Keithen Muvira, a former professional basketball player in China, returned to Kenya in 2020 and started a new venture importing smartphones from China. He bought the devices for around Sh8,000 each and sold them for Sh22,000, making a profit but lacking a sense of community. Muvira, a sociable person, yearned for a business that would allow him to build relationships with his clients. His experience in China had taught him the importance of networking, and he wanted to apply this in Kenya.
In 2022, Muvira began offering nutrition coaching, leveraging his training in the field. He clarified that he is a nutrition coach, not a nutritionist, focusing on building habits and making lifestyle adjustments. Muvira noticed a gap in the market, with many people exercising without a clear understanding of nutrition and its role in their fitness goals. He started coaching clients for free, and within three months, he had 42 clients. This success led him to consider opening a gym, where he could consolidate his clients and track their progress.
Muvira partnered with a colleague to open his first gym, using the money from his coaching clients to buy equipment from a supplier in China. Over a year, he sent the dealer Sh1.2 million. However, they had not secured a physical location, and finding a floor in Kilimani proved challenging due to high rent prices. After three months, they found a small, windowless space on Wood Avenue in Kilimani, with a monthly rent of Sh150,000 and one month's deposit. Muvira shipped the equipment from China, incurring a shipping cost of Sh400,000.
The gym opened in June 2024, with 60 clients. For the first four months, the business seemed to be working, generating Sh4.8 million monthly against expenses of Sh2 million. However, a dispute with his investor arose over pricing, with Muvira wanting to raise the monthly fee to Sh20,000 due to higher costs. The investor favoured lowering the fee to attract more clients, which led to a dip in monthly revenue of around Sh500,000.
By February this year, Muvira had left the business and returned to working with his clients directly. He began searching for a new space in April and found one in late August, with a rent budget of Sh300,000 a month. His third gym is being installed in Kilimani, with an estimated full investment of Sh7.5 million and a target monthly revenue of Sh1.5 million.
Muvira's strategy for his new gym remains focused on building a community first. He believes that in a service business, the real asset is the relationship with the customer. "The business is the people," he says. "You can have everything, but if you don't have clients, what do you have?" His experience has taught him the importance of fostering strong relationships with his clients.
Muvira's journey serves as a lesson for entrepreneurs, highlighting the significance of community building and relationships in business. His new gym is expected to cater to the growing demand for fitness services in Nairobi's Kilimani area. With a solid plan in place, Muvira is optimistic about the future of his business.
Key points
- Keithen Muvira's business journey from professional basketball to building a multi-million-shilling gym business in Kenya.
- Muvira's emphasis on building a community first in his business.
- The challenges faced by Muvira, including a dispute with an investor and finding a suitable location for his gym.
