This is what I wrote earlier on my linked account – Gachoka Kang’ata

It seemed a very surprising reality to some people who reached out to somewhat ‘’complaint’’ how some information is there but not readily available.

Can’t be it’s not available.

This is how it went;

A modern organization is defined by conflicting forces

On one hand, building enterprise capable of continually adapting to changing realities clearly demands new ways of thinking and operating 

This is a cross-road that has failed many to rise and sustain

Sum it up: Organizational learning challenges of this era

Side A: Orgs are more networked with wider ecosystem

- traditional management hierarchies weakening daily & More opportunity for learning and innovation

Side B: Fire-fighting operation designs

- traditional management system keeping orgs in perpetual fire-fighting mode with little or no energy to innovate

This is time of cross-currents

-Globalization of business and industrial developments
-Pressure of financial capital at expense of natural and social capital
-Local environment more of stressing feature in industrial development
-Increasing population while gap between ''haves'' and ''have-nots'' widening
-Younger generation across world creating web of relationship like never before

These shifting attacking stable strategic screens of all businesses

This interconnectedness

Culture learning from each other - with intention or not

Conflicting forces: Things getting better, things getting worse

Transition : ''something'' is on way out and ''something else'' being born

Conflicting forces playing out in orgs largely.

Can't be assumed or ignored any more

2 realities at play:
- environments with need and possibilities for learning capabilities greater than ever
- challenges for building such capabilities.

Transforming your organization to a learning one is inevitable

It's like a ''HOOK'' of some sort but it’s inevitably needed

In my business development journey, I landed into the business of ‘’ Mary and James’’. A hardware with varied outlets and doing about 600 Million to 1B annually.

The business employs 108 staff- from customer care, cashier, security, hand men, accounts and rest.

This is why this was quite an easy catch for me

Mary, the co-owner woke up one day and told the husband that she will not do the business same way again- that was after 16 years.

Good to note, Mary was just a shop keeper when they started the business. James worked on networking with construction sites so that he could get more clients

16 years later, a corporate run and managed by founders that never imagined it can grow.

The load is too much. Business grew but with increasing load to the owners who are also daily managers.

A colleague told me- ‘’ if this is how grown up business means, then better remain employed. The workers are living a happier life.’’

During the day we undertook assessment, we found that over 70% workers call Mary ‘’ Mama Kins’’. Mainly those who have grown with the business. The kiosk they saw 10 years ago is still the same as per their mindset.

Ultimately, we established as follows;

-  The business is growing at a reducing rate

- Owners very tired and have reached point of watching things just flow

- Market is increasing but no interest to push for increased market share

It’s confusing. It’s actually a confusion

 Learning Organization

Only 30% - 40% can be blamed on Mary and James

Whatever brought you here cannot take you there – Marshall Goldsmith

But what will make you remain updated that what brought you here is no longer sufficient to take you there

Unlocking and enabling learning environment for the organization

Business operations is like a fiction that creates two alternate current – one that’s getting in, the other one getting out

And therefore, biggest blame of the remaining 60% - 70% goes to natural conflicting forces that keep bombarding modern business as mentioned above

If not acknowledged earlier in advance, then, Mary and James have no option other than arrive at current status of complete exhaustion and tiredness.

Real acknowledgement is allowing a learning environment in the business.

The Hardware is lucky we will work on a road map to save it from further decline. More employment opportunities will be saved.

How does exhaustion come in and look like

With 108 staff

Mary, serving as CEO still solves over 50% client issues

Mary, still believes key accounts clients must first land on her table before anyone else talks to them

Mary can’t be in a meeting of just 1 hour without over 10 calls interruption.

Cheque books always in her pretty big office

80% client funnel is linked to James effort

Kudos, business still pushing 600M to 1B annually

Exhaustion din’t come one sunny afternoon

It’s a journey- when the owner realized the cash is piling up and panic gripped

- Created a ‘’ guard rails’’ by grabbing the cheque book to always reside in hand bag,

- Employed every person who is able to do hand work and not strategic work

- Covered all wastages and gaps through culture of intimidation and not openness

How to protect your time, keep winning and move ahead

Mentality that cost of entrepreneurship has to come with late night ambitions

Can’t move you ahead from the shop to an enterprise seeking chance to compete on top

There’s less spoken truth by founders leading their business. You can win BIG and still have BIG life

But this comes by design

This is how to do it.

- Design around energy optimization not hours.

- Design around operation improvement and excellence practices

- Create a guard rails for enhancing block of 3-5 years strategic framework

Overall,

Your eyes and mind can’t open up if organization is not set on foundation of learning on the go.

Secondly the business changing and bombarding forces will definitely overpower and same energy of one-person last year will not sustain this year.

Reset and start picking up momentum

1% that are operating over 10 enterprises and moving Billions just stopped to pretend they are the back bone of their businesses.

They worked on a design of learning organization.

P.S – If you still need to RECLAIM your momentum for the hard-earned business, don’t wait more shrinking. Start at perfect assessment of how you’re doing.

Go here to trigger https://cygnus.co.ke/diagnostic

 Gachoka Kang’ata (GK)

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship growth . My mission- Sharing for Growth. Sharing on how to become better person to grow business. Over 5,000 reads this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on– Operations Excellence through Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials 

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ 

https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

Whatever you do when you feel overwhelmed or lack of interest will sustain the marriage

The most famous phrase for business owners ‘’ my business ‘’

This is very synonymous with ‘’ my wife ‘’, ‘’ my husband / hubby ‘’

There’s rekindling pride that follows that pronouncement

The pride of owning.

Does your ‘’ wife’’ , ‘’husband’’, ‘’ business’’ feel the same pride in return

Let’s leave matter of wife and husband for now

I believe they are able to speak for themselves about their share of pride – (smile)

What of ‘’ your’’ business ?

It goes back to first sentence-

What do you do when you get overwhelmed ?

You started business with all the energy, sustaining milestone after the other.

All same for both small or established enterprises

One thing to note – level of performance has always been tagged on how far you can go as a person because it’s ‘’ your’’ business.

For now, we tag those performances with extent of your capabilities.

So, for this piece we want to talk about what the business you love has been getting or lacking from that tag of ‘’my’’ and ‘’pride’’ that comes with it

When you felt real break through

Tagging business performance to your personal effort brings real pride

A feeling that ‘‘my’’ effort , feeling that ‘’my’’ smartness, feeling that ‘’my’’ business – is real energizer / trigger

You felt real break through when after lots of push, may be business made Sh 1 Million, 10 Million, 100 million in a year.

This created a sense of affirmation to your tag - ‘’ my’’

What we’re asking is if that all what was in for the business

Is it ?

 What the business missed from that breakthrough

When you move around and in midst of community of owner led businesses, you find deep sense of their pride how they are the heartbeat of their businesses

You almost catch them loud with –‘’ this business can’t operate without my presence’’

The business that did Sh 1 Million, 10 Million, 100 Million ….

How much more would it have done.

The business got held back from ‘’ my’’ pride

During that season, your human limitations – overwhelm, fatigue, less skills continued to suffer the business.

For instance-

Instead of admitting you overwhelm, you have been so self-critical

- You used to be able to work so hard

- You have been taking retreats, but still never feel rested

- You have been so stressed and feel maybe if you hire smarter people you wouldn’t be in that position

But of course, you woke up and annual report showed there was some sort break through. You hang on that and redeem yourself with – ‘’ my skills, my smartness’’ …

How much more would that business have done without ‘’ my tag’’ ?

What I’ve seen

I’ve met quite a number of people during coaching, exploratory dialogues, networking forums, learning workshops, client’s implementation ….

After long dry season of overwhelm, admit that their business is not ‘’their pocket business’’, a new wave shape up.

Reaching out for opportunities to get mindset change, the universe opens up and they shape up to take most effective position in the business.

Business gets real new air, breathes deeper

The other version – business got breakthrough and the pride of ‘’my smartness, skills’’ continues raging

Next season, there’s no guarantee.

Then, growth at reducing pace- No one notices. Then stagnation. Then gradual drop, constant drop and rapid drop.

Firefighting kicks in.

Need for structured framework that can be invites owners for education day on real issues outside mob spirited space – business ground is shifting, forces and pressure no longer from seen sources and will favour the informed and punish painfully the ignorant

Then what you say

This is what you tell yourself

You have been working hard. It has been doable. And for long time

But remember this has been transition after another. Starting up, small running enterprise, mid – level business. The journey always a roll coaster

And then you conclude saying you can handle it.

Imagine if you could tell someone in your team the same- they would resent you. They would repress and go slow. Yet you always tell yourself how doable it’s.

You’re addicted to the ‘’ my’’ pride sense.

You’ve been scared to stop and feel your sense of sabotage to the business. Making it only rely with you..making it miss huge universe of opportunities

That’s not accurate map of reality

The only thing you need to do with self-sabotage is understand your marriage with business

Start point is understanding

Two distinct things define your relationship with business you own

1. You (spirit and software)

Mindset about growth

Believe system about ownership

Thought processing – day today and strategic

Skills improvement

 2.  Business ( pillars and hardware)

Value proposition

Design for growth

Growth pillars and tools

This defines clearly that you and business are two distinct existence that need coexist but not over rely on each other.

Defining these unlock the most beautiful phase of business – development and growth through continuous improvement

All comes back to you. The ultimate goal is always FREEDOM.

So here I am

I’ve heart that chest thumping with ‘’my’’

I like this piece for this Saturday because of real human I’ve met last week wondering where do you start growing your business.

I think it start where you separate with it.

I am hoping it helps you all the same. My mission is sharing for growth.

 Gachoka Kang’ata (GK)

 —————————————

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship growth . My mission- Sharing for Growth. Sharing on how to become better person to grow business. Over 5,000 reads this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on– Operations Excellence through Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials 

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ 

https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

Suppose I am being asked for my profile

Now, when seeking consultancy projects or earlier when I was looking for employment.

This is what I give.

Dear Recruiter

I bring strong background in financial management, operational excellence and strategic advisory built over 16 years through corporate career and clients consultation projects. Overall, this drives sustainable business growth.

In particular, I have successfully led initiatives for clients that streamline finance operations & operations excellence, enhance reporting accuracy, and improve decision making through data driven insights. My capabilities also include working with cross functional teams to align strategic goals with operations.

As a consultant, I will drive relevant assessment of organization need and create ambitious and practical roadmap that will guide achievement.

Key strength I bring include;

·       Financial strategy and deployment

·       Operational efficiency and cost reduction initiatives

·       Performance measurement and KPIs design

·       Stakeholders engagement and leadership

·       Process improvement and continuous improvement methodologies

I am confident that my skills, experience working with diverse organizations will contribute meaningfully to your finance function, unlocking operations potential and overall business success.

Attached please find my detailed CV. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss further about my application.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Gachoka Kang’ata

Besides, I am qualified with Masters level, Bachelor level, Accounting -CPAK and some other short level continuous learning.

As you can see I have developed great feat of confidence in my capabilities.

When I left corporate employment, I was super confident.

I had some 4.5 to 5 Million worth of assets and very upbeat that my start up enterprise would flourish and become even more rich.

I was ready for entrepreneurship !! I just imagined more money !!

Entrepreneurship

To start with, I headed for entrepreneurship with locked mind- make more cash

Yes, I was equally driven by motivating theory information I had picked up on the way through books and online materials.

These theories made me have desire for making positive changes to humanity – be good and do business with as many people as possible.

Outcome: I failed terribly. Lost everything. But lots of lessons. That’s why we’re here.

Entrepreneurship journey started when I lost everything and left with my only one head with brain to think deeper beyond what i imagined.

Initially lost in my thoughts

Friends from my back ground questioned if I was really educated or maybe I got bewitched.

I can confirm, none of the above.

What I didn’t learn at master’s level in University

The deep connection of my thought process with how I was socialized

I did learn that one of key drivers of people failure is how they are socialized.

Relationships like boss vs subordinate, teacher vs student

Boss and teachers set the aim, subordinates & students answers

Subordinates & students knows when they succeed only when boss and teacher tell them

This creates bottlenecks of thinking. It limits open ness to problem solving.

That drives need for developing system thinking as a goal

We lose more than imagined at thinking level

I had not learnt that entrepreneurship is an art of courting problems and solving them for many to get help without short cuts

The way I looked at problems had one major leakage

I faced them with feeling of urgency that needed to be done away as soon as possible and move on to other ‘’ important ‘’ issues

What I dint know was that those problems were the real business that needed deep sense of understanding and not rush to clear them away

How did I do short cuts and rush them ?

Take my cash to buy out un reasoned solutions that were only quick fix

Imagined that with cash capital I was always set to break through

Imagined that relationships I needed to build with people, was driven by respect for my education qualifications

Leaking socialization

Until recently, any one doing self-business was termed by society as struggling human being and hustling in waiting for employment

I must admit, telling people i have left a well-paying corporate job for small startup took a lot of confidence to mention it.

Education has been for employment

What does this do

First, any problem that seemed like meant to inspire you start small enterprise as a way of solution, was not supposed to be given your time to allow you think about it.

This has been locking lot of thought process

Many have joined entrepreneurship with non-committal mindset

Others join entrepreneurship as survival in waiting.

To be able to meet cash need as they expect get ‘’ good big job ‘’

We have said above- Entrepreneurship is courting problem and getting best way to solve them

This requires you come with open mind as the main capital and not the money in bank as main influencer.

You need un do or replace some socialization beyond education

What can be start point

This newsletter is usually read by approx. 5000 every month.

Last newsletter drove one enquiry on how I help growth journey for a micro business

I will be glad to see how we can grow her venture

Simple

Growing small enterprise start with you. Some people are clearly stuck in mentality of pushing for how much cash they will make today.

Those don’t fit in our growth journey program. They are of rushed mentality and socialization

Start point looks like very simple un expected thing

Clarity call with someone who point out where many people get stuck

For me, we look at 4 things

 1. The you

Are your mind set to believe in growth journey?

2. Business design

What need or problem you see that fit in and the available universe for the solution you have.

Is it scalable ?

