Image: Instagram
Famed luxury cakes baker and entrepreneur Maxwell Mwamburi has a few words of advice for small business owners; dead the culture of giving freebies to celebrities and public figures!
The CEO of Maxwell Cake House strongly feels this does more harm than good to your business half the time and endorses the idea that celebrities are above other people and deserve special treatment.
"A Quick PSA to all my fellow business owners out there! NEVER EVER give your services for free to celebrities, politicians, public figures, or leaders all in exchange for exposure, or IG mentions!" started off the largely sought-after pastry boss on his Instagram page.
Maxwell who also goes by the moniker Maxinie revealed that he'd never known freebies were a culture until he came to Nairobi.
The baker maintained while operating his pastry shop from Mombasa his clients used to pay the stated price without asking for freebies in exchange of promoting him.
"When I was doing business in Mombasa I had never known about that! It was introduced to me when I was in Nairobi, and boy was I not head over heels giving my cakes for free left, right, Centre!!!!!" maintained Maxwell.
"In Nairobi, a lot of these celebrities I did my services for free in exchange for exposure usually resulted to either losses, cheap followers who mostly can't afford my craft coz they were mainly following the celebrity for tea, or drama! Don't accept that BS!" Maxine advised urging other small business owners to learn from his mistakes.
He went on to emphasize pricing your craft according to your worth factoring in everything, time included.
"Charge accordingly to the worth and value of your services. Your target clients will pay when they know the value of your product or service!!!!!
I'm from having a very heated conversation with my accountant this weekend for losing over 250,000/- ever since opening in Nairobi, in exchange for exposure and mentions!
Take it from me my fellow entrepreneurs! Also to content creators, influencers, socialites, artists, y'all will forever remain underlooked, underpaid, overused, and paid peanuts all in the pursuit of looking "booked & busy
It's only in Kenya where brands will send you PR products to influencers for free in exchange for exposure or mentions!" said Maxwell.
Maxwell finished off by encouraging people to pay for sponsored adverts because at least that was money you could track and account for.
"I tried that BS when I came out and Boy, these notorious business owners are always on the look out to see who's gonna trend next week to send them free products to market for them!
A lot of y'all go to events for free, with poor outfits, bad make up, all in exchange for exposure, mentions and to be seen working with brands while you're starving at home with debts and arrears! This culture has to stop!
It's either all influencers know your worth or brands develop a budget for creators and influencers!. This free services for tags and mentions BS is out of date!. This Dead End culture has to stop!!
Every person should pay full price for services offered to them whether celebrities or not!!!!
To business owners, better sponsor your Ads! That's money you can account for and you will see the impact of results than giving out services for free and get followers from Laikipia and Runyenjes!!!" the last of his post read.
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