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Have you ever failed flat in business?
Rank: Member Joined: 1/26/2010 Posts: 124
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I did. As in being on the brink of becoming destitute. Started a business, made some glaring mistakes, pumped in all my savings, and just as the business was starting to trickle in some droplets of income, i had to close shop because i couldn't afford the costs. My biggest mistake was taking someone else's advise on location that was expensive rentwise. Share your story in not more than 5 sentences, and mention your mistake/lessons learnt. Tired of mediocrity. Am going to the very top!
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Rank: Elder Joined: 10/3/2008 Posts: 4,057 Location: Gwitu
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RichVee wrote:I did. As in being on the brink of becoming destitute. Started a business, made some glaring mistakes, pumped in all my savings, and just as the business was starting to trickle in some droplets of income, i had to close shop because i couldn't afford the costs. My biggest mistake was taking someone else's advise on location that was expensive rentwise.
Share your story in not more than 5 sentences, and mention your mistake/lessons learnt. Shit happens! Am sure most of us would need more than 50 sentences to tell the story. Truth forever on the scaffold Wrong forever on the throne (James Russell Rowell)
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Rank: New-farer Joined: 8/23/2015 Posts: 64 Location: nairobi
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had several cars for hire. one day I hired to the wrong person who turned out to be a thug. huge losses in trying to convince cops that I was not an accomplice. Closed that biashara very fast.
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 8/30/2007 Posts: 1,558 Location: Nairobi
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importation of photo copy paper and wholesale Due to a lack of time from myself & poor staff. I got robbed by the staff after 3years of existence
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Rank: User Joined: 8/15/2013 Posts: 13,237 Location: Vacuum
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Opened a boutique and hair care shop through remote management-On the day I came to do stock taking, I couldn't manage to get an erection for 3 months due to stress. Closed the place, carried the remaining stock to shags and distributed it to villages If Obiero did it, Who Am I?
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Rank: Member Joined: 9/11/2015 Posts: 244 Location: Thika
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Started a stall in a tiny mall in Thika. The problem was that the mall was only open from the front, and customers would only visit the first two stalls and leave. I closed down in one week before I could get burned. Luckily for me, I just had stock worth a few thousand, but I could tell the traffic inside the building could not sustain my business. I left with a loss of 40k. Since men have learned to shoot without missing, I have learned to fly without perching
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Rank: Member Joined: 9/11/2015 Posts: 244 Location: Thika
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Where are the matatu stories...they seem very widespread in bars and the streets? Since men have learned to shoot without missing, I have learned to fly without perching
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Rank: Elder Joined: 6/23/2009 Posts: 13,503 Location: nairobi
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Swenani wrote:Opened a boutique and hair care shop through remote management-On the day I came to do stock taking, I couldn't manage to get an erection for 3 months due to stress.
Closed the place, carried the remaining stock to shags and distributed it to villages @swenani HF 30,000 ABP 3.49; KQ 414,100 ABP 7.92; MTN 23,800 ABP 6.45
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Rank: Member Joined: 1/26/2010 Posts: 124
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Swenani wrote:Opened a boutique and hair care shop through remote management-On the day I came to do stock taking, I couldn't manage to get an erection for 3 months due to stress.
Closed the place, carried the remaining stock to shags and distributed it to villages I thought there was a shrub there! Pole. I recall on many a nights waking up with a cold sweat. There is nothing as horrifying as knowing you're heading downwards at lightning speed! I packed my computers in boxes and transported them to shags. But we survived, and lived to tell the tale. Tired of mediocrity. Am going to the very top!
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Rank: Elder Joined: 6/23/2009 Posts: 13,503 Location: nairobi
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I bought land in Kitengela from a family friend who promised that beacons would be realigned to cater the noticeable larger size than normal.. Few months later a boundary dispute arose that remains unresolved.. I stopped buying land in general, moved to ready built units by NSSF, NHC.. HF 30,000 ABP 3.49; KQ 414,100 ABP 7.92; MTN 23,800 ABP 6.45
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Rank: Member Joined: 1/26/2010 Posts: 124
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It is good to talk about the failures because when one is down, it feels like the end of the world. And whenever we read a story of a successful business, the failures are normally obscured, yet for many successful enterprises, there were major failures before the success. Also to encourage the newbies in business. I sprouted several grey hairs and did not need to go to the gym, the weight just fell off. Tired of mediocrity. Am going to the very top!