3. Route to customers and selling infrastructure

Whether you can clearly have path to reach to the prospective customer and infrastructure needed to make this happen daily

4. Meeting the promise

When you get the customer, are you able to deliver with precision

Last note

When someone asked me how to go about changing their business, I clearly said, ‘’ that may not be my abilities’’.

However, I referred them for a coaching session and this came to confirm their socialization (mindset) cost heavily their entrepreneurship journey

You are full of admiration for well performing businesses

You desire your business reach there

Are you of right mind to grow your business ?

On this Easter month, start of quarter 2 of 2026, your focus and priorities may need redefining.

Then, tell me if your business reflections will start taking or making deeper sence.

That’s all for this time. See you next in 14 days

 Gachoka Kang’ata (GK)

 ——————

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship growth . My mission- Sharing for Growth. Sharing on how to become better person to grow business. Over 5,000 reads this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on– Operations Excellence through Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials 

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ 

https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

I guess only thing you may want hang a little longer in your mind is thought about whether you started off with any specific desire and if you have started working on it.

Month of February and early March I attended invite only session of Two different Angel Investors (Kuzana and CBA). It was about businesses pitching so that investor can pick the one to fund.

It happened I was required to offer support in identifying the best suited.

It happened I ended up learning a lot from those sessions.

For CBA, the people who became #2 and #3 happened to be founders that have established one group of business, co-own both ventures and operate common advisory system.

Clearly, it was not a coincidence.

One of the business offers reliable logistic for fish from water to the customer while the other offers pre-cooked vegetables to customers.

In 2025 they made combined revenue of $ 160,000.

Their journey dint start there- it started 3.5 years ago when they established both ventures.

Let’s look at them thriving.

For those who are running business, picking up within 3.5 years is incredible. These are results that are mainly fueled by clear flow from initial point.

I am glad this is not usual story about painful years of business before success kicks in.

In their submission, they confirmed that their main asset from day one was focus.

This spoke to me as well. For many, having varied ideas, they rush to distribute their energy in all of them.

At Kuzana, the founder confirmed this when he said ‘’ most Micro businesses in Africa are victims of lack of focus on their why ‘’

With his trend from upcoming entrepreneurs, becoming focused is the rarest thing.

What Did They Do Differently?

When their two ideas came lingering hard, they decided a different governance structure that would guarantee one key thing – focus.

To them, focus was the central asset they needed.

Instead of fixing other things many people concentrate on- product, chasing customer- they started from inside out.

Same journey of business making, same economy, same products, different attention and results.

By separating the two idea, they were able to re assign operations based on individual strength.

Business idea is good. It is the kick start of what may become house hold solutions to humanity problems.

Soon the idea starts to be implemented, it’s no longer for the owner.

Creating fence that safeguards the right focus to lift and thrive, would require set of skills that one person may not have all of them.

I am reminded of my own journey in entrepreneurship. I must admit I failed on this below 50% mark.

Looking back, I would have made my journey much shorter and less painful if I had courage to focus on one idea and make it grow beyond so many other micro businesses combined.

That’s why I find this helpful to tell you. That’s why I am here.

The Wrangles Before Peace

Before discovering that lack of focus mainly in executing young business idea, is real wrangles. Many have lost massive resources.

Money lost, energy lost, emotional strength lost.

Mostly, business people find themselves becoming more ambitious as things unfolds

Could be due to peer pressure that there’s something better working, feeling their journey is slow and so forth.

End results, desire to jump to the next close idea in the mind.

Recently, I met someone who has been in food industry for 7 years. For her, economy has continued to worsen and no longer able to make money as she used to.

But what came in course of our dialogue is that one of her best friends sells consumer goods from China. She said ‘’ my friend is doing really good last One year’’

This lady is now in process of winding up her food outlet and secure enough money $ 10,000 to visit China and bring her stock to start selling.

This was hilarious.

And in deed she confirmed for the last 5 months since she has been pushing for this new idea, her business has deteriorated much more.

It is not coincidence that is same period her focus shifted.

Consider this- 5months gone. Not growing. But demolishing so that you start again.

After further engagement, it was clear that this food outlet is what she considers as survival come back every time she runs her focus out and hit the wall.

The food business has never gotten the best of her focus but clearly it has always gotten the best of her blame on how it’s not doing well.

The biggest gift to yourself would be testing your focus wrangles before any other comment about your performance.

I must admit this is very sensational to me as well because it took layers of years before admitting.

Why not safe you some pain by just letting you know ?

I thought I was going straight to coaching with this lady. But now we have to first align her inner self – to focus readiness.

It will not matter how well your current venture is doing. At some point, many have found themselves on a downhill slip losing what they dearly built. But the come back can only start from point you diverted attention.

I know many will ask – ‘’ does it mean you can’t run more than one business ? ‘’. I want to remind you that there are people with more than 10 businesses and very successful.

The Rehabilitation – Where You Heal

There are simple entries that reminds you something is losing track.

When I started writing, one key realization was that I could not sustain one line of thought through out one newsletter.

It came down to more research on why and I had deep desire of improving.

Simple assignment as it may look.

I came to learn that for many years I had allowed my mind to keep having ‘’ distractional ‘’ approach to thinking. Listening as I talk, being in noise environment all the time. 

I just had to admit, like a child in school I needed to train my mind.

Results, writing became like cool relaxation of my mind. Flowing and enjoying it all the way.

When am writing, I feel like am talking to silent person who is you, and anxiously waiting next word

You will need to admit it. Your mind could be noisy more than you can imagine.

It’s hurting you and costing you progress.

That realization is your rehabilitation- where ‘’ healing or recovery’’ starts

Focus in Business

Entrepreneurs are thinkers. They are creators. Their mind always imagining new things. Their minds able to pick new pattern from ordinary activities and build and idea.

That’s their nature. Sometimes it boarders being wild thinkers

What happens next very crucial- starting the execution

Then the next thing will be encounters that mostly not within founders’ control. Feedback system from the implementation loop.

The foundation of successful interactions with feedback loop will be ability to remain focused to un learn, learn and re learn.

That focus is what will lead to the next most important stage

Refined idea ready to align with real market need and ready to tap into deeper market opportunity.

This is what we may call taping into deep coolness of water. Moving from the surface.

Swimmers say the deeper the water the easier it becomes to swim.

Last Note

Angel investors have realized that we are in business ecosystem that is very promising. So far they have awarded finances to over 11 businesses totaling over $ 500 K repayable in 4-5 years

They have also noted that you might have the best idea. But you lack focus. You miss the boat. You are unreliable to them and to yourself.

So, here’s the issue I would propose you consider this week…

If you’re confident you want to grow entrepreneurship, how much baggage you are ready to drop off so that you’re left with what you started to build.

Feel free to DM through my socials. I am continuing to harness close relationships with those in real journey of building.

The journey is mountainous. Either going downhill or uphill.

Hope you have enjoyed this.

See you next time

 Gachoka Kang’ata (GK)

 I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship growth . My mission- Sharing for Growth. Sharing on how to become better person to grow business. Over 5,000 reads this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on– Operations Excellence through Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials 

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ 

https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

One of the simplest tools and which I treasure most is a weekly planner

Again driven by simple concept

At end of every week, I make sure I have 70% of next week activities plugged in.

At start, it feels quite a challenge because you have no relatable activities to flow with next week. But one month into it, your activities for current week keep developing a current that shapes areas you need push through next week.

Some requires re working for improvement based on identified gaps. Others are just follow through.

It’s a simple displine that saves me a lot and above everything else, frustrations that comes from not knowing what to do or prioritize.

Beside that, it’s a critical tool of continuous improvement in aspects of thoughtfulness and productivity.

Without this, there’s untold level of randomness I have always been noticing on consistency of my work flow.

I was great at having different activities run at same time. I kept on enjoying that feeling of being busy. That flow of feeling I am multi-tasking by ensuring any activity that has been brought to me is on highway being done or any that just fly through my mind is committed to be done right away.

But this continued to prove very costly.

Finding myself in the field full of randomness.

Randomness that doesn’t keep stopping flow of my work. Randomness that charge me and create a lot of exhaustion. Randomness that leaves me with many items half way done.

Activities left at half way are always very costly because there is no final product to be used and also what was done half way consumed time and mental resources.

Seems like productivity, but most of the time it’s defending randomness and excuses.

These randomness feels safe because you are always busy. No accountability for results but you feel engaged enough.

It can also mean settling to the fate and decide it’s good enough. But also hard because your system keeps reminding i can do better.

Creating a flow means I am accountable for results because when planning you have to ask why and what are expected results out of that activity.

Without that, you just feel hanging on un expected and because the flow is not as you expected, creates frustrations.

It took me a while to see this clearly as I narrate. I had to really study the strains of my frustrations, which is mainly a heavy mental feeling that something is not right somewhere.

I kept on asking myself – what is that and where does it come from ?

But over time I have learnt to detect the urge before my mind have adopted it. Urge to keep flying with random activities. Urge to close the week without knowing where my energy will go next week.

In that space I have been accomplishing more great work.

Without committing cash but committing mind resources and utilizing my time and physical energy better.

Why Randomness Costing You

Let’s start by this disclaimer. This is not an exaggeration !

In ability to connect your mind to a planning flow is completely short-term disability.

Before identifying whether it’s driven by lack of displine, you have got to first identify why you mind is failing to sustain concentration.

Learning to create mental flow that helps create plan has never been more important than now.

When the universe has already become one small village and information can reach the other end of earth within fraction of second.

I mean, it’s all over. A story that’s developed by someone you have never met connect with you like you have had a relationship with that person.

It means if your mind can’t connect with your planned flow, world will trap you away of your inner self and by time you realize you can’t recognize yourself.

There’s no cost that’s painful like that ever in your life.

Failing to recognize yourself due to randomness that is not checked.

Especially when you already have inner consideration that you are smart person.

Plenty smart people are languishing in frustrations of non-value add activities and wondering how to un lock. They are just one frustration away from depression.

Contrary, plenty quite average people are very successful building as planned and pushing their imaginations higher and higher for mastering the power of consistent flow.

If you are a careful observer and listen to self, this will trigger you to identify thread where you can start off a flow of mental planning.

Key Pain From Randomness

·   You try to jam everything into one perspective and always have difficulty seeing anything else outside it

· You feel everything is defined by the only one niche that you know like ‘’ business’’

· You only trust your small community or group or party and fail to consider every one else because they don’t conform

· You only have one justification- ‘’ that’s how it’s done’’

 Summary, highest pain is that you close your mind off once you’ve reached the limits of what you know.

That alone, has subjected so many people into genius of being very active but cannot translate that into worth while venture.

Look at those doing small businesses, why can’t they grow them regardless of working 16 hours daily.

That’s why creating flow of planning and running away from randomness is important.

The biggest gain is that very simple solutions become wining code to things that seemed very burdensome. Simple as- time planning, spirituality, leading a team.

Only that you need learn one thing- ability to direct mind to helpful attention.

That may sound simple. But it may not. Ability to conquer yourself first.

5 Steps To Run Away From Randomness For Your Business

i. Awareness of fundamentals and psychology of entrepreneurship

You can never turn to be entrepreneur if your believe is that cash is all that matters

ii. Mindset and ownership displine

Growing business is not for those who create excuse on every hurdle. Commitment driven and owning the path is core

iii. Universe or Market and Customer Power as a trigger

You don’t do business in isolation. You are in specific industry that serve specific need for known customer. No randomness

iv. Operational and Financial Controls

Without definite operation flow that serves the customer and manages the business money, you are running a hobby.

v.  Support Pillars and Growth Readiness

Most important word in business is cashflow. Next best is leverage. You cannot grow with system that is set to revolve one person and that person is you and you only.

Something Important To Note

Your mind is a tool

Understanding that will trigger you to strive on aligning it for planning.

When you plan better, you conquer your day.

A day well conquered leads to mastery and continuous improvement.

Those who practice flow and overcome randomness always prevail.

Have you seen it ?

• Gachoka Kang’ata (GK)

 I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship growth . My mission- Sharing for Growth. Sharing on how to become better person to grow business. Over 5,000 reads this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on– Operations Excellence through Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials 

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ 

https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

I am writing this letter on a Saturday I feel the need to take some refreshing gear.

Just commit to a day without imagining what await me following week, relax and may be not even take a book to read.

I’ve had a very tight week of networking with business owners. Mainly, listening their pain points and expected to give them feedback that would make them feel there’s solution on the other side.

It feels like a pastor who keep receiving community needs.

But that is what I was looking for when I committed to steer growth of our agency – Cygnus Consulting. www.cygnus.co.ke

I’ve run businesses for over 15 years now. But properly designed business since 2011.

Driving from ideation, start up and operating the same. Those three phases require their own specific masterly.

But ideally its all about juggling multiple tasks and projects simultaneously with zero employees at first.

Identifying right pillars can really offload you quite much and create flow that’s very promising.

In this letter, I want to focus on building that one pillar that carries a lot of hope for anyone interested in growing their small businesses.

I always say- there are two types of business founders. One that desires to meet bills and secondly the one that admires growing an enterprise into real business.

Second one will be more favored by this letter.

What’s Business Pillar ?

A business pillar helps the operator create buffer of ensuring operations are growing the business without over relying on him or her.

It closes you off from getting absorbed and drowned in routine operations. Opens you to start developing the mindset of strategic measures to implement in the business.

You are able to have goals, improvement projects and timelines organized in harmonious way creating real traction.

A business pillar really comes to create leverage

Check some great letter I did last on business pillars https://gachokas-newsletter.beehiiv.com/p/eleven-powerful-pillars-to-grow-your-small-business

Why is Leverage Important

Leverage is the start of wealth mindset.

Leverage is ability to create influence, sway, clout, authority, pull, importance towards something in a bid to generate more return on investment.

Leverage gives return where you have invested no capital of your own.

If you’re going to grow business you need help. Your hours in a day are limited and therefore puts a cap on how much you can be productive.

What’s needed is a way to compound your effort.

You do this through applying leverage.

It’s the ripple effect you create when you perform small actions. It’s like throwing a pebble in water and it creates wave of ripples.

Leverage is how you transform your pebble of actions into multiplications. Including amplifying impact of your decisions and your judgement.

Great to note, leverage is always free, if you chose the right kind. 

