 Students and teachers can use the computer lab on weekends . FILE PHOTO/MY-SHILLINGS.COM |
MAN ON STREET : In our weekly Man On Street article we highlight an ordinary business person with an extraordinary business who bears the badge of an entrepreneur: innovative, daring, tenacious. |  |
Secondary school which provides real world computer skills . Making a lot of money is unfortunately where many would-be entrepreneurs begin the thought process that will lead to a new business. For the true entrepreneur though, the nagging thought that drives them to take a risk is “meeting an existing need” Funny thing is that when one meets an existing need, it usually results to making a lot of money. One existing need is secondary school education, and today we look at how one entrepreneur has strived to solve this through his private secondary school. |
||
Brookridge School is a private secondary school with an emphasis on real world computer skills that was started by to meet the still large gap between KCPE candidates and Form One enrollment. Brookridge is located 2 kilometres from Ol Donyo Sabuk Township along Thika – Kilimambogo Tala Kagundo Road, on the foothills of the scenic Ol Donyo Sabuk hills. Brookridge offers 8-4-4 curriculum secondary school education for boys in form one to form four. The director of the school, Dr. Fred Kamande explains how his school started and what makes it different from others. “We started Brookridge to ensure that students can still access relevant computer skills at affordable rates. We go further than just the normal curriculum, we empower these young men with job training experience and the life skills they need to compete and thrive in the world. The digital village program also gives our students an opportunity to develop and enhance the community around us.” The digital village programme, is a three month course that all students undertake. It involves them learning and then teaching computer skills at the school’s digital village located in Ol Donyo Sabuk town, a few kilometers from the school. Students of Brookside must first attend computer classes, after which they get to share their knowledge with members of the community, once every Saturday. Dr Kamande explains the origin of the digital village. “We started the Digital Village to give students necessary computer skills, but when we discovered a great interest in the community, we made the program open to others, with the students changing roles and being the teachers.” “Although we had a one year hiatus on the program, it is now back on track and we believe that this is what will ground our students at Brookridge.” “This is a great opportunity for someone and we are very excited at the prospect of our students going on to University or the job market with real world skills.” For more information on enrolment, contact the Principal on PO Box 4825, Thika or Call 0722 110680 or 0736 792788 or email/facebook: brookridge.school@yahoo.com |
||
Like this story or have your own? Send the author an email at blog@my-shillings.com |
||
Secondary school which provides real world computer skills.
A sumptuous meal of spoken words in one hour.
 Members listen intently as a speech is given during a past session . FILE PHOTO/MY-SHILLINGS.COM | BRAIN POWER : In our weekly Brain Power segment we take a look at resources and activities found in Nairobi that will intellectually stimulate your mind while being easy to your pocket. |  |
A sumptuous meal of spoken words in one hour. David Ngari glances at the analog clock hanging on the wall once more. Its 12:20 p.m., he'll wait another five minutes before he leaves. Just thinking about it brings that sensation again. A sudden heat rises from deep in his stomach, igniting his pulse and scorching his throat. He licks his lips, no this is not normal hunger, it is the anxious anticipation of the speech he is just about to give at his Toastmaster's club. David is on his way to Nairobi Toastmaster's bi-monthly lunch meeting where the food is spoken words and the nourishment is intellectual. | ||
Nairobi Toastmasters Club (NTC) is one of four toastmasters clubs in Kenya, a chartered member of Toastmaster's International which has helped millions of men and women become better speakers since 1924. NTC is a relative newbie on the scene having only been chartered in March 2009. It's beginnings however go further back with its first meeting held back in March of 2007. It has since then become a lively lunch time meeting with over twenty members who meet to hone their communication and leadership skills. David Ngari is the Vice President of Education at NTC. He explains about the purpose of the club. "The vision of Nairobi Toastmasters is to be a place where leaders are nurtured and great communicators moulded. Our mission statement is to be an exciting lunch hour gathering where sharpening of communication skills and unleashing of members' leadership potential will be common place." The communication moulding takes place by having each member give ten prepared speeches in front of his club structured along a self-paced program. The environment is friendly and supportive and the self-paced program allows one to build confidence with each speaking assignment. Each time one gives a prepared speech, an evaluator will point out strengths and suggest improvements. David is one of two speakers at this session of NTC. This will be his fourth speech, leaving six more until he qualifies to be a Competent Communicator as per the Toastmasters