Boardroom Chat with Vimal Shah

Soko Directory brings you the Boardroom Chat where the Who is Who in the world of business, entrepreneurship, industrialization as well as innovation tackles pertinent issues in the world of economy today.

Who is really Vimal Shah and what keeps him going on and on without ceasing?

Vimal Shah is a hardworking person who, the vocabulary ‘give up’ long lost meaning, a businessman, an entrepreneur as well as an industrialist in Kenya and he is the Chief Executive Officer of Bidco Africa which is a business conglomerate in the manufacturing of edible oil, detergents, soaps, margarine as well as baking powder, most products that were, are, and will still be a household name in Kenya and around East Africa.

This is a man who has mentored young successful entrepreneurs around the globe and this is often evident with the overwhelming number of young entrepreneurs who always mill around him looking for advice and an opportunity as well as just wanting to know what makes this man tick? What makes him to always stand out and a force to always reckon with in the world of business?

Vimal Shah’s story begun many years ago when he was only 22 years old and just out of the university and decided to venture into the business world by joining the family garment manufacturing business where he imported cotton and made garments that were then exported as African Prints to Europe.

What really motivates Vimal Shah? Is it money? “No.” He says. What motivates him is the spirit to always want to make a difference not only in the business world but in the society as a whole and his greatest believe is that money is not a motivation though to some extent it motivates someone for a certain time and when someone’s basic needs are met, then money becomes irrelevant as a motivator. According to him, every individual is like a torch, a torch that only needs for a button to be pressed and all shall be well to any aspiring entrepreneur.

“People think that I am a foreigner. They often think that I am not a Kenyan. But I am a Kenyan who was born in Kenya, went to school in Kenya right from primary to University. I have made it while in Kenya and everybody else can make it,” he said with a wide smile during an interview.

“I have come to realize that many young entrepreneurs do not believe in themselves and, therefore, I have taken it upon myself to make sure that I arouse the leader inside every other human being and make them know that they can achieve in whatever they intend to do,” he added.

As an entrepreneur, whether upcoming or already established, one should never give up of the course of wanting to attain every bit of success. Giving up along the way is what is killing many dreams in Africa according to Vimal Shah. He says that sometimes people work so hard to achieve something and give up when they are just about to succeed. What has kept him going is that he never quits. Once he embarks on something, he makes sure that he sees it to the end and his joy is always seeing the completion of everything that he has started. “Not everybody likes it when you succeed. There are some who will make themselves busy in making sure that they divert your attention from the divine call of success. Do not mind such people. As they are busy trying to bring you down, you make yourself busy in achieving your goals. That will make them mad.” Vimal Shah says.

Always start with whatever you have and seek assistance later. He notes that one of the greatest challenges for entrepreneurs is the access to finances but most of them always think that you just have to start and be at the top. No. A journey of a thousand miles always begins with one step and one has to always begin from somewhere. Entrepreneurship is like a journey, there are hills and valleys along the way, only those with the zeal and the power to want to go on and on make it to the end.

Always make sure that your customers are satisfied. You cannot make it in business without the customers. Vimal Shah cited that Bidco has been successful because of the establishment of a strong brand that is as a result of servicing and satisfying the needs of the customers with the products and services that are always different from the rest. In other words, one has to always strive to be unique and learn how to claim what he calls authenticity as well as expression in a common market place that is currently very competitive and above all this, communication is very key.

Vimal Shah says that for an entrepreneur to make it, he or she should always aspire to be number one in every sector that one purposes to take part in. in other words, one should be himself or herself and never try to imitate anyone because imitation is limitation and if one strives to imitate others in the world of business, the best such an individual can be is to be number two and never number one. One also has to always make sure that his or her business remains relevant in the market and this is achieved through carrying out research on what has changed, what your customers need changed and what is on the market.

The Boardroom Chat continues.