I have finally managed to contact my man in Kisii. He contacted me through Skype, as usual, from the usual cyber café, which should be, by now, mine!
But it wasn't. At the last minute, the seller doubled the price of the business, and the landlord increased the monthly rent by 2,000/- a month.
My man in Kisii refused to pay the extras after having had an agreement from the seller's agent for the original prices.
He went on the offensive and found new premises with an asking rent actually less than the original price. He bought six PCs with a higher specification, and is in the process of acquiring the necessary furniture.
All we need now to open a fully functioning cyber café is:
- a hub
- a modem
- CAT5 cabling
and once open, to be able to offer the full range of services:
- a scanner
- a printer
- a land line and fax machine
Unfortunately, we have run out of money!
So, from last week's fully functioning ready-to-run business, I now have an almost ready, non-functional business, and, until/unless my sales on eBay come to fruition, no way of opening!
As I once saw on another blog, "Shut Happens"
3 comments:
May I ask why you are starting a cyber business in Kisii yet you live abroad. Do you project making any profits?
I'd hate to disappoint you but running a business in Kenya remortly is a recipe for disaster.
I know of people who have sent money home for projects. They get updates and even pictures of their projects. Only that they are not pictures from their projects.
I wouldn't trust anyone in Kenya with my money except for my folks.
That's very true ssembonge. Family members will milk you dry if you are not careful. My sister and brother have tried it on me only for them to realize that they weren't dealing with a fool.
Dad Mzungu, if you want to run any business in Kenya, run it when you are there. I know you've said you trust the guy but why didn't he tell you about the new premises before buying any computers?
The reason for the business in Kenya is three-fold.
1. I intend to settle in Kisii when circumstances allow.
2. I support an orphanage in Kisii. The director of the orphanage needs an income, so he will manage the cyber café.
3. I have a house on the coast. This business will pay the rent, saving me the problem of sending cash over every month.
@Mali, we know each other well enough for him to know what to do in my absence. He did well. I still trust him and I have confidence in him.
Post a Comment