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Arnold Omondi is director of his own sound company, providing sound equipment and engineering services to numerous gigs all over the city every year. From two speakers, a mixer and two mics, Hype Sounds Entertainment has grown into an outfit with the capability to handle huge events with multiple requirements. Never mind that Arnold is only 23, and his area of academic expertise is theology, in which he has a diploma. 
Some people have an in-born desire for business, while others go into it out of necessity. Arnold firmly belongs in the former category. He explains:
“I’ve always had a vision to do my own thing. Even when I was employed, I was always saving up, until I had enough to get me started. I figured that I could certainly do something with the little I have. ”
That happened in 2006, when he finally decided to set up Hype Sounds with the capital he’d saved up. But his decision, as is often the case, did not go down well with his parents. In their estimation, a more prudent course of action would have been to get ‘professional’ employment, something that would guarantee job security. In the end, persistence won them over, and he was able to rely on them through those first difficult days.
The first thing Arnold embarked on in deciding to start up was to go after the knowledge that was required to handle the business. “I wasn’t a sound engineer”, he recalls. “I had to spend time at church, learning from the sound team and nurturing my knowledge. I also had to struggle to get information, pay for courses, just so that I’d have a better understanding of what I was getting into.”
That done with, Arnold soon discovered that sound equipment wasn’t as inexpensive as his savings would allow. Luckily, Equity Bank was then giving loans to young entrepreneurs in employment, and Arnold jumped onto the band-wagon. The result of it was he had to continue working to pay off his loan, even as he started assembling equipment and setting up the business.
Starting from scratch – doing his own marketing, transport to and set-up at gigs, and no clients to speak of – was expectedly frustrating. For quite sometime, there was no money coming in at the end of the month. Hard work, persistence, and support from his parents is what kept him going. Yet he does not regret any of it, viewing it as a process of growth. “At the beginning, I even had to do gigs for free, just to market the business and make it known. It’s amazing how much mileage that gave me in terms of publicity and referrals, even though it meant I didn’t make any money for a period”, he explains.
All this seems to have paid off, and today Hype Sounds is raking in handsome revenue regularly, and handling some impressive gigs. In Gospel entertainment circles, they’ve worked with S.K Blue’s Kitenge Festival as well as Daddy Owen and K-Krew among others.
Like every service industry, seasons play a big part in determining the ups and downs of the business. But Arnold maintains that the market is growing day by day, and providing quality service makes the difference between having clients and having none. In fact, the bulk of his clients come to him through referrals.
One of the biggest challenges he’s faced is having to decide which gigs to be involved in and which ones to forego. This is especially so when the choice concerns a secular gig that won’t allow Gospel music to be played. Arnold philosophically explains that his cut-off line has always been based on his faith: “The truth is, most of these (secular) gigs are very well paying”, he says. “I guess for me the question is always, why did I start this business in the first place? It was so that I’d use it to glorify God, and reach out to people. And so I’ve had to turn down countless opportunities that would compromise that”
Not satisfied with just the business side of things, Arnold has birthed a couple of philanthropic and ministry ventures out of Hype Sounds. Based on his desire to engage youth constructively, the Hypeball Basketball Tournament was started in 2007, and takes place over the school holidays. Now in its third edition, the tournament is set to expand to include football and other sports. At the same time, he has plans to set up a children’s home later in the year to take in orphans and street kids. His word of advice to budding entrepreneurs? “Business is tricky. One thing I’ve learnt is that if it’s a vision from God, and if you really want it, stick at it. You can make it work!”
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1"T.V Producer"
at Monday, 04 May 2009 11:14
Great vision Arnold has there...an inspiration to other youth. how do i get intouch? would like to do business with Arnold.
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