One Pillar That is Your Great Leverage

Business owners and operators must balance huge aspect of business controls

Ranging from;

Financials

Operational flow

What makes money

Who are your customers

Company mission and goals

Stakeholders welfare like staff

Competition and moats to work with

Marketing or demand creation strategies

It therefore says, business is one of sort that flows like river. If you don’t have ability to tap at the most optimal position, then the flow of ‘’water’’ can’t wait and will drift important aspects away from you.

What matters then is ability to create leverage that your small actions will still generate increased impact.

What is that one pillar ?

Partnerships

After I lost all my cash capital when building my startups, I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go.

Literally, my mind was shut.

Banks denied me more loans, friends lost trust with me.

But I knew deep inside, entrepreneurship was the thing for me.

After rolling minds for days, I agreed with myself that world will not stop. Will continue and can’t wait for my problems.

I entered into imaginative phase. I needed to innovate. That was the only way.

Partnership was the only thing to carry me forward.

Partnerships gives you a chance to really imagine what is that thing you can give freely to others as you also enjoy their strength.

This is mastery of self. Digging deeper and deeper of who you are

You end up realizing potential you even never thought you have.

How To Start Building Partnerships Leverage

Let’s start off

Dig deeper and identify your potential ready to exchange with others

Dig deeper and pick one venture you want to grow

Make sure the venture you choose to grow is the one you have good information on how to go about it and not the one you just hear has potential cash back.

Identify the key areas you need partnership- below are few key areas to build partnership on;

Strategic direction partnership leverage – you might not get anything else from a person but getting chance to tap from their experience is paramount. Getting a chance to breath strategic direction you can take about a business.

Connecting projects partnership leverage – When you are operating business, it’s good to create sub projects of diff aspects like products optimization, location enhancement, logistics and so on. Look for partnership with people who have ability to unlock such for you.

Technology partnership leverage – Technology continues to evolve in a huge manner that unlocks much more business potential. This is an area that can create potential for you too. Look for partners that can elevate your business operations beyond your individual efforts.

Marketing partnership leverage – Marketing which is simply creating demand for your products is the most lucrative partnership you can bag in any season. This helps you ride on trust of other people to get customers.

 These different partnerships evolve on the go.

You learn and re learn on the go

Looks very simple but carries some hidden power that some businesses have grown through.

Partnership are built on foundation of one key element – Relationship building

Ability to build relationship flows from your background believe system. Some people grew never trusting any person.

Without reversing that mentality, your ability to build partnerships will always be limited.

Partnerships is about trusting other people with your mind

When it flops, it’s painful and mainly emotionally. When it yields, it can be very rewarding.

Remember from start point of this letter, I explored and experienced partnership when I was having no other capital at all. I had nothing else to lose.

Losing my emotion was not the most painful thing ever. So, open heart needed.

Executing your partnership journey will take you back to knowing the areas you need build partnership. That’s start point.

Next, create a tracker;

partnership in progress,

partnership in waiting feedback

partnership in waiting to be identified

Next create activities planner that make sure you are the one proactively initiating and following through. Follow this until it picks up momentum. You will start reaping.

Once you have started with partners, key thing is you build your foundations. This will help in a big way in creating roadmap to realize potential of your small business.

Keep remembering that each baby step, always leads to something big if you stay on course.

That’s good for now.

I hope it helps. I only write to reflect on one more thing that can make you a better business person.

If you have enjoyed this, check our gallery of newsletter more www.poweringhouse.com 

Thank you

Gachoka

 I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship growth . My mission- Sharing for Growth. Sharing on how to become better person to grow business. Over 5,000 reads this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on– Operations Excellence through Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials 

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ 

https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

We start by asking- what’s one thing that keeps business person awake ?

In most cases over 60% could be wrong things

Or they don’t matter and you needed worry not about them.

That’s the most dangerous thing for business founder and operator

We are often made to feel we must strive to be productive machines grinding through tasks and optimizing every second

Just to pull through, you feel you are indebted to prove that – atleast for social media clout.

Where’s the productivity from that ?

Again, what’s one thing that keeps business person awake ?

Just 2 weeks ago, on a Thursday, week day for that matter,  my friend carried me to a courtesy visit by Kenya Forest Service rep . We delved on nature and business sustainability.

It din’t look like it, witnessing the true refreshing power of silent forest shades, on a week day.

All about power of aligned mind to get clarity needed.

But here is the question – are you in an environment enhancing that for you ?

Combination of activities and productivity can be a big trap

When I joined my first start up immediately after resigning from corporate, I witnessed this first hand. My blood almost became ‘’thinner’’ for overly busyness.

Was I productive – no to a larger extent.

Led to lots of burn out, reducing creativity that really matters in a business, loss of what truly mattered later – relationships, your own spirit.

For instance, power of creativity is very critical – I met a re-known CEO of a production company. She is the founder who started her operations as a small venture some 20 years ago. The industry had other huge corporates that gave lots of competition. She confessed the only think kept her flowing is creativity in serving the few customers she had. And one customer attracted another one.

Now her company is top Five in market share.

When balance of activities and productivity is not there – that can’t be price of success.

There must be a different path – creating optimality. Driven by more human life and work balance

As you imagine about it- Happy Happy Valentine . Today is 14^th Feb. I put a photo of flower to drift your mind to a happy valentine day.

Which Pillars ?

You may ask

Yes, the most lucrative job you have for your business is creativity

It evolves one level after the other

But environment you are in will matter a lot.

To create an environment that influences, you need have pillars to direct you into that.

Personality test also need to be enhanced so that it can enhance effectiveness of the tools

Personality Test- Human Side

1. Believe in efficiency not Over pressing

Efficiency of our energy don’t mean constantly striving to do more

It’s about choosing right task over all tasks

Do you perceive it ?

2.  Recovery

Respect for down time. Respect for mind regeneration

Would you create them deliberately?

The silent voice of connecting with what brings joy need sort and respected

3. Connections

You are human. Need to look for relationships that connect with your fresh.

Family, partner, mother, father, friend – it can come from any source

Do you still hold ‘’ macho ‘’ feeling over relationships ?

The Eleven Pillars

Let’s dive in

 1. Starting Small

The power of micro business is in starting small.

Faster decision turn around, faster learning, faster results.

Don’t admire other business, admire your small business that you can keep experimenting

2. Communication pillar

Micro business treats business information like any other grape vine.

It isn’t !

Understand sources of your business information that set your foundation for any decision

Information is free business capital when harvested through right channels

3.  Business Networks

Micro business, more often than not, get tied to self-sabotaging relationship

Networks is the first source of trust. Trust yield real customers

Purpose to seek networks that evolves and relevant to business

List them and start pursuing them

4. Continuous learning

Unfortunately, we pursued Degrees in universities to enable us get employed and promoted at employment

This time round, you are the employer and in very competitive world

You meet global brand has opened branch at your village.

You cannot remain the same person who started business. You need seek knowledge

Knowledge for business not for classroom. Take advantage of free chances flowing around

Workshops, closed business community, paid up short courses by an authority subject matter

5. Art of Sales and Marketing

Marketing is nothing more from creating demand

Sales is converting prospective to buy

Those two requires great passion and commitment to create sales as a daily role.

Small business remain committed only in opening doors and don’t follow customers

When they follow customer, it’s random flow instead of creating engine of sales.

6. Business money operations

When your business start making money, again, you are lost competing for same business money with your private funnels.

When you create flow of business money- from entry to exit- you start witnessing sabotage you have been creating

Roll out small process of recording money. Create right touch point of accountability. Avoid costly money. Avoid unwanted loans.

Results will be best gift to your business.

7.  Staff management

Simple, business pay salary in return for staff effort

Are you able to measure return into business from staff

Learn how to create and conduct structured performance management. It’s based on real deliverables.

8. Customer journey

This is simply designed elements of how you serve customer ensuring they are happy with or without you.

It’s how you deliver the promise to customer.

That journey more often than not is full of wastage, low productivity below capacity and unhappy customer. It sends your hard-acquired customers away

Create a flow that is efficient and delivers

9.  Business MOAT

Keep understanding and refining why you started the business

Which problem had you seen. Which solution have you brought with your business.

Business MOAT is how your business is protected from competition. For a small business it’s about refining customer value better and better.

10. Business Performance Review

You cannot improve anything you are not measuring

Our small business operates every day on a blanket script. Closed your eyes never to see anything

Operating without any metrics – sales, customer ratio, financial numbers and so on and forth

You have no accountability to improve

Start understanding metrics that support your business. Start measuring them

11. Personal Health and Stress Management

You are the biggest capital of your business

You cannot live without knowing how to take care of your health. Simple practice of work out, following pre planned routines, relationships are never for business

They are meant to keep you focused and refreshed.

Take them positive

In Conclusion

I believe we can and we should

Culture of non stop and assuming everything is for you is harmful

Reject the idea that it’s just a hustle. It’s not

Productivity planning leads to growth. Every business is scalable.

Become the person who is able to grow your business.

It’s essential. It’s rewarding

My coaching on how to grow your business open – Taking only 5 per month.

Let’s connect through socials. See below.

Thank you.

 Gachoka

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship growth . My mission- Sharing for Growth. Sharing on how to become better person to grow business. Over 5,000 reads this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on– Operations Excellence through Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials 

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ 

https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

I am very encouraged to note AI will not replace creativity. I will not be replaced as I continue becoming better thinker in writing and other things.

AI is coming and in big force.

I don’t think there’s any other evolution that will be so rapid like AI and Information age.

The society have actually started demanding – any note you put out there, need you confirm if it’s AI or original or real.

Definitely we have two societies – creators and consumers.

That’s how the landscape is shaping up underneath your feet and you can’t change that.

So, you are on the other side: either consumer ( like what AI will feed to your attention) or creator of what you have tasked your mind to define

That’s not a threat.

It’s what all of us can see is already happening and subjected to.

But one thing very encouraging is how all these are pushing towards labour division – Different roles to different people for efficiency.

Division of labour is another stem for onother day

The flow of all these AI, information, enablers of production (robotics) works towards one common goal

That common goal is – capturing human attention

This brings out clearly the real issue

Your human attention. Your control point.

All your attention is under your control. You can define attention in form of two fronts

1. Thought process and

2. Activities

The two will finally drive to one core and beautiful thing – meaning of life

Let’s look at them

I am not sure if you are the type who is already bought to scrolling short attention script of the social.

If so, this may not make lots of sense because you might already be bought away and therefore you read with a  throw away attention. This will require some deep mental connection !

Thought Process

Thought process is series of mental activities your mind uses to think, reason , solve problems (capture that strongly), make decisions, form ideas and understand the world.

Understanding the world is about planning, judging, evaluating information unique from each person.

Understanding your thought processing design is such an underrated capability

Good thing, all these are not in born.

Quality thought processing is learnable art.

Thought processing is a great attention taker

Activities

Defining the flow of activities that you plan to undertake is one of most liberative practice

Because of lack of defined activities, huge number of people get lost inside activities that were never meant to be for them

Their precious attention gets stolen away

You don’t need to understand what will happen in two weeks

You just need to have ability to create daily or weekly activities and the flow will build up as you practice

When you form the routine of well thought activities, your mind and body build craving and keeps helping you refine more and more.

Activities flow is onother great attention taker

When you put all these together (activity building and thought processing design), you get where your attention goes.

You get a story that you can relate

Because your brain is a whole independent engine

Then preferences keep developing without your full control and finally you form a habit that feels like an obsession

Then you realise you have already gotten cravings to take control of mind and activities.

Otherwise, you crave for stories, drama, original things, movies, eating and you keep paying money for them

Entire economy gets build around these things (attention seekers)

Then, your natural system keep pulling you off and keep demanding for real meaning again and again

Your Brain, Most Forgotten Business Capital

It’s all about thought processing

Clearly, as I continue writing, my mind flows towards clarity

That alone, is definitive.

Appreciating mind as an asset is about understanding deeper role of mind. Taking your own path.

There are three levels that define how you get value from your mind

1.  Struggles – This is the start of progress. What you select to struggle for will become your purpose. The mind is where the struggling abilities are developed and therefore what defines your purpose and what you may be able to achieve.

2. Curiosity – Problems you chose to solve. Creating a choice and attention for solving problems

3.   Status – Your activity contribution towards solving the problem. The results associated with you doing. This gives you status and continues to add or lump courage and thirst for more.

Without developing understanding of the above three, you struggle to identify the flow of your mind

You feel like you are in desert and anything is good for you

You are always in a wonder world. Your feedback loop is full of frustrations because you don’t feel like you are in control of anything.

Let’s imagine how to create flow of thought process

When you task your mind and get ready for struggles, established aligned curiosity, and eager to solve, you open door for making quality thought processing as a tool for progress

In this letter, my main aim is to sink your imaginations to fact that there’s a tool called designed thought processing and how you arrive at it.

How you move ahead to align and refine thought process is secondary because even without getting that anywhere else, you mind alone is able to create it’s own path from the addiction

I also find lots of addiction writing my newsletter.

And so you ask , where does it start

Level one:

Your attention

Understand anything you see as if very interesting or not was meant to get your attention

Your attention has two distinct elements. One as a consumer and second as a creator

Starting to understand yourself on basis of either elements is great opener

Are you creator? Are you consumer?

Level Two:

Your curiosity  

World is never linear.

When you don’t have curiosity you only imagine that everything looking good did not take huge effort to make it that way.

You adopt emotion of ignorance and only love what’s done and don’t want to imagine yourself as a contributor of making world better as well.

Are you curious about things that don’t look straight ?

Level Three:

Your activities

Suppose you confirm that over 50% of your activities were never planned

This causes huge mental energy loss. Therefore, even the results will mostly be frustrating.

On other hand, without activities to drive experimentations, you never improve. You stagnate, get frustrated with much information in your head but don’t know how to use it.

Are you a planner ? Do you give your mind to pre plan, develop alignment and predict value from each activity you commit to ?

Some main advantage of thought processing

1. Crises changes into bridges for your next best- when you build curiosity to think through what looks nonlinear you start realizing hidden opportunities.

2. You become creator – You join those promised future of opportunities. Creators are not replaceable.

3. Your business growth journey takes a different strong trajectory – You crave for different learning opportunities. Your attention is not for consumers.

