
- An increasing number of young people have ventured into entrepreneurship.
- Maintaining a positive attitude is important in entrepreneurship.
Unemployment has become an everyday topic; among the youth, it’s not just a conversation to them but a nightmare experience.
While many youths remain stranded and hopeless in the quest of looking for opportunities, others living on the verge of quitting from the harsh working environments, there are those who have found solace amidst the dilemma.
An increasing number of young people have ventured into entrepreneurship.
They have chosen to become their own bosses.
While it may sound attractive, it’s also one of the most burdening tasks as you work out the failures and successes of it.
Taste and Grind
“I am still figuring out how to lead a successful business myself,” says Nicole Nthoki Ngumi.
Nicole Ngumi is a young businesswoman who owns and runs Taste and Grind fast-food restaurant at Muthama Road access road in Syokimau.
She graduated from Strathmore University Business School with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Diploma in Business Management.
Additionally, she attended Utalii College for a Diploma in Front Office Operations.

Have you ever thought about owning a business? Why would you want to venture into entrepreneurship? What is your motivation?
Ms. Ngumi tells her story of how she started her business.
“My grandmother dearly loves fries, and she would always send me for some when I visited her. I noticed that there was no available fast-food joint near us, and I would often end up buying potatoes to make the fries myself.
Filling the gap
I decided to fill the market need and build a fast-food outlet that provides quick yet tasty food and snacks. I took advantage of the area’s rapid growth and increasing population,” she explains.
Truly, necessity is the mother of invention.
In her quest to fill a niche that needed her, Ms. Ngumi has a menu you would want to take a bite from on a typical day.
It includes seasoned fries, burgers, meatballs and chicken wings.
In June, her business will be turning two years; It may be your best time to stop by, take a bite, and grind.
Every day we see businesses doing well and we envy the success, but how many of us pose to know the journey to the top?
Starting off
“I first worked on curating a menu based on foods I enjoy and thought others would too, and personalized their recipes. They are the ones we use to-date,” she speaks of how she got this far.

She then looked for an investor as she was building from scratch as opposed to renting a space.
“It was an incredibly taxing experience because no book can prepare you to deal with construction workers or how to find the best-rated for supplies. However, I persevered through it all and took the lessons home. Building is not for the faint-hearted,” she recounts.
She asserts that being in business is a learning experience that is fulfilling, remunerative, exciting and also a great way to network.
If you are planning to start a business, it’s not going to be smooth; you will have your own portion of challenges.
To young people
To the youth, she says, “If you are employed, you are extraordinarily fortunate, especially given the status of the economy. Even though it might not be your ideal profession, try your best, be open to learning, and take in as much information as you can.
Spend the time acquiring as many skills as you can, and be open to receiving guidance from more seasoned professionals in other industries. In addition to that, volunteer in as many places as you can, such as Red Cross, schools, or clinics.
Even though these companies might not pay, the experience will improve your resume and give you access to opportunities.
The people you meet and the locations you visit could benefit your considerably more than staying at home and possibly help you unlock opportunities you were unaware were available.”
There is a local saying that “Those who don’t travel away from home, think their mother is the best cook.”
For Ms. Ngumi, it has been an incredibly enlightening experience, as there is much to learn and work on.
Every new day is a chance to work on herself as she works on her business.
Her values are a solution-based mindset and attitude, as well as the ability to be patient and disciplined.
She says she has been able to build a culture of gratitude by enforcing to maintain a gratitude diary because it keeps her inspired, helps her keep her mind on the bright side, and maintains a positive attitude.
Maintaining a positive attitude is not an easy task or even an everyday thing, especially when dealing with people of emotion who are bristling with prejudices and are motivated by pride and vanity (borrowed from Dale Carnegie in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People).
But every day is our responsibility to strive to be better and see the very good in the midst of chaos.
Ms. Ngumi’s message to those interested in starting a business is:
“Although starting a business is not easy, it is simpler than expanding and maintaining a successful business. I do not mean to scare anyone, however, as every path you take in life will have its challenges and its rewards.
Therefore, start that business, do your research, surround yourself with supportive people, and be disciplined.
Moreover, find comfort in the fact that we are trying to make sense of things, and you will learn what you require as you walk on your chosen path.”
Emphasis on doing research is vital.

Her life hack is planning. She does meal prepping for her work week. It not only saves her time, but it helps her save money as well.
Challenges
“At times, I feel like giving up because costs have increased during these hard economic times. From our products to our packaging to our marketing, everything is getting more expensive,” Ms. Ngumi says.
Additionally, people are trying to save money and choose to dine at home more, which is negative for sales.
“To aid with sales and revenue, I’m striving to market my business to an even larger market and looking for suppliers who have more reasonable prices,” she explains.
Speaking to entrepreneurs on business recently, Dr. Chidi Maduka, an accomplished businessperson and expert in coaching, shared his journey and lessons from surviving to thriving.
Further lessons
In business, it’s necessary to have a rogue head and a non-giving-up mindset. He says one has to start afresh whenever necessary and not shy away from failure.
His second lesson is keeping an eye on cash flow and cutting back on unnecessary expenses.
“If a company cannot sustain a holiday at the moment do away with it,” he advises.
He also advises startups to increase their budget for marketing and advertising.
The fourth lesson is on the need to run the business on pay-as-you-go. If you need to pay for anything, pay from your sales.
Lastly, invest in people who can add value to your business.
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To know more about Ms. Ngumi’s business, follow her on her social media pages @nicole_nthoki and @tastengrind on Instagram, or visit her website for more.