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Rank: Member Joined: 6/15/2013 Posts: 301
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RichVee wrote:It is good to talk about the failures because when one is down, it feels like the end of the world. And whenever we read a story of a successful business, the failures are normally obscured, yet for many successful enterprises, there were major failures before the success. Also to encourage the newbies in business. I sprouted several grey hairs and did not need to go to the gym, the weight just fell off. @RichVee you have been vague...tell us details of the business you went into, what was wrong with regards location, why were your costs unmanageable etc This will help someone not make the same mistake
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Rank: Elder Joined: 3/2/2009 Posts: 26,328 Location: Masada
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Took a loan, 1M at 15% from Stanchat in 2007,bought Safaricom shares at 5 bob each during the IPO...got 190,000 shares. I was looking to be a molti-millionaire in 5 years when the share price was widely expected to trade at 25 bob a piece! Shock on my ass!!! So came the 2008 PEV and the 2008-global financial crisis triggered by the US lenders. I panicked and exited the counter in circa 2008/9 at 2 bob 10 cents. Paid the 60 months loan non the less. Today when I see safcom trading at 21 bob I feel a sharp pain in middle of my *sshole. Portfolio: Sold You know you've made it when you get a parking space for your yatcht.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 9/23/2009 Posts: 8,083 Location: Enk are Nyirobi
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@impunity Life is short. Live passionately.
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Rank: Elder Joined: 3/18/2011 Posts: 12,069 Location: Kianjokoma
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Safcom IPO was in 08. Eaza lakini
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Rank: Member Joined: 10/6/2009 Posts: 587
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Impunity wrote:Took a loan, 1M at 15% from Stanchat in 2007,bought Safaricom shares at 5 bob each during the IPO...got 190,000 shares. I was looking to be a molti-millionaire in 5 years when the share price was widely expected to trade at 25 bob a piece!
Shock on my ass!!!
So came the 2008 PEV and the 2008-global financial crisis triggered by the US lenders.
I panicked and exited the counter in circa 2008/9 at 2 bob 10 cents.
Paid the 60 months loan non the less.
Today when I see safcom trading at 21 bob I feel a sharp pain in middle of my *sshole.
Hapa tumedanganywo. Kwani Michael Joseph was your brother?
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Rank: Veteran Joined: 6/23/2011 Posts: 1,740 Location: Nairobi
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Revise the figures. With 1m you can't have gotten 190k shares
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Rank: Elder Joined: 2/26/2012 Posts: 15,980
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Baratang wrote:Impunity wrote:Took a loan, 1M at 15% from Stanchat in 2007,bought Safaricom shares at 5 bob each during the IPO...got 190,000 shares. I was looking to be a molti-millionaire in 5 years when the share price was widely expected to trade at 25 bob a piece!
Shock on my ass!!!
So came the 2008 PEV and the 2008-global financial crisis triggered by the US lenders.
I panicked and exited the counter in circa 2008/9 at 2 bob 10 cents.
Paid the 60 months loan non the less.
Today when I see safcom trading at 21 bob I feel a sharp pain in middle of my *sshole.
Hapa tumedanganywo. Kwani Michael Joseph was your brother? Why do you say that? @Impunity has never been shy about his love for Safcon. Impunity #70 Posted : Friday, May 22, 2009 8:22:00 AM wrote:When are they starting disbursing the much awaited 'earning' ?I want to spend my 5 dollars responsibly. :)
Which is more dirty,the pig or Kenyan mp? Impunity #2 Posted : Thursday, July 16, 2009 6:43:00 AM wrote:I will empty my 420 shares and forget that thing called NSE.
Which is more dirty,the pig or Kenyan mp? Impunity=#49 Posted : Wednesday, November 06, 2013 6:34:22 AM wrote:obiero wrote:averaging down safaricom by huge purchases to kes 4.6 and eventually selling at kes 3.8 when it started taking a dive.. I should have held on coz fundamentals hadnt changed significantly. I panicked. That was my worst mistake IPO safcon, got a meager amount; then dipped more at post IPO at 7.50...never cried internally like that. Sold off during the economic depression at 3.50...massive loss...should have waited since the cash collected from the diposal is still lying at some gaaament bills.. "There are only two emotions in the market, hope & fear. The problem is you hope when you should fear & fear when you should hope: - Jesse Livermore .
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Rank: Member Joined: 9/9/2015 Posts: 233
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Bad biz partner whose role was just sign papers... Forgery kibao. Now I have a loan to pay and money vanished from the 2 accounts. My headache is back. "Buy when there's blood in the streets, even if the blood is your own."
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Rank: Elder Joined: 3/2/2009 Posts: 26,328 Location: Masada
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streetwise wrote:Revise the figures. With 1m you can't have gotten 190k shares Because you imagine I had zero balance in my account at the time of taking the loan. Portfolio: Sold You know you've made it when you get a parking space for your yatcht.
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Have you ever failed flat in business?
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