program. I quickly do the math, 2 meetings per month means 24 in a year, with only 2 speeches per meeting that means a total of 48 speeches in a year. If the speech rotation is equal among members, it would take one a bit more than four years just to become a Competent Communicator! I ask David about this. "Well, becoming a competent communicator takes time, but prepared speeches are not all that we do at our meetings. These only take up about 15 minutes of the meeting, members also get to practice on giving impromptu 1 minute speeches in a session called table-topics, being emcee's at the meeting - a role we refer to as toastmaster, evaluating the prepared speeches and the meeting, as well as other leadership roles. " As a chartered club, NTC follows a defined format in its meetings, which allow it to strictly keep the session to one hour. Each activity is timed by a member performing the role of timer and a Hark master asks questions on the speeches given near the close of the meeting to test their attentiveness. Occasionally the meetings will have a joke session, where the speaker gets to practice his comic delivery - an important part of speech giving. The structured program and learn-by-doing approach make NTC a far superior way to become a better speaker compared to the public speaking seminars usually held in big hotels; and at KES 250 per meeting (as a member) and KES. 200 (as a guest) toastmasters is by far a cheaper way to gain these skills. The next meeting will be held from 12:45 pm to 2:00 pm at United Kenya Club on January 25, 2009. To get more information about the meeting, please contact David Ngari at customerchampions@gmail.com or call him on 0724425405. | ||
Like this story or have your own? Send the author an email at blog@my-shillings.com | ||
Using your office to boost cash-flow
 Tenants at Genius Executive Centre have access to workstations with broadband internet access. January 15, 2010. PHOTO/MY-SHILLINGS.COM |
CASH COW: In our weekly Cash Cow segment we highlight business opportunities with a high and consistent Return On Investment (ROI) |  |
50 office rental units on Sale The only problem with a business getting big jobs and earning fat cheques is the period between the cheques. How does one survive the long months between payments? It requires a product that keeps on selling without much input of resources. Subletting office space offers a great way to keep your costs low and cashflows high. This week we look at an office complex with good cashflows that is on sale. Genius Executive Centre www.geniuscentre.com is a Nairobi based business centre that charges small businesses a monthly fee for renting a fully equipped office. |
||
Genius has 50 rental units and over four years of operation under its belt. Each rental unit is a complete workstation with a desk, chair, locker, computer with broadband internet access, and telephone line. The units share three meeting rooms with a total capacity of thirty and a reception area/lounge. The centre occupies 3,000 square feet on the 15th floor of View Park Towers overlooking Uhuru Highway and the Central Park. Of this space, 1,000 square feet is free and can be utilised for more units or office space for management. Each rental unit has an average income of KES. 10,000 which can be increased to KES. 15,000 with some investment to the workstation. The centre is currently at 60% occupancy and averages 80% occupancy per year. It is on a six-year renewable lease with 19 months remaining on the lease with a fixed rent of KES. 171,000 payable to the landlord. Other direct expenses come to about KES. 72,000 per month, meaning a total of KES. 243,000 expenses. The owners have made two alternative proposals for investors: outright purchase for KES. 3,750,000 or 30% buy-in at KES. 1,000,000 with preferential rights to recover investment. Both proposals seem very generous. Let's look at outright purchase first. An investor has the option of purchasing the entire complex and earning an average revenue of KES. 500,000 per month with positive cash-flows of appx. KES. 250,000 per month. This means that one can recover their investment in 15 months and earn an extra profit of KES 1M before the current lease expires. Break-even at 15 months with an annual return of 82% and positive cashflows is incredible in real-estate. The 30% buy-in however seems to be an even better buy. At KES. 1,000,000 this means a break-even of only four and a half months as the investor has first priority to the profits until the investment is recovered. A monthly return afterwards of 8.6% or annual of 103.2% means one gets more bang for their buck. When it comes to cash-flow it is important to put money where returns are quick, consistent and effort is minimal. Genius Centre is a good buy for anyone looking to stave off the drought between cheques. To contact the buyer please email info@geniuscentre.com or call 0719-666202 |
||
Like this story or have your own? Send the author an email at blog@my-shillings.com |
||
Welcome to My Shillings Business Daily
We take a look at the Kenyan business scene in a fresh and fun way. Explore with us the best ways to earn, spend, and save money. Everyday we will bring you real Kenyan stories about new businesses, products on the market, investments for you, and startup successes.
Our reporting will be focused, and unbiased and intended to make earning, spending and saving shillings in Kenya easier and more informed.They’re your shillings so read, enjoy and be wealthy.
