In Summary;
• Allan Kili is 37 years old
• He is a family man
•He is a trained journalist and a PR practitioner
• He founded his company Deezall Infrasol Ltd. in 2017
• His first business was in 2020
• In 2022, he was nominated for the Founder of the Year Awards Africa, Most promising over 30 founder
Interview by; John Kipchirchir
When the world went into a lockdown in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Allan Kili was reinventing himself. During this period, he was given compulsory unpaid leave by his employer.
It is this push that forced him to rethink his career as an employee. He opted to operationalize his company which he had already registered back in 2017.
That is how he finally found himself in the world of business.
Allan says that it was while he was on the unpaid leave that he landed his first contract worth ksh. 3 Million to supply office furnitures to a government agency and it is when all the magic began.
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| Allan Kili, Founder and CEO, Deezall Infrasol Ltd. an office solutions company based in Nairobi's Kilimani area (photo courtesy Allan Kili on Facebook) |
So, who exactly is Allan Kili?
I am a father, a philanthropist and a business man. Some of these titles I acquired recently in life. A good example is the 'business man' title. Upto three years ago, I had been an employee of various companies in the city, I had dedicated my life to see to it that I grow in my career in the corporate world as an employee. However, circumstances changed and I found myself on the other side of the business world as an employer.
What were the circumstances that pushed you to business?
I am a trained journalist. I hold a diploma in mass communication and a degree in Public relations. I practiced in the media world for about a year. That was back in 2011. I moved on because the pace of growth in the sector was quite slow.
I joined Office Technologies Company, then moved to Copycat company for two years. The company supplies office equipment including copiers to its clients. That is actually where I began an interest in office solutions business.
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| A conference table delivered and assembled by Deezall Infrasol Ltd |
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| An employee of Deezall Infrasol assembling a conference table at one of their client’s company |
Afterwads, I moved back to Office Technologies company, which also deals in offering office solutions to its clients. While there I rose through the ranks to become a sales manager. This company played a great role in shaping the person I am today. I got to learn the business and management aspect of running a successful company.
My boss was also quite supportive. She has actually been supportive even after I moved on from her company. To date, she is one of my greatest supplier and mentor. She sometimes just calls to know how business is going on.
How was the transition from an employee to a businessman? Was it easy?
I can't say it has been easy. Running a startup has its fair share of challenges. I mean, as an employee you don't have to really worry about the company. However, when you are the owner, you worry about a lot of things. You worry about the bottom line, you worry about your employees and their welfare, basically you worry about everything.
The other thing is that you have to be present always. In business schools, students are told that one can separate a company from self. However, that is not the case for startups. Here you have to give it your all to ensure that it survives. You really have to be there for your business. It is satisfying seeing it grow.
As a supplier of office furniture and other office solutions, do you manufacture or import your goods?
It all depends on the specific needs of the client. However, for most of the furniture we source them locally. We have partnered with local artisans who do great work especially in wood and steel works. Our clients in the private sector prefer locally manufactured goods because we can customise the furniture to suit their small office spaces.
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| Locally manufactured work station by Deezall Infrasol Ltd |
Importation is our last option. I am a believer in the buy Kenya build Kenya mantra. We import when we can not source the product locally, or when the client insists on a certain solution.
You know, apart from supplying office furniture, our company also does branding and office supplies, ICT and networking, climate control and offering security solutions for businesses.
Who is your biggest client?
The government is. Through AGPO, we have been able to do business with governmental agencies. When you provide the AGPO certificate, most agencies will be able to do business with you without requiring many documentation of proof. I laud the government for initiating this program.
The Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) was introduced to enable young entrepreneurs register and do business with the government. It stands as a guarantee. Through it, we have been able to build our portfolio and can now compete with bigger firms for governmental and non govermental agencies businesses.
Some of the clients we have worked with include; KRA, privatisation Commission, Dedan Kimathi University, University of Nairobi, National Treasury, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, UN, Redcross among others.
It has been a great learning opportunity business wise.
How big is your company?
It is fairly big. We have seen our business grow through out the years. We can attribute this to our strong values of being customer centric. We pride ourselves in our outstanding service. That explains that we have repeat customers. We are projecting further growth over the coming years.
Do you have mentors?
Yes I do. My Dad is my number one mentor. He is an astute corporate leader and has been at the forefront in ensuring that I become a successful man.
My former boss is also my greatest mentor. She checks in on my business. Like I said earlier, she is currently also my biggest supplier.
What has your business journey taught you?
It has taught me the virtue of patience. In business you have to be patient. There are no shortcuts. You have to work hard to ensure that your clients' needs are met. In business, you can wake up broke and in the course of the day seal a deal worth millions. You can also wake up with millions in your account and go to sleep broke. It is all part of the matrix that makes it interesting.
I've also learned that the entrepreneurship journey is quite a lonely one. It is however, quite interesting. There's no room for giving up even at your lowest.
What are some of the challenges you face as a businessman?
Capital tops the list. Getting financing is a toll order. Most banks are afraid to deal with startups making it hard for them to survive in this competitive markets. In my company for example our source of capital include; credit lines from suppliers, own generated revenue, our networks including friends and family and friendly Microfinance companies.
Sometimes dealing with local suppliers especially in the Jua kali sector can be a challenge. You can give them an order and they deliver substandard merchandise. Just the other day, a jua kali supplier of mine did some work for me and delievered the merchandise to the client as I had instructed. They were all rejected for failing to meet the standards set by the client. We had to return the items. This left a financial dent on my part. Can you imagine what would have happened if I didn't have capital to rescue the situation?
Getting business is also a challenge. Due to the economic situation in the counry, most organizations are limiting their expenditure. Our business being a support service faces the greatest challenge. Everytime government orders austerity measures, our line of business gets affected severely.
Tell us about A-Kili Foundation
My family runs the foundation. I am one of the trustees of this foundation. We finance it through partnerships with well wishers, donors and our family contribution. The Foundation focuses on having a self reliant, educated and empowered community. We also have a rehabilitation centre run by the foundation. We believe in second chances, through rehabilitation and empowerment we are able to offer our clients with life skills that they can use to earn a living.
In my own capacity, I am mentoring future business owners. Some of the employees in my company have already registered their businesses. My aim is to mentor them on how to run their businesses.
In the coming days, I will be looking into partnership with like minded individuals and organizations to better our society.
Where do you see yourself in the next decade?
I want to build a business that will stand the test of time. I am working to build a legacy, something that will have an impact in the country and the region at large. In ten years, I want to have gotten there.
The fact that in 2022 I was nominated for the Founder of the Year Awards Africa, in the most promising over 30 founder category shows that whatever it is we are doing is impacful. I will ride on the momentum to further stretch the limits.
Any advise to the youth venturing into business?
Trust the process. Owning a business is a fulfilling endeavour and is a full time work. You don't wake up one day and become successful. You have to toil, you have to sweat, and slowly you'll get where you want to be.
The other thing I can tell them is that they need to be open minded. Be cognizant to the realities on the ground. Business is dynamic. You have to listen to what the client wants and be able to deliver to their satisfaction.
You can find Deezall Infrasol on their website www.deezallinfrasol.co.ke or on Facebook Deezall Infrasol Ltd
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