SHE MEANS BUSINESS| From intrapreneur to entrepreneur: Angela Ambitho’s 20-year journey building Infotrak

She Means Business sat down with Ambitho for an interview to reflect on her 20-year journey building Infotrak, a research and consultancy firm, the highs and lows, and what the future holds for her and the business.

On the challenges of growing the business, Ambitho says that while the issue of financing was a factor – getting it and managing it properly to ensure the business stays afloat – another big issue was the “Eurocentric” mindset of many Kenyans have.

Ambitho reflected on how some organisations were initially unwilling to give Infotrak business because it is locally owned and there is an inaccurate perception that products and services from abroad are better than homegrown ones.

She gave an example of something as simple as clothing, and how many Kenyans feel proud to say they bought their clothes from abroad, rather than locally.

The same thinking, Ambitho said, applied to the procurement of services in her field of research and consulting, where some believe that contracting foreign firms equates to getting better quality, yet local firms understand the terrain better.

On the work Infotrak is doing, Ambitho said that although many have associated the firm with opinion polls, and that was somewhat by design for the firm, the service forms a small chunk of what makes up its revenues, with market research being a key pillar for the firm.

When it comes to unwinding, Ambitho says taking up boxing has had many benefits for her, so much so that she brought in her trainer and introduced it as one of the activities for her staff do for physical and mental fitness.

For more on Ambitho’s business journey, watch the full episode of She Means Business.