Ms Nyambura Kinuthia ventured into her hobby of interior decoration and now runs Zidaka Decorations. She says most of her clients are Kenyans in the diaspora. Eric Wainaina
For Ms Nyambura Kinuthia, interior decoration was initially just a hobby but 10 years after she started indulging in it, it has turned into her daily income earner.
Today, she is proud to have not only followed her heart but also that the decision has turned into a good income earner and a promising business.
Her hobby — decorating houses — has seen her work both locally and outside Kenya, and to her, the job holds promise due to the demand as more Kenyans seek well-finished houses.
Failed at first
Ms Kinuthia said she got her first job with an interior decorating company in 1999 where she worked for a year before starting her own company, Interior Decorations.
However, she said the business only lasted for four years; saying by then the market did not appreciate decorating companies. And so, she decided to close it and luckily, she got another job in Dubai, where she was able to learn more.
It was during her three-year stay in Dubai she realised how the industry was evolving and she decided to quit the job and go back to class to take her hobby to a professional level.
And with her savings, she was able to pay college fees in the United Kingdom and after getting a diploma in interior decoration, she returned home three years ago and opened Zidaka decorations, which she says today is doing well.
Today, she is the director of Zidaka, with head offices in Ruiru town, Kiambu County and she says her firm offers decoration consultancy, actual wall and floor finishing, kitchen as well as set-ups.
She also does ceiling finishing, partitioning and hospitality for homes, offices and hotels.
At first her idea was dismissed by many, including her parents,who kept questioning her about it, but today she says they are all proud of her.
She said during the interview, “The business has matured and interior decoration is being appreciated and I can not complain because I am getting something good from it.”
She said there is an influx of Kenyans who are returning from the diaspora who want well decorated homes and they are giving her good business.
For consultancy alone, which she says entails giving directions to how to decorate a house. In Westlands for instance, one has to part with Sh120,000. If she does all the work, including consultancy and buying materials, the charges are higher.
The business has seen her create employment for four permanent workers and when she is working on a house, she hires more hands on contract depending on the size of the house.
The biggest challenge they face is that most local people don’t see the need to have their houses decorated by professionals at a fee. They must wait for diaspora Kenyans to give them business.
Challenges
Other have a notion that decoration is expensive, something she is quick to dismiss, saying decoration is worth the fee they charge.
The other challenge she faces is competition, but to her, this gives her the incentive to explore more and be more creative to conquer her competitors.
“In this industry you need to stay creative day by day. Reading magazines and attending seminars will enable you up your standards because what we want is to attain global standards,” she said.
And to those who want to venture into business, her advice is that they should not wait until they get huge sums to invest in starting, saying that little can help so long as they remain focused on what they want to achieve.
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