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Stories

Stories and practical guides

Real lessons from the businesses we work with, and simple guides to help you plan, apply and grow.

Success story4 min read

How Tamu Bakery grew from 200 to 600 loaves a day

Grace in Eldoret used one bigger oven, better pricing and a school contract to triple the size of her bakery.

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Guide5 min read

5 things to include in your business plan

You do not need a long document. You need clear answers to five questions. Here they are, with examples.

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Guide4 min read

Keeping simple records: a 10-minute daily habit

Good records help you get funding and make better decisions. This simple method works with a notebook or a phone.

Read the guide
Success story

How Tamu Bakery grew from 200 to 600 loaves a day

Grace started Tamu Bakery in 2016 with one small oven behind her house in Eldoret. By 2021 she was selling about 200 loaves a day to shops nearby. Demand was higher, but the oven could not bake more.

The plan

Her plan was simple. Buy a large commercial oven, hire two bakers, and start supplying schools. She already had two schools asking for bread.

What changed

Meridian funded KES 450,000 for the oven. Her advisor, Samuel, helped her work out the true cost of each loaf. She had been underpricing by nearly KES 8 a loaf.

"I was working very hard and not making money. Once I knew my real costs, everything changed."

Today

  • 600 loaves a day, supplying 5 schools and 20 shops
  • 6 full-time staff, up from 2
  • Repaid in full, 2 months early
Guide

5 things to include in your business plan

A good business plan does not need to be long. One or two pages is enough. What matters is that it answers these five questions clearly.

  1. What you sell and who buys it. For example: "We sell fresh eggs to 15 shops and 3 hotels in Nakuru."
  2. How the business is doing now. Your average monthly sales and costs. An estimate from your notebook or M-Pesa statements is fine.
  3. What you need the money for. Be specific: "A second chicken house, KES 220,000. Feed for 3 months, KES 120,000."
  4. What will change. How will this help you earn more? More customers, bigger orders, lower costs?
  5. How you will repay. Show where the extra income comes from, and roughly how much you can repay each month.
Tip: Write it the way you would explain it to a friend. Clear and honest beats long and fancy.

Not sure about a number? Write your best estimate and say it is an estimate. We will go through it with you at the meeting.

Guide

Keeping simple records: a 10-minute daily habit

Many owners know their business is busy, but not whether it is making a profit. Simple daily records fix that. You only need 10 minutes at the end of each day.

Every day, write down

  • Money in: all sales, cash and M-Pesa
  • Money out: stock, transport, wages, rent and other costs
  • Money you took for yourself: keep this separate from business costs

Every week

Add up the week. Money in, minus money out, is your profit. Compare it with last week. Is it going up or down? Why?

Every month

Look at your best and worst selling items. Check if any costs have gone up. This is the information that helps you set prices and plan stock.

Keep your business money and your personal money separate. It is the single most useful habit.
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