Biz Lounge: How I raised funding for my driving school and plans for success

When Ann Njenga launched Silverwood Driving School in April 2021 within Nakuru city centre, the journey was far from smooth.

After facing early business challenges, she made the bold decision to rebrand in January 2023 which was a turning point.

“I was motivated to start a driving school because I saw a gap and an opportunity in the market, and I decided to venture into it,” says Ann. 

Her passion for driving traces back to her childhood in Timboroa, Uasin Gishu County, before her family relocated to Nakuru in 2007. 

She fondly remembers watching her father’s confident handling of his pickup truck, which was backed by her husband when he taught her how to drive. 

“My husband taught me how to drive. I remember one time, immediately after I got my driver’s license, he put an L sticker on his car, handed me the keys, and said, ‘Drive us home.’ I was nervous and excited, especially because it was a manual transmission. With a lot of patience, he guided me, and that’s how my driving journey began,” she recalls.

Ann credits her husband as her greatest inspiration for joining the transport industry. “He has supported me all through this journey, and I owe my success to him,” she says. 

To bring her vision to life, she borrowed a loan of Sh. 600,000 from a Sacco and combined it with her Sh. 400,000 personal savings.

“The School started with only one vehicle and one instructor. Today, it operates with two NTSA-approved instructors and two vehicles, with plans to grow the team. I am also mentoring a woman who will undergo NTSA training soon,” she adds.

Ann notes that the first year tested her resilience, with just three students enrolling in the first month. “We relied heavily on marketing to attract students,” Ann explains. 

Currently, the school offers Class B training in both manual and automatic transmission and plans to expand into Class C vehicle categories.

She notes that currently, about 60 percent of the students are from the Gen Z age group. Notably, there is a growing trend of women enrolling for driving lessons.

Ann however admits the challenges are still there, “We have had students drop out due to fee challenges because of the hard economic times.” 

Additionally, rising fuel prices and high maintenance costs for training vehicles have also cut into profits, making it difficult to sustain operations without overburdening students.

Currently operating from one branch, Ann has her sights set on growth. “In the next five years, I want to have more branches, reach more people, and mentor more women in this male-dominated field,” she says.

For Ann, owning and running a driving school as a woman in Nakuru is deeply fulfilling, bringing a sense of pride in inspiring other women business owners and joy in seeing them succeed.

Her advice to young women aspiring to join entrepreneurship is clear; “Start. Put that idea into practice. Invest in a good chamaa, Sacco, or bank so that you can borrow if needed. Have business mentors, learn from them, and do a lot of research. And remember a journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step.”