They Told Me I’d Never Be More Than a House Girl – Now I Own a KSh 5M Cleaning Company

When poverty forced Jane Njambi to quit school at 14 and take up work as a house help, many wrote her off as destined for a life of drudgery and minimal pay.

However, through pure grit and ingenuity, Jane was able to overcome early adversity and achieve her dream of entrepreneurship.

Today at 29, she is the founder and CEO of Safi Home Cleaning Services, a thriving cleaning business based in Nairobi with over Ksh5 million in annual revenue.

This is the story of how Jane turned cleaning houses into owning the keys to her own success.

Humble Beginnings

Growing up in an impoverished family in Ruiru, Jane was forced to drop out of school at 14 years old to earn money cleaning and cooking for a wealthy family in Lavington.

She worked 12-hour days, 6 days a week for only Ksh5,000 per month. The work was grueling and left little time for anything else.

Jane recalls, “My employer looked down on me and said I should be grateful to even have a job. She told me I would never amount to more than a house girl.”

While the hurtful comments stung, they lit a fire in Jane. She was determined to prove wrong those who dismissed her abilities simply because of her station in life.

Whenever she had rare free time, Jane would jot down business ideas in a little notebook, dreaming of the day she could be her own boss.

An Idea Takes Shape

During her three years employed as house help, Jane paid close attention to how households were maintained. She became highly skilled at cleaning quickly and efficiently.

One day it dawned on her – why not take her expertise to start a cleaning business that could serve multiple homes?

Excited about the idea, Jane began saving vigorously from her measly salary, spending nothing except bare essentials. She worked extra hours when she could.

Within a year, Jane had saved just enough to buy basic cleaning supplies and print flyers. On her 18th birthday, she quit her house help job and launched her cleaning company.

Starting Small and Pounding Pavement

Jane named her new venture Safi Home Cleaning Services. Lacking funds for a proper office, Jane solely provided services herself to start.

She pounded the pavement daily in the nearby middle class neighborhoods of Zimmerman and Roysambu, knocking on doors and introducing her cleaning business.

Jane underpriced her services at first in order to secure those initial customers. Positive word of mouth began to spread about her diligence and high quality.

Bit by bit, Safi picked up more residential cleaning clients. Within 6 months, Jane had grown enough to rent a small office and hire two additional cleaners.

Diversification and Growth

To scale her business faster, Jane diversified her services to target commercial spaces and offices in addition to homes.

This allowed her to take on larger clients that needed frequent, regular cleanings. Landscaping and waste disposal services were also added to become more of a one-stop shop.

Jane reinvested profits steadily:

• Purchasing better equipment like vacuum cleaners
• Expanding her workforce to meet demand
• Moving to a larger office space
• Professional branding and uniforms

Within 3 years, Safi Home Cleaning employed over 20 staff and had grown into a thriving Ksh5 million per year enterprise.

Why Safi Stands Out

According to Jane, a few key factors enabled her rapid success:

• Specialization – Safi focused solely on cleaning instead of diversifying too broadly.
• Consistency – Safi thoroughly cleans each client on a regular schedule.
• Staff training – Employees undergo rigorous training to meet Safi’s standards.
• Customer service – Jane’s team communicates promptly and treats clients with respect.
• Fair pricing – Undercharging early won customers, then she increased strategically.

Today, Safi enjoys many recurring residential and office contracts with reputable companies in Nairobi, thanks to word-of-mouth about the company’s diligent service.

Full Circle Success

A mere decade after being disparaged as nothing more than a house help, Jane now proudly employs over 50 staff across Kenya through the cleaning business she built from the ground up.

Jane has purchased land back in Ruiru to build her family a beautiful home, living the dream she always imagined.

She hopes her story inspires young people facing adversity. As Jane says, “Your current circumstance does not dictate your future. With vision and diligence, anything is possible.”

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