Anold Kebati is a budding laundry business owner based in Kiambu County. Besides, he is a nursing student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). Before he started his laundry business, he had struggled with laundry management and also high cost of living as a student.
So he came up with the idea of taking a loan to purchase a washing machine to make laundry management easier for him and get extra income. Anold saw a business opportunity in laundry management since there was high demand for these services due from the many students living in the area.
“I recall struggling to manage laundry while juggling with classes and everything else at the same time, and also watching most students struggle with the same issue,” Anold says. “That’s when I thought, if we’re all busy and stressed about laundry, why not take that burden off everyone’s shoulders? I knew I could solve this problem while also earning extra income, so I went for it.”
With this idea in mind, Anold started to offer weekly laundry services with free pickup and delivery services within JKUAT and its neighbourhood. He set affordable prices and started advertising through social media, backed by word of mouth.
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At first, Anold faced some challenges when large loads of clothes started streaming in. This led to the issue of transport when it came to pickup and delivery. Anold got a bicycle with a large basket from one of his friends, which he used to deliver clothes.
This reduced travel time and improved efficiency. To make things easier, he came up with a schedule, allowing his customers to choose specific days for laundry pickup.
Soon, Anold’s laundry business was at its peak. He hired two students to help him with deliveries, pickups and ironing. He now had a steady stream of loyal customers, and his income exceeded his expectations. By this time he was able to balance his work with his studies.
“As the business began to grow, I realized that it was about more than just making extra income. I was building something that actually helped a lot of people. Seeing my fellow students go from struggling to manage their time juggling between so many things, to being able to find extra time to themselves and their lives getting easier is actually inspiring. The success came from listening to what people needed and adapting quickly. It hasn’t been easy but the experience is worth it,” says Anold Kebati.
In the end, Anold managed to pay off the loan he took to purchase the washing machine and started saving up to buy his own bicycle. What started as a small idea has turned out to be a thriving venture.
