Companies &Industries

THINKING BIG

Penny wise at WaterWise

Brothers make it big with waterless car-washing service in Dubai. Now they want to swim in the African market
BY AAMERA JIWAJI

ets face it. The cleanliness of your car matters. It says as much about you as the condition of your shoes: whether you are giving a colleague a ride to a meeting, attending an evening cocktail or waving to a client who is stuck alongside in trac on the highway. But do you know that each car wash costs an average of 140 litres of water. And with perennial water shortages, it is dicult to wash the car every day. It is no surprise then that Kenyan born Rishi Kohli, 35, and his younger brother Sanuj Kohli, 26, have developed a waterless technology to clean cars. Branded WaterWise, they launched the product in Dubai early 2010, a desert country where water is proverbially more valuable than gold, and plan to introduce it to the Kenyan market early next year. Their motto is, It should not cost the earth to wash your car. The business started with a loan from their father. Getting nance then and now is still very dicult unless you want to pay high borrowing rates. Banks do not lend to start-ups and are very non-supportive, Rishi told The National, a daily published in Abu Dhabi. The initial plan was to sell the product to car wash operators, he said, but with the reluctance we encountered in the market, it became evident that the only way was to start up the service section of the business. Today, they say WaterWise controls 20% of the UAE car-wash market, and around 40% of the Dubai market. It counts among its clientele three malls, several hotels, including the tallest tower in the world (Burj Khalifa), residential buildings, and corporate headquarters. The business has also grown in size from ve
| Nairobi Business Monthly October

How does WaterWise work?

WaterWise is a waterless car-washing product that cleans shines and protects a vehicle. 1. Spray the surface of the car lightly with the product. 2. Spread with a soft micro bre cloth. 3. Wipe o and bu.

employees to 45 as at mid 2012, and is worth approximately $200,000 (Sh16.8 million). Based on their success in the last two years in the Dubai market, the brothers have become bullish. From the waterless car wash business, they hope to develop a waterless product for window cleaning and a robotic window cleaning system for skyscrapers. But in many ways the Dubai market remains a testing ground for their products and business strategy, as the brothers plan to bring the business to Kenya. We have currently run some tests for some car wash companies in Kenya, and are in the process of launching an operation with them, said Sanuj with a cheeky smile, who plans to tie up with Kenyan corporations and oer them a service that will double as a corporate social responsibility project. They also intend to launch waterless urinals in safari camps and company buildings in Kenya and Tanzania. With their experience in Dubai, they know that the greatest hurdle will be over-

INNOVATION

Firm blends ICT with marketing A

Above: Rishi and Sanuj Kohli, co-directors of WaterWise. Left: The brothers with their SME Business Advisor-Green Business of the Year Award in 2010.

coming the mindset that many Kenyans still operate under: ignorance about the scarcity of natural resources, and the need for conservation. We will have to educate and show the benets and make our customers understand, said Rishi. I recently met someone in Nairobi who said we have househelp so why do we have to worry about getting a car washed in a mall or gas station. And there is plenty of water in Kenya. This shocked me and Sanuj as Kenya is often hit by a water shortages. What we would have wanted was someone to say lets buy one of your home kits and I can get my househelp to wash the car with it, since six cars washed with our product saves one tonne of water! Their experience in Dubai, like any other market, has offered its lessons. Dubai can have a lot of red tape in business, explained

parallel is often drawn between starting a business and having a baby, with the suggestion that if something goes wrong at inception, nothing good will result. For the one year that Almasi Marketing Solutions has been in operation as an IT and marketing company, Thomas Mucheru has deed many challenges. He describes his business as an IT and marketing company where SMEs learn how to incorporate the latest IT trends into their marketing functions. They ensure that return on ICT investment is quick by ensuring that SMEs get the most out of their tools of trade. The problem with most SMEs is the waste of ICT resources, which we ensure are put to good use, says Mr Mucheru. The main growth channel for Almasi are the contacts its employees have generated for more than a decade in the media and fast-moving consumer goods industries. Mr Mucheru says word-of-mouth and social media bring them better business. There is one thing that is irreplaceable and that is contacts, he says. In Kenya the number of businesses that have reliable information either on the web or any other widely available publications are few. So if you want accurate, up-to-date and relevant information you will have to hit the pavements. He cites lack of capital and slow internet speeds as challenges. The biggest chal-

lenge, however, has been clients who are afraid to change systems they feel are not working. But we have learned to appreciate that some changes have to be gradual thus, we come up with long-term plans that we carry out in phases to build condence gradually. More often than not it is the decision makers in organisations who are still averse to change, Mr Mucheru says, especially where they have to spend money. They need to realise that expenditure on ICT is an investment and not a cost. Therefore the need for companies like Almasi that will guide you on the shortest path of return for your investment. These attitudes are the biggest hindrance to Kenya realizing its full IT potential, he says. By Victor Adar

Rishi. It is more multi-cultured and so new cleaning methods can be culturally sensitive or not easy to be persuaded upon, but thats part of the educating process, he said with a shrug. On the plus side, we have a cash business and controlling cash through our car washing technicians is easier in Dubai (due to the stringent laws) while the turnover of sta is low since all sta are under one companys visa. This encourages loyalty. The versatility of their product has meant that the brothers have created a service that is suitable for any country that has a similar climate

to Dubai such as the Gulf, India and now Africa. Rishi oers strong words of advice to any start-up. You have to invest time into any business and, more importantly, give it time. Many people expect immediate results but there is never a quick result and when you face challenges or problems, there is never a quick x. But the greatest advantage, which they readily admit to, is that as brothers working together on a business venture, they share a common goal. You learn from one another. It is easier to bounce ideas of your brother than it would be to an outsider.
October Nairobi Business Monthly |