I promise you.

Over 70% of people you look upto are figuring out as they go. They have mastered non linear world. You don’t need any PHD master class. Just practice it with real project and seek help out here.

I’ve scaled my micro business coaching – Only 5 are taken in every month. That may be the help you are seeking out here.

Let’s not make it longer. I’ll leave it there.

Thank you redirecting attention here

Gachoka

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship growth . My mission- Sharing for Growth. Sharing on how to become better person to grow business. Over 5,000 reads this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on– Operations Excellence through Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials 

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ 

https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

We had a real pause – close to a minute.

Try a pause of One minute in an active conversation that’s not abrasive.

One lady ‘’ I guess it’s not possible after all, to get real money from small business’’

One more at far end ‘’ Every one need real money. But our type of business not meant for such ‘’

‘’ And I don’t think even government want us to have ‘’

‘’Hah hah’’ found myself laughing out

‘’I am here – got this invitation from a friend about meeting you on how to grow our businesses. It’s been very straining. Our economy doesn’t seem to fit us at all. My business selling flowers keep fluctuating . For the last 9 years’’.

‘’Me too. We are only hoping that Christmas season will make things better through selling. Whole year I can’t be able to say whether I ever managed to do anything from this business. Only my Chamas – 3 of them. They have enabled me pay half of my plot- Kes 150,000’’.

Seems like pot we can’t run away from. And because of this, I don’t feel business money is for people like us.

And I think I am ok with that. Though I have children needs- better education, parents to take care and my desire to invest in a big land.

All that created real sink of silence to go on and on…

I intervened because we were about to enter social outpour that would steal the purpose they came.

When your relation with business is all about money

As I listened, I got to affirm how much of my self-worth is also tied to income. In 2018 I left high earning career in finance to start entrepreneurship.

Soon I finished high school, I was employed that same December as a sales distributor in one wholesale shop far from home.

It was easy to take up job because I was brought up in environment of doing everything.

One year into doing it, I was ready for college. I was therefore employed in corporate very young- age 22 years.

I had therefore worked long for my career only to leave it on a blunt cliff. That’s not story for today.

When I left employment, next season made me realize self-worth that comes with money is very plastic. At one point I couldn’t afford bus fare for Kshs 20 bob. That’s after leaving my corporate career.

Self-worth that comes from money is very terrible for building business.

Not making money opens concentration to create leverage on how to make money

Let’s see how…

The Trap – Money today for Chama

The goal shift completely

By just having comfort that you are making some money to pay chama

Chama that are tied to some school fees, plot buying, emergency for restocking and so on

Everyone is chasing it and no one is ready to tell you that you are in a rat race. Missing the big bet that lies just ahead of uncertainty that you would instead have allowed to be by concentrating on building the business.

One short stint- bank balance is up from Chama bonus. Rest of period rat race refilling

Money comfort mission is a big trap. Reduced many and many more to be slaves of their job (let’s not call business for now)

If you can’t declutter from that slavery and rat race, you will never have time to build leverage that can push business to become machine to give you much more money inform of passive dividend.

Even when you are in holiday half of the year.

Your thinking that you are safe with some drop of cash that you milk dry from business put you in vulnerability of seeking artificialism like bought up prayers, quick fix brokers, costly loans trying to save situations

You are very right. Business people just keep hoping with faith every day about when that touch of certainty will start flowing without distraction.

You can create that flow. Not by magic though…

First, there is predictability you need to start building for yourself without distracting it

This is perfect way of how this can work

4 Steps

 First, Awareness

I have heard many who have become their own enemy by becoming know it all.

Triggering your awareness so that you really understand what is that you wake up for, every day, and put all your effort to make it better.

Atleast as you imagine.

Entrepreneurship is more of spiritual realization.

It’s an art of sewing one thread with onother in a pattern

It’s not a random wheel.

Awareness helps you appreciate that entrepreneurship need to be a designed and targeted for long term

It’s building of a brand sewing together a combo;

Ideas

Skills

Relationships

An operation system

Money culture

Secondly, Design

Business is never about one transaction you make for money exchange

Business is about understanding the universe of the idea you have ( someone doing value add from pea nuts understood they are in universe of making protein easily accessible to all)

From idea then imagining the existing gap and coming up with value proposition that will fit your customer ( you keep watching the market until you refine it )

Then testing your proposition with real market

Apart from some rare cases, presume it will take 2-3 years before you start seeing silver signs of success. During the waiting, your patience will be tested with all hack of deals including brokers giving you all best ideas they think you ought to be in.

Pressure will build like dam. One day cracks will start. Leverage coming in drop after drop. Replacing your individual effort with leverage of growth from small effort.

Thirdly, Pillars of Growth

Harvesting dividend starts when leverage cracks become or create real flow

You view the world downstream very well when you are at most vantage up stream position

It’s test for your long-term thinking.

Because if you really need money that once tempted you in drops, you need create funnel for it to flow even when you are asleep.

Pillars of growth create the ultimate certainty in operations – whether you are sick, or out for chama meeting, vacation- operations flow continues

Because as you build, trading your time with money is an unsustainable venture. Your time is depletable because your energy will be depletable. Your time becomes worthless in future.

 Systems become your God father representing you.

Pillars can start from any point. But as far as your building them, the circle becomes closer to joining together every season you add another pillar;

Business money management

Planner tools – weekly planner

Network harvesting

Continuous learning platforms

Sales infrastructure and marketing

Staff management and performance monitoring

Business operations excellence

Personal care- mental, physical & spiritual health

Instead of waking up early to go and make money now, build an army of robots, that will outsmart you to grow your business. It will also give you more space for learning and even manage take up other bigger projects.

When you understand all about power of leverage, it’s irresistible.

Fourth, Continuous learning

This is the real secret of breaking free

Becomes your feed

If you really want money, understand it like any other tool.

Money is nothing more than a tool like any other.

It’s not the end.

Your skills and knowledge is your permanent asset and self. You grow as much as you are knowledgeable.

If you can resist money - now - trap, next is building on knowledge.

Running and building business is never a campus course. Campuses full of theories that can’t relate most of the time.

Look for opportunities to get real learning about building business. We have some well curated coaching courses for that matter https://poweringhouse.com/small-micro-business/

I am not suggesting that we build business for other things and not money

But setting for longterm in a very designed manner actually and will give you even more money from business.

It’s freedom !

Freedom will give your business more space beyond your personal capabilities to grow through leverage. And Leverage is the ultimate force that reward business owner

This opens business universe you never imagined.

May your business grow ! Every business is scalable.

 Gachoka

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship growth . My mission- Sharing for Growth. Sharing on how to become better person to grow business. Over 5,000 reads this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on– Operations Excellence through Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials 

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ 

https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

Another marathon is already set. We are inside the year 2026.

Breaking it down for clarity purpose

There will be 366 days all inside 52 weeks. For those of us who runs weekly activities planner to help create accountability of what we need to do & accomplish, one week seems half of it.

This year I decided to create very concrete goals upon which I will also develop activities to ensure I achieve.

I will further break down the activities into weekly bits.

This will ensure, as I concentrate and worry about daily activities, I will not worry about what I will have accomplished at year end because my daily activities are already aligned with goals.

Huge organizations use a tool called Balanced Score Card (BSC) to ensure vision and strategy are aligned with daily activities.

What Matters About Goals and Yearly Resolutions

The biggest frustrations ever comes and begets majority of those who are courageous to draw yearly goals and resolutions.

Many of them actually idolize them

Imagining that writing down goals and resolutions will make difference, is half baked food

All half-baked food leads to people sleeping hungry

Food was witnessed but the process of cooking dropped half way. In short there was no food.

This is same for resolutions and goals that are written on paper.

It’s a show of intention but also means half baked food and therefore no food yet

What matters ?

Accountability system that you create around the yearly goals is all what matters

Carries over 90% of the results

If you chose to be goal driven, also chose the hard part of harmonizing your daily activities to communicate with goals

This means you are ready to be accountable on achieving or not achieving them

Your goal could be building more sales- how would accountability system look like ?

- Mentorship and training around psychology of sales

- Reading weekly or monthly piece about sales

- Setting weekly targets of calls you will be making

These becomes measurable activities

These are relatable. It means even if you forget about your annual goal, and concentrate on activities, your goal will be accomplished in whichever way.

How Was Your 2025

We only build from our strength or from the lessons learnt

Being genuine to yourself is very important

Some key things to consider from past year;

-  How much did you collaborate – 

What were the results and what type of collaboration did you have. Was it with the right people

- How much time did you invest in building –

Were you only lost in transactional deals that promised only money. Can you confirm any progressive project you pushed beyond money? That’s guarantee future

- How much of what you did was tied to a skill that relates to you –

Existence and sustainability will only come from building skills. Sales, running operations , artisan and so on

-  Do you have a community that scale you –

When you are empty you will always find yourself draining in communities that you don’t know what they represent. They eat away your life with their programs only to keep you engaged. Some churches, friends groups, social groups have consumed dozens of potentials with no return on investment to the person involved.

I have had great foundational 2025.

Mainly, building foundations of the businesses I want to grow beyond.

www.cygnus.co.ke is an agency we have re-set for growth in three key areas – sales infrastructure, customer delivery and brand enhancement.

www.poweringhouse.com is an agency that host this newsletter. It has grown from a community of about 50 to 5000 reading monthly. The agency has been adopted for collaborations by 2 external organizations in micro and small enterprise growth programs.

For me I am looking into building during these foundational years and not transactional income.

When momentum season picks up I believe I will recover my investment in time and intellectual resource.

My 2026 Goals

I look forward into the year to achieve higher momentum

Having had strong 2 years season of building and laying the foundation, 2026 will mark the 3^rd year which is expected to yield momentum.

From community, collaborations, product development and sales infrastructure . These Four marked my target pillars during foundation building phase – Last 2 years

Sharing with you my 2026 goals is a mark of accountability and looking forward we cheer each other

Let’s go

2026 Goal # 1: Healthy Living

Business people finds an open world that’s not restrictive.

In such world, they lose their core pillar- which is self

Health will be my number one target by ensuring;

Food I eat are balanced – Less starch, more protein and vitamins.

Structured work-out will also be key on the plat – min 30 mins for 5 days in a week.

This is meant to give my mind ability to hit high potential in resilience and positivity.

2026 Goal # 2: More structured mentorship

Any growth I manifest will only come from a better me

Better me can never come from nothing. Can only come from experience and learning

One key learning I have mapped is mentorship. Learning from those who have done it.

This is where I have challenged myself to reach out to those I felt they are far from me.

I have witnessed last 2 years their generosity and want to build on it more

2026 Goal # 3: Growing my community

When I started writing this newsletter ( Discover Hadhi Yetu – Micro Biz) I never thought I would be able to connect.

It has proved that I now have community waiting for my letters every two weeks

I am now more motivated to live for mission I started for – Sharing for Growth

I will research more, share more , build more community of entrepreneurs

Main thing- witness them grow together with me because I believe every business is scalable.

2026 Goal # 4: Grow stronger sales infrastructure

I am a business founder and operator

One key discovery about business is that sales is # 1 pillar for any sustainable business

In the business I lead- Cygnus, sales infrastructure will be key target to ensure it’s sustainable, brings consistent customers and is self-reliant.

From building the sales team, supporting them through trainings and working together

I will also learn more how to become reliable sales person. Leading by example

Our target for 2026 is to grow sales with 150%

2026 Goal # 5: Strengthen delivery infrastructure

Our consultancy on Operation Excellence assures customer their business growth

Expectations are therefore high from customer side.

A happy customer brings more business. We will therefore adjust our deliverable promise to customer and build support pillars to deliver same.

We have had very rich feedback from 2025 deliveries and therefore we will base our improvement and target to surpass from those feedbacks.

We are not empty

2026 Goal # 6: Monetize my programs for Micro Business Growth

2025 was great foundation. Interacting with micro enterprises with real programs

In 2026, I have marked collaborations that will ensure we onboard for more delivery

Through awareness content, trainings and mentorship

www.poweringhouse.com has been approached for more partnership due to its rich content on micro business growth.

This year we have marked to create strong impact but in a sustainable commercial model.

You can set pace here: https://poweringhouse.com/small-micro-business/

What Next

My next phase is to create activities planner that align with the set goals.

I will take myself for a cup of tea and re-look at those activities

I will highlight the ones I need support from external people and start looking for that help right away.

2026 looks bright

But I would say, it’s not 2026, but it’s what I committed 2 years ago and the foundation is slowly transitioning to momentum.

Nothing magical and I don’t expect it at all.

Wishing all of us prosperous year 2026 and let’s hold each other accountable.

 Gachoka

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship growth in 2026. My mission- Sharing for Growth. Over 5,000 reading this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on– Operations Excellence through Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials 

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ 

https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

‘’Simplicity, clarity, singleness- These are attributes that gives our lives power and vividness and the joy as they are also mark of great art’’ - Richard Holloway

2025 year is done.

I have been listening much of general talks and jokingly on face of it. Most comments have been in line with – how much have you achieved in that year.

As I dig deeper, this is a more sentimental comment than it looks on face of it.

It digs deeper and is deeply attached to those people hearts

Most of us, mainly if you are running business, our environment is over 70% un structured and therefore calls for every day personal alignment and pick how to structure.

Year 2025 have been one of year I have seen highest level of expressiveness driven by politicians, socialites, celebrities and ordinary citizens.

I guess mainly due to availability of free digital platforms to allow such personal expressiveness

I am also convinced the younger generation will grow to be more super expressive because they are maturing at time when this is norm of humanity world wide

What am I saying…

With all this expressiveness right in front of our eyes, every day, every hour, every minutes-we are definitely becoming influenced knowing or unknowing.

First influence is how fast we are becoming over consumers

On everything- information, food, clothing, movements and so on

Follow that general comment about how much have you achieved in that year

Follow it down deep into the heart to understand what does it really mean for you

Power of Brainstorming

Why you need understand it

In search of clarity, your movements will be all over

Your heart and spirit will naturally keep demanding identity for your true clarity

You will not stop it

Until you give it that, it’s unending pressure from within yourself

This is one single most trap that will hold you up in rat race

Looking and engaging in everything

Engaging in everything have cost and will continue costing you arm and leg

That’s why you need follow down deep your heart and understand what does clarity really mean to you

And then, will your answer remain the same about what you have achieved in this year.

