In an era where formal employment is increasingly scarce, financial freedom requires moving beyond a single source of income.
Serial entrepreneur Maureen Orango, who commands a portfolio of seven distinct businesses, said during a recent Co-operative Bank’s Ignite Youth Forum hosted by Violetta Ngina that moving past a single trade opens unlimited opportunities.
Ms. Orango manages enterprises spanning end-to-end event management, transport, logistics, interior design, and construction.
While many young people believe launching a business requires millions of shillings in seed capital, Ms. Orango dismissed the idea as a comforting illusion.
During a youth financial masterclass aimed at training students, employees, and young entrepreneurs on business diversification and unlocking multi-stream income, she traced her current big portfolio back to a single sample bottle of perfume.
“I started when I was very young and in high school,” Ms. Orango said. “We had an uncle’s friend who worked at the airport, and we used to get small sample perfumes. On visiting days, I would spray my fellow classmates at 20 shillings. It didn’t have a business plan. But it worked. It taught me that I had a business mindset.”
Ms. Orango grew quite fast after high school, and college.
