He Started Importing and Reselling Phones on Facebook to Pay His University Fees – Now He Owns a KSh 5 Million Business

Struggling to pay university fees, Deno took a gamble importing affordable used phones from China to resell locally in Kenya via Facebook.

Despite humble beginnings operating out of his tiny hostel room, Deno’s phone import business now boasts annual sales over Ksh5 million.

This is the story of how Deno leveraged Facebook’s selling power and cunning business acumen to convert a campus side hustle into a thriving enterprise. His journey exemplifies how spotting opportunity in adversity can pave the path to prosperity.

For aspiring young entrepreneurs across Kenya, Deno’s strategy and persistence provide a blueprint for how to turn small ideas into big success stories.

Desperate Times Call for Bold Ideas

As a 3rd year Economics student at Kenyatta University, Deno constantly stressed over scraping together enough money to pay his university fees and living expenses term after term.

His casual waiter job provided barely enough income.

Deno explains: “I was already selling personal belongings for extra cash. Taking shylock loans would mortgage my future. I needed another solution.”

In an era where university students desperately needed affordable smartphones for coursework, Deno noticed a sharp supply shortage of budget devices locally.

Sourcing them internationally and reselling on mass scale could solve this demand-supply imbalance profitably.

And so in 2017 using his last Ksh 5,000 in savings, Deno began importing high-quality budget phones from China to resell via Facebook to Kenyan university students.

Thus Deno Electronics was born out of ambition and necessity.

Optimizing His Facebook Sales Strategy

Deno tested different Facebook marketing strategies relentlessly to profitably sell his imported Chinese phones to Kenyan students.

His goal was making the phones irresistible value purchases compared to expensive models like iPhones.

Here’s how Deno expertly tailored his sales approach on Facebook:

• Laser-targeted ads – He geo-targeted ads down to specific universities and hostels known for tech-savvy students.
• Urgency and scarcity – Ad copy conveyed limited units and time-bound deals to spark immediate action.
• Killer prices – Deno’s wholesale cost from China manufacturers was around Ksh3,000 per phone. He retailed them for Ksh4,000 – Ksh5,000, significantly undercutting typical Ksh10,000+ prices locally for smartphones.
• Sample post wording – “UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ALERT! 5 units of Tecno F3 available for only Ksh4,500! DM now before stock runs out!”

This tactical sales positioning on Facebook allowed Deno to move high volumes of phones week after week entirely through social media.

Turning Challenges Into Opportunities

However, Deno’s rapid success importing phones brought new unforeseen challenges:

1. Capital constraints – Saner inventory demands outstripped his limited working capital. He badly needed financing to scale.

2. Logistics difficulties – Managing supplier communications in China and coordinating local pickup logistics from his 12ft x 12ft hostel room became a nightmare.

Rather than stymie Deno, these obstacles provided opportunities for creative problem solving and business growth.

He approached a smaller Chinese manufacturer and negotiated 90-day payment terms to receives phones upfront without large capital outlay.

And to smooth logistics, Deno partnered with local hostel managers.

In exchange for small commissions, they provided secure on-site storage and facilitated student pickups of their phone orders.

Deno remarked: “Challenges force innovation. Leverage obstacles to unlock growth.”

Explosive Growth And Current Success

Through Deno’s marketing savvy and tenacity addressing roadblocks, his campus side hustle importing and selling phones via Facebook exploded.

Within just 16 months, Deno had grown monthly sales over 700% from 15 phones per month to over 100.

Today, Deno Electronics has become one of Kenya’s largest used/refurbished budget mobile phone suppliers with Ksh5+ million in annual revenue.

Deno operates out of a large Nairobi warehouse, sources phones in bulk shipping containers, and sells thousands of devices monthly across Kenya.

He employs a full-time team managing operations and internet sales/marketing.

Despite this success, Deno remains laser-focused on maintaining competitive pricing and providing budget options for Kenyan university students – the market he understands best.

Deno remarks: “Always stay true to the problem your business originally solved even as you grow and scale.”

3 Key Lessons from Deno’s Entrepreneurial Success

Aspiring young entrepreneurs in Kenya can extract valuable insights from Deno’s inspirational journey turning a campus side hustle into a multi-million shilling enterprise:

#1. Spot Problems, Then Offer Solutions

Deno identified an acute shortage of quality affordable mobile phones for cash-strapped university students. He crafted an innovative solution importing and retailing devices via Facebook.

#2. Refine Your Sales Positioning

Deno tested various marketing angles relentlessly until he struck gold – framing his phones as irresistible value buys compared to expensive brands.

#3. Embrace Challenges

Rather than let hurdles like financing and logistics thwart progress, Deno leveraged them as springboards to advance his business to new heights.

Final Words of Advice

When asked what advice he would offer today’s youth in Kenya hoping to achieve similar entrepreneurial success, Deno emphasized two key points:

“Bet on yourself when no one else will. The only way to prove naysayers wrong is through action and results.”

“Stay hungry. Never become complacent. There are always new problems to solve and higher levels of success to achieve.”

At just 25 years old, Deno’s journey proves how a simple side hustle addressing unmet needs can swiftly blossom into phenomenal prosperity through consistent innovation and grinding execution.

The future belongs to today’s bold digital entrepreneurs across Kenya ready to turn big dreams into online income realities one small step at a time. Your time is now!

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