Thursday 5 January 2012

How Equity Bank Ruined the Mattress Business.



Dogs are known for their acute sense of smell. Dogs are also very good at saving, I am sure you don’t get why I say dogs are good at saving. Let me put it this way, you have seen dogs bury a bone, basically what the dog is doing is saving for a rainy day or maybe the dog is trying to grow meat. They say that necessity is the mother of invention and that imitation is the best form of flattery. After thousands of years of watching dogs save food under the soil man decided it would also be prudent to bury his money for security and there was born the first form of banking. Unfortunately man does not have a good sense of smell and a lot of time man would not find his money’s grave or somebody else found it. To solve this problem man discovered that he could hide his money where he slept, there came in the mattress.

 Let me put it this way, you have seen dogs bury a bone, basically what the dog is doing is saving for a rainy day or maybe the dog is trying to grow meat...After thousands of years of watching dogs save food under the soil man decided it would also be prudent to bury his money for security and there was born the first form of banking. Unfortunately man does not have a good sense of smell and a lot of time man would not find his money’s "grave" or somebody else found it.

For a long time people saved their money in their mattresses. Unfortunately, men share their beds a lot of the time, especially with women. Women tend to find things that men hide, things like money, pornography and even side dishes. Back then mattresses never used to last as people made all manner of holes in them to save money and believe me; a lot of money was stuffed away in beds. A lot of times things disappeared in the mattresses because of “bedbugs”, you know what I mean.

Finally there was an answer to all these problems, Equity Bank. There it was a bank for the masses of mattress savers. This brought a lot of distress to mattress manufacturers like Bobmill, Supafoam and Vitafoam.

Equity bank had dared to do what nobody else in the banking industry had dared to do. Equity bank ventured to bank those who other banks thought were unviable. When every other bank was rushing to the big urban centers, Equity bank was opening branches in rural shopping centers. Equity was going for those nobody else wanted. Equity set out on a noble venture to give every Kenyan a Bank account. They waived charges, they remained open when other banks closed for lunch, and they closed at 5pm when everybody else closed at 3 pm. Equity bank opened on Saturday when every other bank was closed. This made them different and because of this they won people over.

Equity empowered the small Kenyan in a way he had never been empowered before. For the first time ever the small Kenyan could get a small loan for their business. Equity bank gave the small enterprise a chance to thrive. Equity bank changed the banking industry for good. Today No bank closes during lunch hour. Today no bank closes on Saturday. Thanks to Equity banks like Barclays have opened doors to even the small Kenyan who was once shunned at Barclays. Equity bank is a Kenyan success story that has won critical acclaim world all over. To me James Mwangi is a hero. James Mwangi has been feted world all over. His achievements have been spectacular.

Equity bank is proof of how enterprises can change lives. Equity made it possible for millions to get a service that had long been a preserve of the affluent. Equity bank has shown that it is possible for Kenyans to aspire and to attain. Equity bank is proof that world class success is possible in Kenya. Equity is in the same breadth with companies like Toyota that made it possible for the masses to get high quality vehicles at reasonably fair prices. Equity is at the same level with companies like Apple which made it possible for individuals to experience computers in their homes. Equity is like Netscape which made it possible for ordinary people to use the internet. Equity bank is a testimony of innovation, a beacon of commitment and an epicenter of diligence. I am proud to be a client of Equity bank because it’s Kenyan. It is my most admired company in Kenya.

Sunday 1 January 2012

Its New Year's!!

I thought of this during new year's eve 2011. I have a lot to be grateful for.Calender 2011 was a fruitful year; I met a lot of wonderful people and learnt so much. I will always remember 2011 as the year that made a huge difference to the way I live my life. I think 2011 was the year that changed the way I look at life so fundamentally. In 2011 I learnt to see the glass as half full and not half empty and that has meant a huge difference. As the Calendar for 2011 ends, I am grateful.

  I want to appreciate the numerous friends who faithfully read this blog everyday and contribute their views without failure. I would like to appreciate people like Bettie Ngugi...Frank Oenga, aka Daktari frank alias Magnate Df,...Charles Kariuki or Koki....Ken (fattie)... Boaz Bett...and “Click here” also called Richard.

I cannot close 2011 without appreciating people who have made a great impact to my life. This is for the numerous friends who have contributed a great deal to my life. I want to appreciate the numerous friends who faithfully read this blog everyday and contribute their views without failure. I would like to appreciate people like Bettie Ngugi my number one fan for always encouraging and supporting me. I would like to appreciate Frank Oenga, aka Daktari frank alias Magnate Df, he has been an enduring supporter and his contributions have always been constructive. I would also like to appreciate Charles Kariuki or Koki for always helping me with his laptop to write and edit most of my posts. I could not forget to Mention Brenda for being a keen follower of my blog and Ken (fattie) for encouraging me to start this blog and for helping me with the technical stuff. Then there is Boaz Bett for always reading and giving me honest feedback, I couldn’t also forget “Click here” also called Richard. I must say he is the most linguistically refined and eloquent person you will ever meet. There are many people whom I would like to mention but I cannot at this juncture. Nevertheless they should know that I do recognize their contributions and I honour their friendship.

I am glad that 2011 ended well. We ought to be grateful for finishing the year in one piece. A lot could have gone wrong but for most of us it didn’t. We should be grateful to be whole. I must nevertheless lament the things that went wrong in 2011. First it is the numerous road accidents. Kenyans are a reckless lot on the road and it is imperative that we take remedial steps to rectify the perennial problem of road carnage. It is time Kenyans became more responsible and careful on the roads. I should mention the appalling road habits of motorcyclists. Motorbike accidents are especially rampant and severe in their effect. In the 2009 census it was determined Kenya has more than 2 million disabled people, this is not out of birth defects, Its  a result of road accidents. That should give you a picture of the cost of road accidents.

Let me stop with the gloomy talk and wish you a happy and prosperous 2012. God bless you and God bless Kenya.