Will it be again about;

How much travels you have done

How much socials you have attended

How much more work you have done with overnight hours extensions

Recovering lost energy through minimalism

I have been with quite a number of micro business makers who keep on blaming how they have worked many hours in their business

I ask them- wait for a minute

Can we check how accountable is that believe?

What are those activities you have done for your business?

Again no accountability to prove that

Actually only 25% of time of many micro business players goes to business

We will discuss about it later in another write up

Minimalism is spirit driven and it’s ultimate gain when you achieve single most jewel called clarity

It starts with intentionality – identifying and promoting things we most value and aligned with, what our deep heart really want to achieve and removing everything else that distract us from it.

You have your first boast from within

Naturally, your heart and spirit will continue to seek clarity – how you intend to achieve things it truly value.

Key in the basket includes - Wealth, good health, love, connectivity with higher being.

Without clarity of how, your heart will not rest

This alone have pushed many to lack of concentrations and drain lots and lots of energy with no end and rest

They are all over

Becoming over consumers trying to prove to their own heart

Whereas the heart is in need of one thing alone – clarity of how you will achieve things it values most

This small circular bait- leads to almost confusion.

You eliminate this confusion, you get almost full recovery of energy lost in overconsumption.

Achieve minimalism = intentionality.

Happy Festives

Why you have the power

Intentionality is very different for everyone else.

No two individuals are same. But you are required to dive deeper and become more introspective about your values and passion.

If you shift attention slightly away from limelight of modern demands which keeps showing that, good life is in accumulating things (possess as much as possible), you start getting clear play field of your imaginations

Digging deeper and deeper you will start noticing hidden string of things your heart truly values

The next step still within your power is checking your ability to hold displine

It’s known that success is for those who balances hunger to win with displine to win

What will be your ‘ displine meter ‘

It helps you to start doing away with pressures that don’t matter

This alone brings peace that you never enjoyed before. It’s contagious and moment you taste it, you can’t release it back

You will love things that are very valuable and cost you nothing outside yourself – Deep relationships, simple experiences of gratefulness, personal soul-care.

Duplication adding more salt to the wound

Most business makers lives in duplication

They have found themselves with no ability to control huge system around them that is keeping on influencing them North, South, East, West and other direction that comes by

Living one distinct life around their family, onother distinct around co-workers, onother distinct around their business and neighbors.

They are always forced to keep portraying different images dependent on their circumstances.

Tiring and draining in deed

Tossed all over by new adverts, new people in the block, new fashions and so on and forth

No consistency

This shifting cost a lot of energy trying to change over based on all circumstances that you have no control about.

On other hand, consistent system of personal life is learnable and very transferrable no matter the uncontrollable circumstances

It’s reliable and unfluctuating.

Finally, It’s achievable

I have come to love how much ‘’personal entitlement’’ I’ve been able to do away with during this year of 2025

Key thing is that the heart and spirit involvement comes forth to help a lot in pushing this new realization because it starts setting in and aligning with what it values most

Starting from simpler system

I wrote about how I have enjoyed having very minimal clothes – becoming ready

You can just pick up very easy step to start with-

Clothes – you wear only 20% of clothes that you have

Decorations- Many decorations on your palm, house has no value. Just happened so that you match the colour

Toys- Your kids pushing you to anything. Next time onother one

Cooking utensils -Your kitchen never seem to have enough storage space. Yet grandmothers used far less spaced kitchen and cooked far more often

Televisions-You only have like 2 hrs watch time. You keep more than one Tv. For what

If you keep this chase, you discover very simple start point to recovering the flow from overconsumption.

Start the break down in your personal imaginations

Start from your comfort

This thread will not leave you same again now and in future.

In conclusion, your loss of energy in overconsumption is costing you too much. Understand minimalism system, pick up the power within to make it happen, unlock your heart to help the push by understanding deeper things it values. The gains are irresistible and all these are achievable.

I believe you are now set for 2026 mission, becoming better person to grow your business

Hurraaaaaaay - 2025 is over.

Happiest festive seasons for year 2025 and more prosperous year 2026.

I am happy too – we meet next side. I believe Our God is ready and willing.

Gachoka

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship. My mission- Sharing for Growth. Over 5,000 reading this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs – Operations Improvement & Excellence. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ and https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

This comes from last month issue of this newsletter.

In that newsletter we talked about your future in business will never be safe

Get to understand more in that issue here

I am very proud to note we started this newsletter last month of 2024 and promised to be sharing thoughts every 2 weeks.

12 months into it, there has been no one that have been missed.

In total 27 issues

Started with less than 50 readers now we are at 500 readers every issue.

I have created business and social partnership through this work

This is 2^nd last for year 2025.

Thank you for this journey which will continue becoming better and better

The Hidden reality

Our traditional learning structures is a very dedicated one.

Approximately 16 years from elementary education to your first degree.

That’s real dedication of a system

Kind of training neatly packaged in programmes, assignments, degrees and certificates.

But so far, we are graduating 1 Million from colleges and universities while best CEOs are still using 30% of their time trying to identify best candidate to hire.

Could it that type of education we continue to invest heavily are flawed especially preparing us for business operations.

Our skills deployment landscape is changing-

The most menial jobs are being done by graduates.

The smallest businesses are no longer for hustlers- graduates are behind them

I am very sure that these engagements are not able to connect with future hope of our graduates

We ask – why is that so ? Is the problem in small business and menial jobs opportunities that are available ?

I think the answer is in questioning what is this we call learning ?

Valuable Unpopular Learning

When I busk under 10 am sun, my imaginations feel like rhythm – ideas versus sweetness of sun.

At start of year 2025 I decided to offer free coaching to any willing micro and small business players.

By July, the number was 10 – the target I had.

It was small designed program on how to design business for growth.

As we continued, I came to understand why 78% are still in small business that never grows.

Only 3 were able to commit to programme to the end- today they always affirm- that was true learning.

What is learning then.

Our traditional education system never prepared us to build business. It was highly structured that elements that come through unpopular platforms falls away.

Even when they are available for free, they can’t detect. But someone can commit to Kes 0.5M masters program pushing guardians to fundraise to make their kins happy.

I also learnt a lot.

Bottom line, if you continue running a small business with no structured way to grow it, you will remain slave of grapevine stories how economy is bad, businesses can’t grow and so forth.

You don’t time to grow the business, you take time to learn and become right person to grow person.

This only happens through learning inform of coaching, observations, practicing.

Anything admiration you have in mind and no practice around the same, you are carrying burden that will never help.

I have continued to understand that real learning will not only come through neat packaging

Let’s learn un conventionary and change the culture on you way to growth.

10 Pillars for growing small business

1. Planning

Just commit to be more information hungry so that you can start relying on right information and not any grapevine to keep you busy

2. Effective communication and negotiations

It’s not everyone that reject you at start that mean to. You have missed golden opportunities in personalization of relationships.

3. Your business network

You can never grow business alone. Start aligning your support network and use very mature system to arrive at these networks. Then follow through one by one.

4. Power of continuous learning

You have masters and PHD. This will not survive you growing business. The business environment keeps changing. Allow your self to be hand held. Your effort cuts by 50%.

5. The art of marketing and sales

Many people are trolling with feeling they have best idea ever on this world. If you don’t have aggressive system to attract customers that will remain pipe dream

6. Community support

We are in society that is highly social. Can you start imagining how community you build is the one you can collaborate more strategically for business. Otherwise many have lost all their business time in burials, weddings, road trips and so on which have almost not return

7. Finance management

Do you understand the flow of your business money from the point a customer pays. Business exists to make money. Without that control you will be like person who sits near the sea to fetch water and pour back to same sea.

8. Staff management & productivity

Starting with yourself as the business leader / founder- how productive are you to the business. Do you commit to making deals as the true value of your activities to the business. Staff is number 1 capital deployed to business and if there is no structure to ensure atleast 80% of their time goes to business, then you are losing lots of money.

9. Serving the customer

We have witnessed many businesses who does all manner to bring customer but quotation to customer will take 3 days. And because you consider yourself everything, customer will keep suffering for poor services. Turn around time of service.

10. Business reviews and performance monitoring

What is that one number that when you get to know it, you realize a totally different perspective about your business. May be How customers enquired yesterday, how many individuals passed in front of your business whether said a word or no.

Bonus

11. Handling stress, disputes and personal health

You are the most precious asset for the business. If you are strong, business becomes sustainable. Handle stress with continuous measures and disputes like opportunity to work together.

 Thank you for reading all way.

We meet in our last issue for year 2025.

Gachoka

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship. My mission- Sharing for Growth. Over 5,000 reading this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs – Operations Improvement & Excellence. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ and https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

When you hear that the older you become the more you declutter and the more you drop many things that once gave you sleepless nights.

I don’t know what that means to you.

For me I have found real joy decluttering – for instances from clothes, I don’t like having more than 5 trousers.

Same story to other types of clothes

What i have seen this do, however ‘’insignificant’’ – is reclaim huge peace of mind.

The nature of our work is not structured. Mainly logistic part. Today you are reporting to this client, tomorrow onother one. Within one week you report to like Three different clients.

First, your communication thought process keeps varying dealing with different decision makers and owners.

Secondly your transport pattern and timing requires you become better and better in pre-planning. Otherwise you are consultant of business excellence that keeps on showing wrong example of reporting late.

My few clothes makes me better on morning routine of dressing up. Saves me time for morning reading & learning

I love it. Have seen huge reward from time value I have created including priceless peace of mind.

I must admit, I am glad for the opportunity. Not many people has such opportunity of growing every day through expansion of their limits.

It therefore comes down to ability to make your personal and micro life very efficient.

Decluttering on items of what I need to wear has been one handy gift to myself.

How many things you chase and pay for and they only come to add costly load to your system

We keep telling ourself we need this or that merely by just seeing it and not because you really know it.

The gap of doing things from admiration of seeing and not knowledge of value it will add is very huge for many people

When you get it, we sometimes go further to blame something else when that thing don’t work

But that’s not it.

Elon Musk- richest man on earth as at November 15, 2025 has been seen beside a very simple structure in form of his home in midst of nowhere.

That start sending huge loaded message of why he is richest and as we know it it’s from doing things that are not easy.

Seems it’s much better when you are lighter and lighter.

Your premium brain get decluttered and no distractions to pick deep thoughts that later drive innovations

We keep blaming other things more and more when the ones we are holding don’t work and are just loads and loads.

When your value stream is defined by what your eyes admires and not what your thought process have designed, then you are living life driven by wrong blurred focus.

You live to make other peoples happy and not yourself.

When their eyes see that thing with you, their eyes will glow while you are straining with the weight of the load.

You defer what really matters.

Simple quadrant to trace your 20/80

You are doing everything expecting you will win

You expect huge win and bang from overwhelming and draining busyness.

Try understand simple way to identify your focus with below quadrant

Simple instructions

We read graph from x-axis to y-axis

Simple way to arrive at your 20/80

The only job left for you is studying closely 2 elements-

1.  Things you do

When you trace your compass to do things based on refining your thinking abilities and not your eyes admiration, your real job that creates adrenaline starts.

Asking what are the things that are important to you.

You get chance to evaluate one by one, trying them out in real life and keep refining them.

Bottom line, you seem like a snail making almost no move, but that small thing you move create exponential change

2. The way you do things

When you identify the few things to do, embark on learning and understanding best way of doing them.

When you do that, something will click in

If you still don’t know, you find more chances to learn and learn

This unlocks your level 2 thirstiness

Eyes admiration no longer lead you as authority

World of peace start taking better shape as you continue to perfect chosing right things.

Personally I have found myself abandoning a whole action plan for lack of best bet of activities that goes with the plan. Understanding my thinking process have continued to shift from tray full of activities to strategic activities and executions.

Been following this formular 10 months now - year 2025.

I think this emanated from good effort I invested in learning to understand mind and actions during last quarter of year 2024

This is why many Small, Micro & Medium businesses have failed to build growth pillars

There are some 10 relevant pillars I train small businesses to start thinking on how to build them over time. Here

Otherwise business will never grow.

One painful realization that has not downed in mind of many, small business will never help you. Over 15 years doing same thing and then even your children can never have anything to pick up from. You retire frustrated and worn out person after many years of donkey work

It’s a reality that is happening.

In the next issue of this newsletter we will talk about those Ten pillars in their simple form.

The 3, limiting decision rules

1. Not deferring forest of many activities

Businesses are driven by activities. Write out everything you do as owner and decision maker of the business. I am talking about everything and realise how much you are stuck in mere activities and busyness

2. Not asking yourself uncomfortable questions

Last two weeks I had a one hour discussion with an owner of butchery. After his elaborate and too much information from him, he couldn’t agree to answer just one question I placed on him. Why don’t you allocate yourself a salary from your business and let other business money grow the business ?

I felt wasted.

3. Refusing to build decision framework

It feels very egocentric when everyone in the business has to call you to give direction. Every business decision has to be filtered through yourself just because you are the owner – ‘’boss’’.

However this is curtailing more and more improvement in quality decision making and kills timely decisions.

It means many decisions depends on what you are feeling that day and not on basis of any framework that guarantees consistency.

Bottom line

My simple cloth line is giving me more and more peace.

Now seeking more and more areas to declutter. I can’t wait what this will achieve me in another one year.

But the real win I want you to understand is building that curiosity about your system. How much you can achieve when you discover the real 20% concentration that will obsess you.

Let me ask you something – how many things do you keep holding, adding and they only help to make you more and more bulky to decide, act and improve

Looking forward to next issue we discuss about pillars for growth.

Thank you and see you

Let’s say: Without decluttering through and shifting from identifying good things through eyes to well crafted thought process. Without cancelling limiting decision rules. Without identifying the few 20%. Your future in your business will never be safe.

Gachoka

 Ps

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship. My mission- Sharing for Growth. Over 5,000 reading this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs – Operations Improvement & Excellence. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ and https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

When you say commitment- it’s power of showing up. When you say displine- it’s power of self-control.

