Innovator beats odds to thrive on gas meters

At 29, Gilbert Maina is an entrepreneur who thrives on simple ideas and solutions. Mr Maina is the winner of the 2011 Next Big Thing competition. It is an annual competition put together by the Nation Media Group, Kenyatta University and Enablis.

His winning idea was a gas meter dubbed Gasimita. It is an innovative product that monitors the use and level of gas in a cylinder. The gadget is attached to a gas regulator and uses a colour range of red, yellow and green to indicate the gas level.

Gasimita became the flagship of Mainway Alternative Solutions Limited (Masco), a company Mr Maina set up in December 2010. After his idea was transformed into an innovative gadget, Mr Maina left his position as head of cash in Equity Bank, Mombasa, and returned to Nairobi in February 2011.

“It was the next natural step in advancing the idea,” he said.

Lack of capital and a ready market did not deter Mr Maina. He was optimistic that being the competition’s winner would be the ticket to obtaining start-up capital without difficulty.

Already two financiers, Vision 2030 and TBL Mirror Fund, had expressed interest in funding the idea. He approached them but he was not successful in obtaining financing from either of them.

“They both turned me down for one reason: they could not finance a product which was still in the research and development (R&D) phase. They wanted a prototype,” he said. “Up until here it was nothing but a winning idea. I needed financing to move from R&D to production.”

Mr Maina went back to the drawing board, keen to finance the manufacturing of at least 10,000 units of the Gasimita.

“I used my personal savings first. Then, approached family and friends. My parents and one uncle were willing to assist. Then, I invited a friend to buy shares of the company to become a director. Some friends I approached understandably turned me down,” he said.

Mr Maina raised $15,000 (Sh1.5 million) for his start-up capital. “Despite a small deficit, I went ahead to production.”

He travelled to Chaoyang District, China, to meet manufacturers. A language barrier meant that he had to learn Mandarin, one of the seven Chinese dialects.

“This was an uphill task considering how quickly I had to learn to speak and write the language.”

Back home, Mr Maina required certification from Kenya Bureau of Standards, Kenya Industrial Property Institute and other local regulators before he could sell the product.
“The requirements were a nightmare. It was made worse because I did not anticipate their length and rigor. My patience was tested severally.”

Masco made its first gasimita sale in April 2012. The unit was sold to a friend who had followed Mr Maina closely since he pitched his idea.

“It was a moment of immense joy and disbelief. The triumph and satisfaction of seeing the product move full cycle, from a simple idea to production and sale, was unbelievable. I was overcome with a deep sense of humility and pride, both at the same time.”

Mr Maina was excited as each of the 380 units was sold. Turnover hit the Sh400,000 mark in the April to December 2012 period. However, Mr Maina felt there were some technical aspects of the product that needed to be improved before the next batch was distributed.

“The first quarter of 2013 saw us slowing down advertising and marketing strategy. As a result, the company was not able to break even.”

“I keep the team out in the field so I have only the products to compete with for space in the office. My office doubles up as a store,” he said between laughs. In a bid to manage operating costs, Mr Maina slashed his own salary.

“The initial arrangement was to have me on a retainer, plus a commission based on sales. This would have strained the company financially,” he said.

He also enrolled for an executive degree in management. “I needed to sharpen my management edge. I must admit that juggling the two has not been easy.”

Despite the hurdles, Mr Maina has not regretted his decision to become a full-time entrepreneur.

“My business gives me fulfilment. Being self-employed also means cultivating self-discipline and effective habits fit for the influential role I play in the company.”

Competitors

But achieving success is defined by ethical limits. “I would never apply the scheming ways of some of my competitors. Someone distributed counterfeit gas meters under my name and almost succeeded in ruining my market in Tanzania,” he said.

Mr Maina is inspired by entrepreneurs such as Chris Kirubi and James Mwangi. Closer home is his father, Charles Mwangi, is an entrepreneur.

His business strategy is to continue providing simple solutions to ordinary problems.

“As an entrepreneur, I desire to contribute to the society and economy through innovative ideas. Profitability and growth will come as a consequence. I would also like to make it to the coveted list of African movers and shakers.”

"Gasimita affirmed that the most effective solution is often the simplest,” he said. “Simple ideas beget simple solutions.”