Kenya - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

We will bring the convenience of a one stop schools' shopping platform for boarding high school parents/ students as we help mitigate the menace of students shipping in drugs and other illegal substances disguised as back to school shopping.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

It is an online marketplace, B2S Kenya, accessible at https://backtoschool.co.ke, a startup which has pioneered a one stop marketplace/ online schools' shopping and delivery to school platform to address the problem. B2S caters for the unique needs of boarding high school students by bringing all their back to school requirements to a single marketplace/ online store, hence providing the ease and convenience of ordering all back to school requirements and delivery to school on back to school day, all while preventing the sneaking in of drugs and other unwarranted things disguised as back to school shopping. B2S is the only one stop e commerce store that offers an order and delivery to school system for all back to school requirements in Kenya and the greater Eastern Africa region where boarding high schools are also prevalent.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

The Back To School problem. There is a lot of commotion and hassle observed during back to school seasons as parents and students, especially from boarding high schools flock countless retail stores for the various different back to school requirements. This leads to a lot of inconveniences including time wastage as they are required to travel far and wide to their respective institutions making the whole back to school experience daunting, which also includes the task of carrying bulks/ loads of goods as the learners travel to their institutions. The problem is a concern since this unique, unrepresented group of parents/ high school learners have to endure going from store to store on back to school days to secure all the diverse back to school products, leading to a lot of inconveniences, time wastage/ delay of students getting to school, hence the need for a one stop online store offering all back to school requirements including delivery to school on back to school day.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

B2S is the only one stop marketplace/ ecommerce store that brings all back to school requirements to a single store saving parents and students the time and hassle of going to the various scattered stores offering the different back to school requirements as well as delivery of the products to their respective institutions on the back to school days. B2S also offers seamless school shopping during the school terms hence parents don't have to travel all the way to their children's schools to deliver products that are not available in the tuck shops and canteens in the schools. Parents, our ultimate paying customers will have the satisfaction of knowing that their children's shopping will have no prohibited items disguised as back to school shopping being shipped into school, aiding in the fight against drug sneaking in and indulgence among this group.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

The ideal customers are parents/ guardians to high school students who are the ultimate buyers of the back to school/ school term items to their kids in the boarding high schools. Many a time the parents/ guardians are the ones who have the ultimate financial capacity to support and facilitate the shopping for their kids. Students attending boarding high schools can also do their shopping for themselves in the case where the guardians give them the finances to do that as they report back to school or even during the school term since some products they use are not readily available in the tuck shops harbored in those institutions. This group of parents and students is the one mostly impacted by the back to school problem of going to stores scattered wide apart in their attempt to source for the different back to school requirements found in different stores as well as carrying them far and wide across the country to school.

01.05 When was your company established?

2021-06-24

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

2

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

1

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

The team comprises a group of competent youthful people who best understand and relate with our target market group of high school learners whom we are in constant interaction with on a weekly basis since myself and one of the members are high school rugby coaches. We have perfect information concerning this group as well and are always visiting them for our engagements as we market the B2S product in the process as well.

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://backtoschool.co.ke/

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

h) IT (digital services, equipment and software)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

B2S Kenya has contributed to the goal of no poverty by creating jobs and hence employment and other opportunities for the society which has helped to income generation both directly and indirectly to a lot of associated parties. This has greatly contributed improved living standards therefore reducing the poverty level among a significant group.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

With the contribution by B2S of enabling those associated both directly and indirectly get access to some form of income through creation of employment opportunities, hunger is also combated. The income earned can be used by the various individuals to access food and nutrition hence mitigating and eradicating hunger.

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

Through the income generating function of B2S, individuals hired both directly and indirectly are able to afford food and nutrition as well as access to good medical care which will immensely contribute to good health and well being on their part.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

One of the critical back to school problems B2S is aiming to mitigate and eventually curb is the menace of shipping in drugs and other disallowed items disguised as back to school shopping by this group of students as they report back to school. Through B2S the parents and school administrators will have the privilege of knowing no disallowed items as well as drugs are sneaked into school as this is the place most teenagers are inducted into the vice of indulgence. This ensures these institutions are drug free zones conducive for learning which contributes to the promotion of quality education.

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

B2S is an inclusive and unbiased company that strives to balance its team to create a welcoming and accommodating working environment in line with promoting gender equality and opportunities for all.

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

We are working tirelessly on a campaign and promotion for sanitary towels for our female clientele as we are on the look out for partners and donors to realize this objective. This will greatly contribute to the

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

B2S has created decent work through employment opportunities as well as other income generating opportunities available to the society which in tern contributes to sustainable economic growth.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

B2S Kenya is an innovative startup that has pioneered the first and only exclusive schools' shopping platform that provides a convenient order and delivery to school system serving parents and students of boarding high schools who have to go from store to store for the various back to school requirements as well as travel far across counties to their schools. B2S also provides in term school shopping hence saving parents and students the trouble of getting products not provided by the little tuck shops at school.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

4

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

2

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

B2S Kenya is a frontrunner when it comes to championing and campaigning for environmental conservation to reduce the effects of green house gases through our tree planting activities in our target market of schools with a goal to plant at least 2000 trees in each school. Through this climate action activity we hope to combat the adverse effect of excess green house gases by engaging this youthful group in the much crucial activity.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

B2S has formed a number of crucial partnerships with relevant organizations with whom our mission aligns with at an attempt to best serve our group and society at large.

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

6

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

5

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.08 Justification for my startup

The product is an online marketplace/ ecommerce store that is exclusively targeting boarding high school going students, hence it's pioneering the online schools shopping and delivery to school system as we hope to become a market disrupter in that space. The service is the first and only one of its kind customized for that group addressing a critical problem/ need in dire need of solving

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Our competitors are retail brick and mortar stores from which students do their shopping as they are going back to school. These include shops and supermarkets that could be very far from both home and school making the whole shopping experience very daunting and tedious. We are currently the pioneers of an online back to school platform or service and hence have no other existing entity bringing that problem solution forth and we have an edge over other entities in that we deliver to their institutions directly. The shopping can also be done via USSD on a feature phone. We enjoy great bulk discounts during the back to school season hence our pricing is exclusively and very student friendly. We are the leading one stop shop offering back to school solutions in one click of a button.

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Yes I am. I have embraced the role of a mentor to my team having assembled a strong diverse youthful team that I have led diligently as we try to work b2s to great heights. Among the founders we also have a female party whose contribution has been invaluable.