This is about beating bursts of seasonal motivation. Overcoming repeated frustrations setting your business forward and higher.

On a Wednesday, you wake up very positive, motivated and energized. The mood can’t fail you that day. You set to recheck what you had planned to do. You decide going forward you will pick up items that had been left back.

Motivation is very high.

A month ago, you had same luck and this time such a highly spirited day was on a Saturday. That’s when you had written items you are picking up this Wednesday.

When you look back last 10 months of year 2025, the oscillation of motivation has been real with you.

At the top of motivation season, you over estimate what you can achieve that week.

But you don’t measure what you have dropped down after past seasons of seasonal motivation jab. The number of start overs again and again.

Suppose this was sustained- even if one item out of a number.

You just under estimated what you can achieve over one year, two years, three years…even a decade with sustainable calculated small activities done consistently.

Else, pressure after pressure trying to reassure yourself.

Seasonal jabs of motivation has been you biggest undoing.

Looking back, I have been able to sustain this newsletter for the last close to a year.

My newsletter is one of the items that have become part of me. I no longer think twice if I am releasing two issues every month.

Now, it is becoming more noticeable and a number of my friends reaching out to ask how I am doing it.

I have met quite a number of my friends announcing their ‘’passionate project’’ they are pushing through.

I would swear I’d seen some other forms of projects from same people in recent past and again now pushing something else.

A small entrepreneur that wanted I coach them on how to grow their fast food business not more than six months ago, is now telling me about grocer they have identified and might do better. Another friend set out to brand her small business as a well known for great customer service. Activities wet out-two months later she talked of burn out and that she can’t sustain.

Do you have any momentum?

We keep admiring the people who seem unshakable- athletes that keep training after loss, entrepreneurs that keep shinning even after economy oscillation, calm people that don’t harass anyone and their way is always established.

This week I got struck by report about performance of one of the supermarket chain- Naivas. When the sounds are loud from one side of entrepreneurs about economy pain, this other side is huge winning within same economy. Some comments from average mind go like this – this is where Nakumatt (known fallen chain) was 10 years ago. I hope they don’t follow same path’’

Bullish Perfomance

What do you call that of Naivas? For me it’s clear- it’s understanding their momentum and living it daily beyond seasonal momentum jabs.

Everyday, whenever you carry around desires of what want achieved and you don’t have momentum to act on it daily from its smallest form, then it gets really heavier to carry around.

What starts like exciting jab of revelation – about what you need achieve- borne from one morning of motivation, fades away and become just, ‘’this thing needs to be done’’

I have had a number of occasions trapped in motivation jab. No momentum at all.

How do you build momentum?

I will cover that here down.

The art and indomitable displine

I have come to learn and seen it working even with my personal life – displined people don’t rely on motivation. Building habits that makes displine automatic, wins and crowns it all.

Sustaining displine is an art.

The power of displine is all what makes the flow of momentum sustainable.

Bringing the desire into real life – birthing desires to become living practice

I am now very clear, filtering those who will be able to sustain the coaching program on growing micro and small business, will be overly guided by commitment and displine.

Many desiring to grow business will never achieve it because they have no displine to sustain a momentum.

Their wishes will remain unborn children year in year out.

 To prepare business makers, I teach some 12 pillars of setting the foundation of business. One of them is business money.

When I engaged one of the most promising business maker on why his business money is not remaining in business – gives so many stories and finally mentioned - ‘’I think I also need to train my family to live within the means’’.

This came far later. To me, this person lacks displine of sticking to a decision and keeps varying. Their mental framework may never win. That business can never grow regardless of its inherent potential.

8 elements that trains on displine

i. Sticking to decisions that you make

ii. Managing energy and not time

iii. Training the mind before the body

iv. Learning to do boring routines with excellence

v. Differentiating your true identity from feelings

vi. Prioritizing systems above goals

vii. Mastering the art of saying no to non-priority issues

viii. Acting daily but thinking in years -long term version

 Wishes = Goals = Momentum = Displine = The flow = Winning

We all desire to win, to make profits, to have successful operations.

Creating winning flow has to start with clarity in your mind

Wishes – Dream as much as you can

Goals- Translate wishes into filtered goals that are realistic

Momentum – Design the activities that need to be done and formular of sustaining momentum in doing

Displine- Ensure that you don’t build a room to harbor excuses when things don’t go your way.

The flow – Actions become sustainable. Few actions that don’t build pressure but keeps flowing every day

Winning-Every one will only say how lucky you have become. They only see the iceberg in form of winning but can’t relate with the journey you have had creating the flow.

Conclusion

Very important to be charged by motivations and events that are happening.

Your world will however not move an inch without the flow that comes with displine.

Your weight will feel increasing heavy every day because wishes are not connecting to any flow. Your window is closing not because someone else is taking over but just because you might not keep up with frustrations of unmet wishes.

Creating a flow by just trying to hold on one element from the eight elements mentioned above, would definitely start you off to create a flow. May be will take you 6 months, 1 year 2 years…..But the flow you achieve will make you winner even during oscillating seasons.

I hope you achieve it and join winners taking businesses higher levels.

Mainly through creating awareness to you on framework of thinking.

That’s all and see you Saturday after one.

Gachoka

 —-

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship. My mission- Sharing for Growth. Over 5,000 reading this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs – Operations Improvement & Excellence. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers. See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials https://www.linkedin.com/feed/ and https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

If you have to keep applying the force to do it, you will lose. Definitely, you will.

This is going to be a long newsletter. Hope worth committing.

For most people, building readiness is another set of rolling on the bed when you are supposed to be sleeping. Wondering how they would be able to become ready.

The pain of laziness must outweigh the pain of becoming ready. It must outweigh the pain of dragging through with anything that’s just passing through yourself.

Very direct and clear – getting ready takes work. And no one would underestimate that.

But lazing around comes with lots of pain.

As I continue to push my understanding about how to succeed in entrepreneurship, I have come to realize there are so many silent and very successful business men and women.

One key thing very clear with them is that what has taken them where they are is ability to create fun on many aspects that keeps them ready. Great desire creating fun in doing hard things and on that point, they get massive insights.

The sure thing with yourself is that you are also already - ready

Your actions follows a certain preparation whether consciously or unconsciously

Your preparedness is always conditioned into your mind by your environment.

Your actions and identity therefore solidifies based on the environment

Readiness is a feature. It’s an identity  

 Therefore, you are always ready based on your pre-conditionment

You are ready to take up what you already identify with.

Someone who deeply identifies with being great manual work labourer ( after many years contracting plow and plant during different seasons) doesn’t have to force to pick up hoe every day for the next assignment on a rainy day.

That’s who they are. That’s their identity

A business person who picks Kshs 1,000,000 directly from business cash box and sends to vehicle dealer as a deposit for private use vehicle just because the dealer announced arrival of a new stock that is fancy, would do it again and again without pain even if it strains business survival.

Their goals are intertwined with no actual strong commitment for the business. That’s who they are.

In fact they would feel more pain by not practicing such recklessness.

That is intertwined with who they are – not because they were is locked like that from birth, but their conditionment don’t allow them see other way ( human feel threatened when their conditioned goals seem threatened)

The key thing is which is that goal you have that feels threatened

This is point where it becomes more interesting

A small business owner doesn’t have to force herself fetching business cash to pay merry go round that will mature 10 months later. A beer lover doesn’t force picking business money in the evening to pass by club for beer that otherwise can’t afford without business money. Someone who loves a phone game or a TV series doesn’t feel pain procrastinating their daily job to watch whole series or continue scrolling through mobile games.

These type of people, give them credit, they are arguably not lazy at all. They are just self- ready towards their conditioned goal.

Just being ready to persistently push for mediocre goal

For sure , this where most people are. And mainly those asking why is my business not growing. Where being ready for mediocre system is outweighing being ready for change. And I have mentioned above about dozens of silent men and women swimming in very successful businesses started and run for the last no more than 15 years (This is real witnessing I have gotten through our work of working with established business on Operations Improvement & Excellence.

Some one said ‘’Gachoka, these people seem flowing with easiness – no pain’’

Yes sure, for me developing deep insight on what to write about, targeting practical ways to write on and make you a better self to build business, is very comfortable. Not thinking deep is very boring for me. I can no longer pick doing business just for cash transactions. That’s how I did businesses when I was starting. Now it’s even very boring to discuss about it.

So when I meet many people ask how I manage to interplate business design and ability to grow- it’s the choice I made some years back and now I am always ready to see business in the form of their design and not in form of their bringing cash – very unsustainable approach.

More interesting

Your behaviours are intrinsically tied to who you are. Your identity. The identity you have worked to create.

If you, today, you can decide to join in- to understand this process, or re-engineer it, the next bang would be ability to achieve nearly impossible goals of growth.

Can you connect

The best laboratory is the pain you go through - stagnation of your business or life

Are you ready to set yourself on to your marks, get ready ?

Every day for you, seems same as last many more days – noticing huge weight of stagnation

May be more pain would still be required to push you out. Or you are ready for change and expose yourself to a different conditioning.

When I started coaching small and micro businesses for growth, I got like 10 owners. I created a calendar of structured calls of 30 mins once per week. Where someone would need some clarification, they could text me on WhatsApp and I would guide.

I realized the phase of awareness was done- 2 months into it- and now needed to hold each one of them accountable. All these was being done for FREE.

It became interesting – accountability phase.

Out of 10 only 4 were able to catch up with accountability. Their conditionment could not allow the rest get out of their comfort zones.

No keeping call time, no doing assignment on time, so many more excuse of why they don’t open business on time consistently and so on.

I am happy they are enjoying their comfort zone. Let’s hope pain will not push them to oblivion later into some few years.

With the rest 4 – my coaching program became better and better. The target is to make their business being able to generate over Kes 10M in annual revenue in two years.

Readiness isn’t built, it’s discovered

I have consistently been creating time for deep thoughtfulness last 9 months now

I have been writing fortnight newsletter last 10 months now

I have been enhancing small and micro business coaching last 8 months now

I have been attending sessions to be coached last 18 months now.

I have been doing weekly work out since Feb 2025

I have been reading books one every month since Dec 2024

Becoming ready for all the above, was never forthcoming. I fell off very many times, until I started the journey to discover my conditionment and identity.

These have delivered myself to so many great opportunities – just last 18 months combined.

What was hard to get ready for, is now hard not to do.

And these have been possible as a result of awareness of pain, changing my conditionment environment and DISCOVERY.

When you identify where you are is more painful than where you want to be – your readiness starts (awareness force)

Let’s set in some bullet form summary.

Are you ready ?

10 Ways to build readiness

 #1 – What is story about you

Are you an investor in your business or just employee ready to get cash and close the day. Until you obtain investor mentality, it will be hard to be ready

#2- Season of planting & harvesting

Understand your season. Your start up small & micro business cannot be at harvesting season. Be ready to plant, sacrifice and wait

#3-Master yourself

Build cognitive abilities for things that matters. Unlock your environment to see bigger things

#4- Design the business to become brand for the world

Build curiosity to see business designs that are for world. Many micro businesses are not designed in a way they can grow

#5- Leverage through cooperation and networks

List 100 people you want to network with coming year and start looking for them

#6- Continuous learning

You will become ready on the journey of your learning. Your commitment to learning is directly proportional to ability to be ready

#7 –Look long-term and strategic

Create mentality of long term vision. Where will you be in 10 years. Same micro problems. Learn to combine your everyday activities with strategic positioning. Like building friendships that will materialize in 2 years.

#8-Overcome Fragmentedness

See the whole picture. Even if you have small challenges today, what do you see the reality will be like in 5 yrs

#9- You have passion but build relevant activities

Build planner that pushes you to doing activities that yield results. Too much talking will not deliver anything. Be a doer. With activity planning you become better in creating quality activities

#10- Bottom line – Be open to coaching.

Abandon your ego. It’s not your fault that you don’t know. Be ready to be coached and shown what works. Your mind is powerful and will be very generous to pick up and enable you shorten the journey of growing business.

That was really very long piece. Hope it was worth.

Thank you my friend for your time

Gachoka

Ps

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship. My mission- Sharing for Growth. Over 5,000 reading this newsletter monthly.

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs – Operations Improvement & Excellence. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers.  See more: www.cygnus.co.ke

Founder & dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. Looking forward to impact over 1000 small business in 5 years. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials https://www.linkedin.com/feed/   and https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

It has been 11 yrs since I registered my first company legally. Reach Beyond Travels – Meant to do corporate taxi business.

Since then I have registered others like;

• Chaguo Fresh

• Pezuri Foods

• Libera Impex

• Libera Executive

• My Mum’s Orchard

• Powering House Transformative

Three years ago, I finally hit clear flow of how I really want to achieve my ambitions of becoming an entrepreneur.

But I’m by no means the most ambitious person. I have made tons of mistakes.

And happy for the lessons I have carried through. I am not rich yet (Smile)

My Mission is; Share for Growth

My Goal is; Activate huge potential lying in entrepreneurship

One thing that has been constant is that I am passionate about 3 industries

• Food

• Transport

• Training

So in this newsletter I want we have some candid discussion about one take home from all these.

When it comes to sustaining business idea, there is huge volatility both mentally and due to external influences.

Externally, turbulence of all sort of elements including customer preferences, government tarrifs, new entrants, capacity gaps and so on….

All benchmark indices turns volatile without your control.

These remains what you should expect now and in the future of entrepreneurship

The human being desire to take charge and be in control have created huge imbalance on the journey of many business people  and at same time trying to get the balance back.

Some things are just like that – you can’t rush them

When I started my first company, the biggest dose that created huge mess was the big drive to get results now and here.

To just get money and more money

Rushing and strains of poor quality thought process.

Building brings you to starting point when you think you have already departed

The biggest winning assumption

When market stumbles, stay calm

It isn’t day for panic

Our parents’ generation saw it happening many times in 1990

Same again in 2000

So, adopt assumptions that we will be okay too.

Market falling, recovering, gaining, losing, that’s how it all works

Do you have the muscle to refrain…

3 mistakes to note

1. Desire to get rich quick

I’ve seen first hand a lot of people wanting to get rich fast. I saw for myself too

And they unnecessarily complicate it

Working hard and staying invested for long term as you let your one shilling compound should be the new nugget of your mind.

