Martha

From Side Hustle to Full-Time Thriving Business: Martha’s Entrepreneurial Journey

Martha standing in her graphic design and print shop holding some of her printed products — Entrepreneur of the Month - Martha

Raised by entrepreneurs as parents, Martha started her business while studying community development at Kenya’s Maasai Mara University. While still a student, she would use her pocket money to travel to Nairobi to sell baby clothes, exemplifying her business-oriented mindset at a young age.

Upon completing her studies and moving back to Kakuma in Northwestern Kenya, Martha opened a graphic design business, which mostly operated online.

“I don’t think there’s anything better than being your own boss,” she declares proudly.

While she was proud of her online business, Martha sought to establish a physical location, one with her own printing machines and tools, so she could better cater to her clients’ needs. This would also enable her to conduct all of her business operations in Kakuma, instead of relying on print shops in Nairobi to cater to special orders.

As she considered how to expand her business, Martha learned about the DREEM Innovation Fund — an opportunity to receive business training, support, and a grant to expand her business, through a collaboration by WUSC and the Mastercard Foundation.

Despite the stiff competition, Martha was selected to participate in DREEM Innovation Fund, where she learned about aspects of running a business including customer service and financial management.

"Small businesses typically struggle with keeping records, but through the training, I learned how to keep records, which helps me calculate my profits and losses,” she says.

Through the DREEM Innovation Fund, Martha received a grant of KES 300,000 ($2,200 USD) which she used to purchase printing machinery. By bringing her operations closer to home, Martha was able to take orders that required quicker turnaround times, as she no longer needed to send special orders to Nairobi to be printed. She also contributed some of her personal savings to establish a physical location, a print shop in Kakuma where she can interact directly with customers and work on their orders.

Martha using a printing press from her printing and graphic design business on a t-shirt

Having started as a digital business, Martha was able to leverage support from the DREEM Innovation Fund to establish a physical location at Kakuma Refugee Camp, a move she says helped legitimize her businesses in the community.

With a growing business, Martha is able to provide for her younger siblings and son Leon, who she says pushes her forward every day.

While her business has experienced success in recent months, following business training and access to a grant, Martha has plans to continue expanding the business. She hopes to purchase additional machines to help with printing in larger formats and with embroidery as well, making her work significantly easier.