This archive report was first published on 22 June 2020.
From Stay-at-Home Mum to Transcription Entrepreneur: Frida Mwangi's Journey ¶
When Frida Mwangi's children started attending school, she found herself with free time on her hands. A stay-at-home mum, she wanted to work but was determined not to take up an eight-to-five job.
After a month of research, Frida discovered online transcription work and decided to give it a try. She connected with a Facebook community in Kenya and learned the basics of transcription from a tutorial provided by one of the community members.
By 2015, Frida was working as a top-rated transcriber on a global freelancing market space. She continued to work on her skills and eventually built a website for her own online company, Kazi Remote, in 2017.
With her website, Frida's customer base expanded to include academics, market research companies, and law firms in Kenya. She also attracted clients from Europe, Canada, and the United States, some of whom required transcription services in Kiswahili.
Initially, Frida charged clients Sh1,000 per hour of recorded work, but her rates increased to Sh6,000 or Sh10,000 per hour as she gained more experience and worked with business companies.
However, working from home came with its own set of challenges, including visitors dropping by her house, thinking she was free with nothing to do. Frida eventually managed to resolve this issue as family and friends began taking her work seriously.
Despite the challenges, Frida's effort was rewarded in 2018 when she was listed among the Business Daily 40 under 40 Women. She notes that online work is a viable career option, and people should be intentional about their career path and learn new skills to succeed.
According to Frida, one reason transcription is not established in Kenya is because it is not included in the country's laws, unlike in the West where there are laws ensuring that videos and audios are transcribed for accessibility.
By creating her website, Frida was able to increase her customer base and attract clients from around the world. Her story serves as an inspiration to others who may be considering online work as a career option.
