For many years, my business in Kenya was nothing but a source of pain and embarrassment. I opened the shop with so much hope, believing that hard work alone would bring success. I stocked good products, treated customers with respect, and even reduced my prices to attract people. Still, day after day, customers would pass my shop and go to my neighbours. Some days I would sit from morning to evening without selling anything. Losses became normal, debts piled up, and I started believing that maybe business was not meant for me.
What confused me the most was that people around me were doing the same type of business and succeeding. New shops would open near mine and within weeks they were full of customers, while mine remained empty.
I tried changing suppliers, repainting the shop, offering discounts, and even relocating slightly, but nothing worked. At some point, I started suspecting that my problems were not normal. Deep inside, I felt that my business was cursed or blocked by unseen forces, because no logical explanation made sense anymore.
The situation worsened when I borrowed money to save the business. Instead of improving, things became worse. Goods expired on the shelves, employees left, and I was constantly stressed. Get full story here.