It looks only one shilling but will convert big

I feel compounding is the secret that is right in the face and many people miss it.

2. Overlooking that which doesn’t shine

Many people in bid to get quick rich from their small businesses ignore traditional verified areas that looks boring

They don’t trust small growth of their money through items like sacco savings, shares and rush to break record with things like unverified money markets

Out right greed

Forgetting power of steady returns over time

Try staying invested in market and not chasing hot stocks

3. Lack of believe in Midas Touch (Golden touch)

This is all about believe system

Many micro businesses are just faithless in their existence

Owners miss the opportunity of improving because they don’t create the believe system of turning things to be best

The believe that resources will follow aspirations is always non existence

They take in any road side announcement as their definition of what will happen. Including- Government has said so and so, others regarding politicians are doing this or that and so on

When you build up right believe support system-you get courage.

Relationship with money will be redefined – That is getting freedom from money without defining your daily feeling

Sometimes you just need to slow down abit and your faith will anchor you.

So, how do you regain compounding from small effort applied consistently and in harmony

4 blocks to building compounding system

1. Create system for recurring activities

You ignore energy that goes into thinking. It takes mental energy to figure out what to do.

Therefore anything that you do so often same way, think how to create system of executing it without your energy

Many micro business makers gets obsessed with over busyness

That is pride in no value add. They hugely ignore their core role of thinking and quality one for that matter

2. Avoid pride of multitasking

Deep work is where the ground shift

Concentrating on one task for few hours create evolution

Lack of distraction creates rhythm and flow that is very powerful in results generation

If you are setting clients follow up – make it matter by concentrating on that one thing

3. Optimize your health

To optimize results of your small business, ensure you as the engine you are functioning optimally

Eating clean

Practicing clear thinking

Physical exercise for body strength

Rest and sleep well

Garbage in, garbage out

4. You don’t need perfection

Create system that guarantee small touch consistently. Your perfection will not overcome and it should not worry you

Consistently build awareness of right stuff and pick to it and focus long term of years and not just months

Commit into long game of building

There you go

Starting to see results of compound results that you don’t even feel like there is any effort that was put.

My friend, I hope this piece have helped some sort

Rekindling your journey and expanding the why.

When ready to walk the journey of growing business, check below how we can help

Much welcome to sign up to my free newsletter and be getting more articles right in your inbox.

Last Quarter of 2025 – Let’s finish strong

See you

--- Gachoka

 Ps

I am Gachoka Kang’ata (GK) very passionate about entrepreneurship. My mission- Sharing for Growth

MD at Cygnus Consulting – working with mid-sized businesses on Continuous Improvement (CI) Designs – Operations Improvement & Excellence. So far, Cygnus pride having worked with over 50 Owners and decision makers.  See more:  www.cygnus.co.ke

Dedicated coach of micro & small enterprises for growth. See more www.poweringhouse.com

Follow me on socials  https://www.linkedin.com/feed/   and https://x.com/CharlesGachoka

Since I joined entrepreneurship, I have had some of the most destabilizing feelings of my life. Some experience that I never thought would cool down.

The other day I got a book titled: The Man Who Refused to Fail. How 40 failed Businesses Became The Training Ground For A Million-Dollar Life.

 Could be, he has also had such feelings.

One very hot afternoon-specifically around 2.40pm in the year 2019- I received a call from an officer of National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) when I was driving and informed me with straight clarity that my newly licensed company PSV Management Company have been selected for license cancellation.

No much words but concluded with – ‘’come pick your letter’’

I had not managed to reach thresh hold of Public Service Vehicles required within stipulated time frame.

Getting that license was one of the pain toll order.

Behind the scenes I had already used up all the money I had and even taken loans to bring the process up to that far.

That was humiliating.

I never thought such season would ever leave me.

As time went on and upto today, I have had quite very deep experiences that have left me reflecting beyond.

When I need to reflect more deeply – I miss key sessions like Sunday Church summons to allow my mind have clarity.

Many incidences have brought myself to such.

I am not sure yet, if to define entrepreneurship with such.

When I grab control of my mind later, I find myself in onother state not imagined.

Status of great joy. That my mind is comprehending again.

After losing all money – I came to realise you can be 20 bob rich and find sence of belonging.

This is a very and highly summarized journey – details could be shocking.

This has brought me to conclusion that the ultimate goal is happiness.

You cant evolve out of anything else.

The Objections 

When I share such story, many indicate how it doesn’t relate and is not sustainable.

‘’That’s not an issue’’

Who cares ? You know what is greatest problem to have ? Business that is not working. You know onother terrible to have? Lack of money.

Most people find themselves stuck on mechanical problems that they think are more terrible and costing them all other things.

Are you really sure? – ‘’ They ask ‘’

The key thing is – You want to hear about the story, the experience and don’t want to know the human connection.

So what?

What objection say about us

Here is what objections really reveal: We’ve been brainwashed to really think that businesses are driven by mechanical touchable things and tools but your personality and human has nothing to do.

That every business success is dependent on being designed venture like, scalable in design and defensible against every possible future threat.

And because of that we have forgotten that every business is just that someone identified human problem to solve  and the other human will pay for happiness they will feel.

If their guess for happiness don’t come to pass, they will not buy again.

Example, greatest test of business maker – his or her philosophy about money, humanity, entrepreneurship models – nothing mechanical but soft human desires.

Suppose it is you, what leaves you with better sleep is when you feel simple things has happened perfectly; Like sending a well thought email, meeting a long time friend after many years and you agree to catch up soon and so on – all remaining incredibly simple.

And we keep dismissing that business is nothing out of that circle of happiness.

Whatever it is, you probably dismiss it because it feels so easy for you. Or too simple to become a force.

But for me when I received that call one hot afternoon, when my tolerance level had been scratched to bare surface, regaining that simple feeling of joy much later was world that meant everything.

Meant everything because I was able to regain and pivot afresh.

Here I am much better. But still working …

Your Move – 7 Mode

Instead of chasing the model of business growth (mechanical) try make happiness ultimate goal in this mode.

 #1 Accept yourself and expect you can do more

Start with self-compassion and acknowledge natural limits of your nature. Then seek to grow, stretch and push yourself outside comfort zones. Seek what you feel you do well, set new standards and start working on it.

#2 Avoid overly working making you procrastinator

When you get absorbed into your routine micro activities, you feel very well doing and overdoing them. This makes you keep procrastinating what really matters.

Set to continually reduce your routines and focus to redirect on few aims that matters most.

#3 Sustain every day simple routine because it matters more

Creating daily tasks and committing to it without distractions for most of days will reward more than picking on that one thing that seems huge.

This will attract power of displine and you will uncover more

#4 Create string voice of your believe system

You may be overly tempted to flow without creating a flaw. No disagreements and feeling need to fit in every space.

If your work will look like no one can disagree with it- it will be boring and won’t attract for the right reason

#5 Avoid perfection

The saying has it that everyone one might be interested with what you have. But you don’t see it.

Perfectionism as may be termed may plague you. But it is not perfection that is plaguing you.

It is anxiety. Work on your anxiety but keep your standards going up.

#6 You seek respect – don’t avoid to be noticed

The big worry of how people will see you when you ask them for attention is robbing you respect that you painfully seek.

Don’t pain for lack of anyone recognizing your effort. Solve one problem of letting your work be known. Push it consistently.

Majority already ignores you -that is not a threat again.

#7 Count failing as part of your program

Trying to avoid failure and not experiencing failure – then your life here on earth is not fully utilized.

By not experiencing failure, you are not trying hard enough.

Bottom line

You don’t need anyone’s permission to start enjoying the journey. Happiness is the ultimate goal sort for every day.

You don’t need to worry about when you will reach the mark line – every day becomes a joy as you build your business

You need to find one person who will walk with you – and that’s you.

The path walking with yourself becomes clearer and sweeter once you chose it and start off.

Thank you for increasing feedback about sharing my mind with you.

Feel happy to subscribe this newsletter here below.

See you next.

- Gachoka

Ps

Join over 20,000 eyes reading this newsletter and be getting it right in your inbox - Get it free, Discover Hadhi Yetu . www.poweringhouse.com

I am Charles Gachoka - CPA-K , MBA- C.O.O & Business Development at www.cygnus.co.ke . I am also the lead in Business Finance Operations consultancy portfolio. Cygnus prides working with over 50 owners and decision makers of mid-level businesses, helping bring out huge growth through Kaizen in Operation Excellence, Business Finance Operations, ESG & Strategy Deployment model (Hoshin Kanri).

Follow here for more https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

One offer rule - Done by only 5% - is working with that one thing that you are very sure and confident about to take you next level.

As I write this newsletter, I feel abit fatigued.

My last 10 days have been very congested. Back to back with activities.

70% of my time goes to business development and monitoring clients’ projects implementation on business excellence (Kaizen) projects under Cygnus Consulting. I am the person in charge of overall business and operation performance.

Cygnus is relatively start up. Target from board is to have done a revenue of 1B in 5 years. Good challenge that keeps me awake.

Fact that Cygnus is at level of startup – The founder started it in 2017, left it to someone else who dint manage to grow it. First Three years it was operational. The other Three years that followed, it was dormant. I joined in 2 years ago as Co-Director to grow it.

Mainly, I believed in skills and trust worthy of the Co- Director. He offered to coach me and help skill up in decision making at board and strategic level.

From past experience, losing alot of opportunities due to poor choice of the business partner, i am glad Cygnus is growing very rapidly due to right people right seat.

I also believed in the business that Cygnus does – Business Operation Excellence (Kaizen). I am always very motivated by the growth and impact we continually experience from our clients’ businesses when they implement Kaizen design.

Growing a start up is one of the most unique experience. You have got to see problems as opportunities. You are a creator all the time. When everyone else in the room is disillusioned by situations and hopeless about what next, you have to stand up and keep going.

Last 10 days, my activity planner happened to have back to back activities.

That is not how I like working because the other 30% of my time was not enough to create thoughtfulness that helps me follow through few things that keep me anchored.

That is a concern.

Coming days, i will try and declutter. Although activities were very productive, one thing I know is that such approach is not sustainable and I would not be productive in all other areas that matters to me.

Like researching and writing this newsletter, coaching small and micro businesses, joining dialogue club , some work outs and some few more.

Weekly and fortnight planner as a tool, matters a lot to me. Guides a lot of results I would get from the activities I involve myself.

Creates my compass for generating thoughts and follow them through down to actionable steps.

That’s enough about myself – however let me share snap shot of how my next week planner looks like.

Weekly Planner

Being the weekend, it is already 60% done- activities overflowing from last week.

By end of Sunday, 85% will be complete – the rest is left for adjustments that are unavoidable.

Soon I will write about simple creative tools that harvest you tonnes of value in productivity.

Good. There I am.

One Offer Rule (OOR)- Mastering way past survival

The late billionaire Charlie Munger shared his unique approach to financial success and longevity, emphasizing importance of avoiding convectional (generally accepted) pitfalls.

Mastering your way past survival- is about creating and understanding your workbook or template which you run on for your day today but with clear end in mind.

The end you intentionally want to see.

The work book or template need be far beyond mechanical tools like marketing effort, financial accounting, productivity systems and so on.

It is the inside template that blows you off and away from slippery steps that chains you and create down falls.

For Charlie Munger – simple and direct strategy.

He focused on steering clear standard and ordinary ways of falling and secondly being cautious in his decision making.

For Seven decades (70 Years) he lived in same modest home. He believed living extravagant often leads to dissatisfaction. To him, this was a playbook and template of avoiding standard way of falling. And he said, he avoided it a lot with all possible cautiousness.

One Offer Rule (OOR)  

Businesses that have one and clear offer to customers becomes very good in selling.

They are able to capture customers with deep loyalty

One offer rule is where you pick one or few key elements you believe in that gives compass of how you make decisions and react to issues

It designs your inner reasoning beyond physical tools.

Creating a play book like that of being cautious and avoiding things that looks standard or normal but leads to falling, can be termed as your one offer rule.

Majority of micro and small business makers are often flagged for being unable to filter areas they need to work in and the ones they need to ignore.

They are always entangled in world of excessive engagements with little or no value.

Always said, their world is clearly defined by a lot of wastages - from time, financial resources, business opportunities and many more. Lots and lots of wastage.

 Practical areas of One Offer Rule (OOR)

Assessing closely small gaps existing in your habits will start some communication to you;

Also accepting and realizing that avoiding standard pitfalls saves you from dissatisfaction

Such, is beyond the physical understanding. It is about becoming better from inside out.

Some practical areas of One Offer Rule (OOR) may include;

Spending habits – 

When someone else feels it good to buy a private jet, your joy may be in enjoying other simpler acquittances. Like nature and connecting with ordinary community.

Avoiding apparent risks, irrational scenarios, un seriousness in key elements –

These are areas that would be termed as insanity. Clearing away from insanity at all costs gives you more satisfaction than you may imagine. Insanity scenarios exists more often than you would imagine. This can also be termed as crazy scenarios. They exist more than you think. Avoid, avoid, avoid them at all costs.

Avoiding quick gains and lavish lifestyle –

Lavishness becomes a job to be done. It steals more energy than you are able to replenish. This steals you away from the center of creation and become a liability of yourself. End product, your focus shift completely.

Adopting practicality of One Offer Rule (OOR) – leads to building a playbook or template that becomes your guiding philosophy.

Drives your working ethics, decision making and life.

With practical examples given over there, avoiding convectional failure modes, caution in decision making, and avoiding extravagance and risky ventures may create play book asset that defines you and guarantees you mastery beyond survival.

When framework start channeling your way of doing things and mainly decision making, you can only build from one improvement to the other. You can only surprise yourself - read my newsletter on decision making framework

I write to bring you closer to your resources of deep etched reasoning abilities always forgotten and which can build empire for you.

I write to create some how - some flow with your self - interconnection - to make atleast, slightly above 50% of your being work as a whole one system that leverages on each other.

This flow will actualize if you adopt continuous build up - continous learning.

Until next one, thank you for your time.

