. The entrepreneur did a diploma in Professional Computing and Information Technology
Employment
Maggie Wakori got employed as a receptionist and its from this job that she honed her customer care skills. Three years later, she met her husband Sydney Mukei. She quit her job and joined her husband in business. They got into all sorts of businesses to earn a living including selling fresh fruits, cereals and toiletry.
The Big Break
In 2017, her husband got a job in China, something that would prove to be a great opportunity for the family. Having a special love for shoes, her husband brought them good quality rubber shoes whenever he visited his family. This sparked in her the interest to get into business. She began buying them from a supplier and hawking them to friends and to other people through referrals. The shoes sold very fast and her husband sent her more stock from China. Her initial starting capital was Sh5000.
By 2018, Sidmar Premium Rubbers had grown by leaps and bounds. She had managed to purchase a vehicle and would sell the shoes from the car boot. Late 2018, they got a store in Nairobi Central Business District, along Accra road.
By 2020, their business was valued at Sh2 million. They deal in quality rubber shoes and sandals for people of all ages for both wholesale and retail. Their rubbers retail from Sh500 and to Sh1,000 depending on the type and size.
Like any other business, she has gone through various challenges. One is suppliers getting orders mixed up in terms of design and sizes. At times, some shoes arrive damaged and also getting reliable employees was a challenge.
During the wake of the pandemic, they relied a lot on social media marketing to keep their business afloat.
Her advice to entrepreneurs
“Discover your passion because that is where most people go wrong. We all have potential and ability to make money but most of us are in the wrong business. In addition, position yourself strategically to maximise on your market,” she told the Daily Nation.
If you are interested in knowing more about Sidmar Premium Rubbers visit:
Facebook page @spr_by_maggiewakori and Instagram @sidmar_premium_rubbersfor
