Welcome to our inspiring interview with Gedion Yego, a successful entrepreneur hailing from Kenya. Gedion is the proud owner of a General shop that sells both food items and nonfood stuff at retail and wholesale prices. Taking over the family business in 2021, Gedion embarked on a journey of discovery, learning the ropes of entrepreneurship along the way. In November 2022, he discovered Loyverse POS, a game-changing point-of-sale system that revolutionized the way he manages his business. Join us as Gedion shares his experience with Loyverse, its impact on his business, and his valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking to make their mark in the retail industry.

What type of business are you running and in which country are you operating?

I am Gedion Yego and I am from Kenya. I am running a shopping mall, wholesale and retail. We are dealing with mostly foodstuff, but we are selling other types of items as well. 

When did you start your business?

The business has been running for quite some time. It is kind of a family business. I took over the management of the business in 2021. 

When I finished my studies, I didn’t know exactly what it meant to be an entrepreneur. It was by chance that I took over the family business, and now I operate it and learn more about entrepreneurship during this process. I plan to expand the store in the future and turn it into a big supermarket, and if possible open other branches as well not only in my local area but in other places as well. 

Did you implement Loyverse in your store or was it already being used before you took over the management?

We started using Loyverse POS in our store in November 2022. I was interested in finding the best point-of-sale solution for my store. I went to the Google Play store and tested several apps. I came across the Loyverse POS app, it looked interesting, and after testing it resulted to be an amazing app. Since the moment I downloaded and started testing it, I never stopped using the software, and I am using it today. 

What made the Loyverse POS app stand out from the other point-of-sales system that you tested before it?

I liked and appreciated that Loyverse is a simple-to-use and understand app that offers such powerful tools to use for business management. I found in your app the exact features that I wanted for my store. Other points of sales that I tried were very complicated, and I failed to operate them correctly. 

When searching for your point of sale system, was Inventory Management one of the features that you required to be included in the system?

Yes, when I got the system, I subscribed to all the add-ons, including the Advanced Inventory, and I tried all the features. I understood that the free inventory features were enough for my retail shop at this stage of the business. I have activated the track stock option for my items and added the initial stock which gets deducted after each sale. I use the Loyverse Dashboard app to get push notifications every time an item goes out of stock or low in stock. I really like this feature because it indicates in real time what items are missing from my store so I can restock them. It is an amazing and very useful feature, and most importantly, it is available for free. 

Have you added your employees to the system?

Yes, I am using the Employee Management subscription to create a profile for my employee in the account. 

Did you have a hard time training your employee to use the Loyverse POS system?

It is not difficult at all. I just showed once the employee how to use the point-of-sale app, and he embraces it immediately. It was very easy for him to understand the process. 

I have assigned him a role with specific access rights so that the employee cannot see all the information I can see. He has access rights to the POS to make sales, but he cannot edit information or see the Back Office. 

Have you created a customer base and activated a Loyalty program for your customers?

Yes, of course. This is one of my favorite features of Loyverse. I have registered almost all of my customers in my Loyverse account, who visit my shop frequently. They have been earning loyalty points from their purchases. Customers have really embraced this feature, they feel appreciated when they earn bonus points and can get discounts for their next purchases. This has been a feature that has boosted my business. It has transformed my store. Before, I used to have a small number of customers. But, since I implemented Loyverse and started using the Loyalty program, the daily sales have increased. I am really grateful and want to thank the Loyverse team for this feature. 

How would you describe your experience with Loyverse's customer support? Have they been responsive and helpful in resolving any issues or answering your queries?

I have not found any difficulties using the Loyverse support chat. Whenever I have some difficulties, issues or problems, I have raised the issue, and it has been resolved in a very short period of time. That helps me to progress well with my business. 

What features or functionalities would you like to see added or improved in Loyverse to further enhance your retail business operations?

There is a popular mode of payment in Kenya called M-pesa. It allows customers to pay for their goods directly from their phone. If Loyverse could be integrated with this system, it would be very helpful for my business. 

Is there any advice or words of wisdom you would like to share with aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start their own retail business?

I take this opportunity to encourage any entrepreneur, especially the youth that in this digital age, there is much more than we can do as youth. With the kind of support and digital systems such as Loyverse, it really makes the business to be much easier. If one starts the business and implements such systems as Loyverse, one will grow, and the business will progress well, you will develop more and get more customers. By doing so, you will develop yourself and transform the life of others as well.