-Gachoka-

Ps

Join over 20,000 eyes reading this newsletter and be getting it right in your inbox - Get it free, Discover Hadhi Yetu . www.poweringhouse.com

Transform your business money and operations within 3 months walk together. Book here https://cygnus-group.kit.com/kaizen

I am Charles Gachoka - CPA-K , MBA- C.O.O & Business Development at www.cygnus.co.ke . I am also the lead in Business Finance Operations consultancy portfolio. Cygnus prides working with over 50 owners and decision makers of mid-level businesses, helping bring out huge growth through Kaizen in Operation Excellence, Business Finance Operations, ESG & Strategy Deployment model (Hoshin Kanri).

Follow here for more https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

We may call this business decision making 3.0 – A map to enable you join the 5% established businesses and leave other 78% that remain small and micro businesses forever.

Since my first business- when I was in standard Six (so called during 8-4-4 system)- when I bought my first two chickens , both hens, I realized this was driven by intrinsic desire to have my money.

Having seen how my mum used to sell eggs from her few hens, I decided I must also join the league of having my money. Maybe not deciding – but subconscious influence

I wanted to become a force to reckon– just wishful thinking.

Looking back, this desire continues to drastically influence my life.

At the age of 13 years I managed to buy my first cow – 6 months old calf. This was after 2 years of very successful stint with poultry.

The whole of my secondary school life, which was a day school, I never lacked enough cash including supplementing my school fees from poultry farming.

By age 18 years, I had become obsessed with doing small business for money.

Then joined college, then university.

From age 22, I started enjoying monthly salary from Accounting career.

5 years into professional career and salaried employment, my mind had developed urge for big business considering I had witnessed big businesses from corporates I worked for.

Soon after I had to voluntary leave formal employment to start business. Internal pressure from my imaginations could not allow I sustain loyalty.

I knew it was time to leave for entrepreneurship.

Many theories emphasize that when you want to start a business, ensure you have a business plan.

They emphasize that running a business is about business plan

In this letter I want to synthesize every thing I have learned into a comprehensive roadmap that can help you navigate from the famous business planning to business road map.

Business roadmap is very different from business plan.

I plan to write this today using clear and natural language while simplifying the concept as best as I can.

Thank you for committing to flow with it.

I will leave you to internalize in your personalized way and critically think out of it

The interconnectedness of your mind, body and past foundations continue to play a lot of roles in any decision you make today.

It is very rare for any human to have self-profess that they are truly self – developed without aligning with other foundational forces – whether you recognize them or not.

Today let’s introduce business decision making 3.0

Model To Maximize Decision Making

Human interconnectivity can be described in following 4 forms;

Mind- Personal mental world. Your thoughts, emotions, beliefs and internal world. How you interpolate the world

Spirit- Collective mental world. Your relationship to your environment, community, culture, family, friends, colleagues and reality. Meaning and connection

Body- Personal physical world. Your behavior and appearances. How you feel the world interpolates you. Habits and actions

Vocation- Collective physical world. Your relationship to set system, structures and social institutions. Education, career, economy. How you contribute to society.

 This alignment is meant to illustrate you with bigger picture. Not to develop any action point, but just guideline to help you start understanding yourself in relation to how you respect frames or not.

If not, how much framed lifestyle continue influencing you without your knowledge and therefore pushes you many times outside your control horizons.

Once you understand this model, you can begin to understand beyond plans and reach into reality of road maps.

What is a business Roadmap?

A business roadmap is master plan that directs your big picture into actionable small steps.

Having goals, desires broken down and organized into projects and timelines that would then help you track progress realistically.

What is the difference between a road map and plan.

Many enterprise owners ask this question many times.

A roadmap defines the journey you will take to reach goals. Regardless how promising they are, without trace of activities, they are just wishes.

Imagine planning a wedding.

Before setting the day, you create a road map to show the spots you will accomplish and all mid milestones that need to be accomplished before D-Day.

Similarly, business road map helps you effectively plan your path to success. Adopting exact activities, you need perform, how you will be measuring progress and indicators you will be using.

This is totally different from business plan or wishes that only gives you essential information and strategies for running the business.

For most micro entrepreneurs, they only have such plan packed in powerful wishes house. It gives them convenience of making decisions randomly.

No accountability in tracking implementation and results.

 What are different types of business roadmaps ?

Roadmaps is about defining frameworks for making decisions.

A Strategic roadmap – Decision on long-term goal. Focuses on the big picture and overall direction you want your business to move in.

 A Project roadmap – Dictates the steps, tasks, and timeline for completing specific activity. Key milestones and deliverables.

A product roadmap – Building specific product or service the company want to deal with. Outlines features and improvements

A Marketing roadmap – Customer acquisition initiatives and targets . May include defining your route to customer – social media, building referral system, promotions.

In my coaching of small and micro enterprises for growth, I have seen these roadmaps working very well.

Mainly it is about creating framework that define how your decision-making flows.

How do you create a roadmap?

Repeating again, creating road map is about moving from deceitful convenience of making decisions randomly to aligning a thought process towards predictable results

These safes your energy.

Yield cumulative value.

 It is slow but sure.

This is how to create –

1. Identify problem and define the solution

2. Define short and long-term desires or business goals

3. Break the goals down into manageable steps

4. Outline specific tasks and milestones to monitor

5. Set realistic timelines when expected to accomplish activities

6. Understand what is needed to undertake the activities including any constraints

7. Take a deep visualization of that road map

8. Create short term activity plan -weekly, fortnight, monthly, quarterly

9. Set review timelines and keep adjusting accordingly

In my coaching for micro business, the phase of creating weekly planner seems very automatic.

However, this has revealed that many business makers operate freelance convenience and therefore more than 50% of their time and energy don’t go to business they so wish to grow.

It is scattered all over activities that don’t matter – weddings, burials, groups. Then you wonder, what really matters.

As an owner of small and micro business – road map helps get clear glance of what matters, what is priority and what need your attention.

At end of year, you will definitely be way past those who seem genius of doing lots and lots of activities because they are never harmonized.

When you start by creating sketch road map, your brain will filter and dump ideas towards predictable things like;

· Things you need finish this month

· Project you are currently working on and their timelines

· Long term goals within the year

· Future areas to keep in mind and keep following

· Success to celebrate

Once you create roadmap to guide decision making- you will have blue print to realise your small business dreams

Good you remember, each small baby steps, will lead to magical and greater things if you stay on course.

I hope this was not long unnecessarily.

That’s enough for now.

If you have enjoyed this, keep checking our other more free guides for growing your small and micro business.

 -Gachoka-

Ps

Join over 20,000 eyes reading this newsletter and be getting it right in your inbox - Get it free, Discover Hadhi Yetu . www.poweringhouse.com

Transform your business money and operations within 3 months walk together. Book here https://cygnus-group.kit.com/kaizen

I am Charles Gachoka - CPA-K , MBA- C.O.O & Business Development at www.cygnus.co.ke . I am also the lead in Business Finance Operations consultancy portfolio. Cygnus prides working with over 50 owners and decision makers of mid-level businesses, helping bring out huge growth through Kaizen in Operation Excellence, Business Finance Operations, ESG & Strategy Deployment model (Hoshin Kanri).

Follow here for more https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

If you started and are running a small enterprise or anyone else trying to start it, the bottom line is, you are trying to make it work. If you are not, you probably have something that works for you or you are wasting time and probably you should be employed.

The journey of how many businesses started is as wild as a ranged Buffalo.

It started one day when my job was cut short through organization restructuring. I needed something to pay my bills on the go. Another one would say how after finishing school dint have anything to do and just decided to start cooking mandazis for selling to the neighbors.

These stories have formed foundations upon which many running their businesses remained stuck on it.

The thing is, most businesses started as a hustle, have been able to unlock and become fully established making revenue of 100M in a year.

Glorified goals of running a hustle.

However over 78% of businesses are small and micro. Not by design because only 5% manage to grow to established and sustainable businesses. The level at which founder enjoys dividend and freedom that comes with entrepreneurship.

Most of people running small businesses have nothing special to offer. How they view universe of business and how they view customers preferences and why they come to serve them. It is just addiction to their personal stories of why they started the business and remain emotional about it forever.

And just like other players in business making, throughout history, they will always get replaced. Even brands coming from all over other world joins them in territories they have mastered for years, only in the wrong way, and whole new customer preferences are pushed by those ‘’foreign’’ businesses and expand deeply from there.

The good thing is that 99% of these small businesses are just not competitor to anyone. They just get worried of each other as competitors, but there is no real competition there.

It is because they don’t follow any design.

Customers want someone who understand them. Their preferences, their conveniences, infrastructures that make them achieve buying better.

The most important thing in your small business - Design

The feeling of conquering hustle has conquered many instead.

The desire to keep up channeling many activities at the same time creates feeling that business is running and working out.

These has costed many their lifetime effort – retiring hustling with no guarded progress that can even sustain you in retirement.

Let’s break this down. The call to design your small business in readiness to start growth journey. I will try to make sense out of each as best I can, followed by practical things you can try at your level.

Your business design shapes what you can improve from one level to the other. The way you filter what matters, which goes to influence the decisions you make, which circles back to mastering few with highest return and finally brings out real spirit of entrepreneurship – starting business to grow it.

When you master the design and script you run your business – you become a curator. Adopt your rhythm.

And that’s just it !!

Plus you aren’t born with any interest. You are persuaded of their importance and they become of interest to you. This is how I have been writing about every business is scalable and it is getting great traction.

Not able to stick and build up business design is a fundamental issue.

What is in business design

Designing business can take as many elements as possible.

I would want to pick up some 6 key of them.

 i. Value proposition & Business Universe

 ii. Route to customer & Customer acquisition infrastructure

 iii. Customer journey

 iv. Business Finance

 v. Performance monitoring & Key Performance Indicators

 vi. Personal growth and mental preparedness

 Value proposition & Business Universe

Success mechanism of business comes from unwritten rule of what is that you are trying to fill in the heart of customer.

You may not get it right but you must commit into learning it as you move forward. It will become clearer and clearer.

This will take you next level of understanding the breadth of how many people are interested with that value you are pushing.

This starts to define road for business that will stagnate compared to the one that will take off.

Human being have something animals don’t have -creative imaginations. They are always looking into something that makes them feel good beyond the product.

Most successful business leaders are those that keeps provoking their creative imaginations.

 Route to customer & Customer acquisition infrastructure

Many who are in businesses have used huge chunk of energy creating & manufacturing manipulations that would create attention. Driven by deep believe that customer follows attention.

Customers are looking for deep connections. Authenticity.

Route to customer is that route that will help you connect with customer in most trusted way.

A care taker is more trusted by a single middle-class lady than yourself in a suit. You may create path through care taker.

Envisioning these – then imagine them deeply and create a web of different routes.

Creating the sales infrastructure is about being clear on what you want to tell customers when trust is assured.

Do you have clear product description may be in a note? Do you have way of how they will pay with convenience?

Building something original comes down to pattern recognition and curating it to have a path

Customer Journey

When all your engagements in business is deeply tied to survival, you miss to notice that customer takes note of every touch points they encounter in your business.

Customer journey is the encounter of your customers from initial engagement until when they say thank you for service received.

This is when you cement your relationship with customers.

Marketers stipulate that 70% customers comes from happy customers.

You have no choice in how you handle customers. Have you defined touch points that customer experiences special care – Maybe turn around time of being served, fair prices and many more

Small business have been defined by owners level of thirst for money – mostly defined by owners level of personal bills. Therefore if 20 customers are enough to pay bills, that is it. That define their whole universe.

Business Finance

For every shilling you generate from running the business – it need have clear accountability flow.

Which pocket received it, which pocket kept it, who decided how to use it, was it used for that purpose – on all these points how is it creating value to business.

Many situation arise and business money get lost in uses that are not related to business at all – this is stealing from business.

Without any clear accountability process, biased human point of view give all manner of reasons to control business money.

Fundamentals you have about money drive and dictate a lot about lifestyle you will have with money- same with your believe system about life.

It becomes lens on how you interpret importance of business money.

This will become your true north during your entrepreneurship journey.

Worthwhile to note customer loves associating with business they see is also growing

I made a presentation on unlocking business potential from understanding money framework - Get it here

 Performance monitoring & Key Performance Indicators

When you run a business that you love, your inclination to check on how it is doing moves from casual to scientific. Your effort of building that business moves from non targeted to targeted areas of improvement.

This can only become real if you have identified indicators that gives you feedback about how the business is doing. These indicators need not be relevant at start but as you build up the review system, you are able to refine these indicators.

Head counts you serve, gender distribution, how much income you get from one head.

Your energy picks up. More conviction. More clarity. People start noticing you are driven by clarity. They start relying more on your business to meet their need for service or good.

Building the interest on this means a lot. Starting it is equally very important without looking much into how you are doing it -Clarity will definitely fill in.

Personal growth and mental preparedness

The simple act of thinking about what you do and you don’t want it, every single day , slowly creates a point of view.

Then you start becoming clear. You start building desire of following your decisions and the impact they have created.

That interest circles back to create momentum of refreshed person, making better decisions and improving on the go.

This simple system forms great foundation of refreshing your mind as you build up the business.

Refreshing your mind is the thing.

The journey to creating business is long term. Anything else is fire fighting to survive onother one day.

When you get long term perspective, you create foundation to enable you keep refreshing the mind without losing yourself – it is possible to lose yourself more often.

You dont need to stick with all elements of business design so that you feel you are in control. One at a time is enough.

But you will definitely grow and shift from hustle to established business.

I hope this letter was of help.

Thank you

Gachoka

Ps

Join over 20,000 eyes reading this newsletter and be getting it right in your inbox - Get it free, Discover Hadhi Yetu . www.poweringhouse.com

Transform your business money and operations within 3 months walk together. Book here https://cygnus-group.kit.com/kaizen

I am Charles Gachoka - CPA-K , MBA- C.O.O & Business Development at www.cygnus.co.ke . I am also the lead in Business Finance Operations consultancy portfolio. Cygnus prides working with over 50 owners and decision makers of mid-level businesses, helping bring out huge growth through Kaizen in Operation Excellence, Business Finance Operations, ESG & Strategy Deployment model (Hoshin Kanri).

Follow here for more https://www.linkedin.com/feed/