Travel enthusiasts build multi-million shilling company from their hobby

By EDITH FORTUNATE efortunate@ke.nationmedia.com Posted Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 02:00

Source: Daily Nation, Money Feature http://www.nation.co.ke/Features/money/-/435440/1679382/-/xbnhy7z/-/index.html

Six years ago, a couple joined the social media craze, creating a network of friends, poking others, and even sharing pictures of the captivating places they had visited.

Being young, Simon Kabu and his wife Sarah took up sightseeing to quench their desire for adventure.

The couple’s travels got even more exciting in 2008 when they started inviting friends to join them on their excursions.

“Every time we organized something, it would turn out so well that our friends decided to leave the planning to us whenever there was an event or getaway,” Mr Kabu, 37, told Money.

Soon, their fascinating wild tours slated for holidays like Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Christmas attracted many friends.

In 2008, the group started sharing its experiences on the Kazi Afrika blog.

“Our passion for traveling enabled us get a lot of fans, many of whom opted to pay for our services and I remember sitting down with my wife and asking ourselves, why not? This seems to be a good business venture,” says the former marketing executive

They decided to promote domestic tourism through the blog, first because their services were cheap after the 2007/08 post-election violence and also as an effort to boost the country’s tourism industry, which had taken a dip following the troubles.

Their efforts gave birth to Bonfire Adventures and Events Limited, which is run by a team of 15 tourism professionals who are knowledgeable about the Kenyan tour and travel industry.

Mr Kabu says the team is committed to ensuring personalized and impeccable services to customers.

“We used social media to market ourselves and our pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+, where we had our first (virtual) office before getting space at a friend’s premises. Our start-up capital was less than Sh20,000,” says Mr Kabu.

The initial capital was used to buy a desk, a chair, and a telephone which was used for marketing on social media platforms.

“The advantage we had was that we went into an untapped market and were dealing with locals. Many people were surprised that they could actually enjoy sceneries in the country at an affordable rate.”

The couple’s aim at the time was to change the perception that only foreign tourists can tour the country and enjoy its beauty.

“But before we set up Bonfire, we had to experience every hotel and all the major tourist attraction sites in Kenya before selling them to our clients. We also visit at least five countries in one year to discover and experience new holiday destinations for our clients.

“Being strong believers of happy marriages, we are passionate about romantic getaways, honeymoon packages, wedding anniversaries, unique engagement proposals, and glamorous wedding destinations. We usually go out of our way to ensure that couples get experiences that are out of this world to spice up their marriages,” he says.

Mr Kabu says marriage packages are the most popular because of their uniqueness.

“What also helped us gain popularity were our clients’ referrals. They would tell their friends about their experiences and people came in droves. It is amazing that we have now grown to become a big corporate.”

He adds that it is rewarding to offer good services, especially when building a new business.

“We like bringing people from different cultures and backgrounds together because travel has the power to unite and improve people’s understanding of each other. It also has great potential to improve the economic welfare of the world’s poorest populations by providing new sources of income.”

The company ensures that Kenyans are on the move touring different areas and during low season, it gets an average of 550 clients a month. During high season, the numbers soar.

Bonfire employs a large staff and its monthly turnover ranges between Sh5 million and Sh10 million, depending on the season.

The company’s short-term goal, Mr Kabu says, is to ensure that it is the most preferred travel company.

“Making Kenyans appreciate Kenya as a tourism destination proved to be a challenge, but we won’t stop until domestic tourism has been appreciated.

“My long-term goal is that Bonfire opens office across the globe. I know my dream will come true because before we set up Bonfire, little was known about domestic tourism apart from the traditional destinations of Mombasa and Malindi,” he says.

The company, he says, strives to create a positive impact through the trips it organizes.

“We try to meet this goal by creating itineraries that allow clients to experience the local culture through sampling their food, festivals, activities, and cultural sites.”

The firm also facilitates tourists who want to help local communities.

Bonfire owns five tour vans and two Land Cruisers.

“When demand is high, we hire more vehicles, especially during the August and December holidays and also when people are getting married and the number of couples seeking honeymoon services is high.”

All the Bonfire Adventures employees are experienced travel professionals and ensure that customers get the best travel package at competitive rates.

“We check on our clients even when they are on holiday to ensure that everything is working out fine. This way, we are able to offer them a splendid service,” he says.

“Social media has helped a lot since most clients come back and upload photos of their adventure, share their experiences, and talk about our services. We want to retain this culture and improve to offer the best service,” says Mr Kabu.

Hope this Couple’s story challenges you to stir your entrepreneurial spirit. Some of the most successful businesses were started on simple ideas, led by passion and interest. Read more on start-ups in the next post.