The population of sub-Saharan Africa is approximately 1.06 billion. Remarkably, 77% of this billion are under the age of 35.  That means 770 million sub-Saharan Africans under the age of 35 exist today and they are going to be a hugely influential demographic in the years to come. Especially when it comes to business.  A Youthful Population There are advantages and disadvantages to having a youthful population. One of the key challenges faced by African nations in the coming years will be overcoming the challenges and taking advantage of the benefits.  Some of the benefits include:  A growing market for manufactured products.  A large tax base for the continent due to the bigger workforce. The chance to develop an interconnected, educated community of young people.  Having a young population is very favourable to investors and can lead to the creation of millions of new jobs. If managed correctly, African nations

Now that the dust has settled on the annual World Economic Forum at Davos, we can reflect on what it means for business in Africa, and specifically Kenya. The World Economic Forum, or WEF, is a controversial platform for the leading actors of the capitalist world. Since its foundation in 1971, it has been criticised for a variety of reasons. The capitalist world’s big-hitters’ annual meeting is considered, by many, to be an old boys club, a networking event that helps ensure the rich stay rich. This year, however, with the focus on a theme of ‘Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World’, the forum sought to nod toward a more inclusive, less exploitative turn. There were many interesting and high-profile talking points from this year’s forum. The public spat between Greta Thunberg and Donald Trump not least among them. However, what does this mean for Africa and African Business?

At The Filing Room, we have built an impressive team of intuitive and hard-working archivists and records managers. This is because our records management system requires meticulous organisation in order to be successfully navigated.  When we built this team, we had a clear set of qualities in mind. It is these qualities that mean we can continue to grow and learn as a business and as a group of people.  Records Management Fundamentals The fundamentals of records management are the core values and skills which make someone cut out to be an archivist. Some of these skills can be learned, others come as a pre-existing mindset.  At The Filing Room, we look for people who view organisation as a lifestyle. These people are usually skilled at creating intuitive systems and can be trained to be exceptional records managers.  Managing Electronic Records Digital and electronic records are the future of records

Businessmen and women are (as the name suggests) busy people. The businesses they operate and work for are fast-moving places. Often, industry professionals are so short of time they can’t even manage their way through long phrases or several syllable words. As a result, the business world created its own language. It is one of short acronyms, business slang and efficiently crafted phrases. Although it is a language designed for efficiency, the weird and wonderful words thrown around by company higher ups can get confusing. That’s why we’ve created this glossary of terms. A how-to guide toward understanding what the office big-wigs are talking about. Business as usual SME - Small and Medium-sized enterprise SMART – This acronym has a very specific purpose. It’s a goal-setting tool that managers will encourage you to adhere to when you start a new project. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

Charles Njonjo served the Kenyan people as attorney general from 1963 to 1980 and was a trusted political adviser to President Moi in the 1980s.  Today, he reaches the milestone age of 100 years old. To mark this landmark achievement, we are going to honour the ‘Duke of Kabeteshire’ with an article about his life.  He is known as the ‘Duke of Kabeteshire’ because of his English mannerisms.  Those of you who have watched Njonjo’s recent message to the Kenyan people will have instantly noticed the immaculate three-piece, pin-striped suit with the thick tie and rose pin. An iconic look from an iconic man. If you haven’t seen it, follow this link.  Njonjo studied at Gray’s Inn in London after he completed his education in Kenya and South Africa. He adopted the British way of life whilst studying at the prestigious society of barristers. In an interview with Jeff Koinange

Many of you who follow our posts regularly will know about The Filing Room’s commitment to a greener future. In our New Year’s Day article (which you can access here) we discussed one of our initiatives to offset the company’s carbon footprint. Over the last two years, The Filing Room has been planting eucalyptus and grevillea trees in Western Kenya. Reforestation is, as we all know, the best method currently available for sucking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Our reforestation drive is a big part of our commitment to a more sustainable future. We are not alone in thinking for our future. Many Africans appreciate the natural world as we do. This article seeks to pay respect to the people of Africa, its governments and influential thinkers, who are striving to reduce humanity’s impact on our beautiful earth. East Africa’s ban on plastic bags Kenya’s high-profile plastic bag ban

The Kenya Association of Records Managers and Archivists (KARMA) is the premier records management organisation operating within Kenya. The organisation is a professional body and community for all those who work, and are interested in, records and archives management.  By working with archiving and records management specialists from both the public and private sector, the association draws upon a varied knowledge base. This allows members to benefit from the educational, training and research-based activities promoted by the association.  If you are reading this article then you are probably interested in the world of records management and archiving. If that is the case, a KARMA membership may be a huge step in the right direction for your professional career.  Here are 6 key reasons you should consider membership:  KARMA will help members to find jobs.  KARMA is a community of like-minded individuals. Being part of a community means you benefit from

We, at The Filing Room, care about efficient management of records and documents. That care expands beyond the records you store with us. We want your whole process streamlined. We know about this stuff and thought we would share some of the thoughts we have had on the different features of effective document management software. So, our team of records management professionals have taken a look at the best document management software available right now. With our experienced eye surveying the options currently available, you don’t have to.   What is Document Management Software?  Document management software or, as industry professionals call it, DM is your business’ prime organization tool. That is especially true if you are running a small to midsized business. It is the software on which you store and organize all your documents. Different document management providers will provide different features. So, it is worth considering each

The new decade brings with it fresh opportunity and a chance for a new start for many people across the globe. It is a symbolic moment where possibilities are endless and the desire for personal change is strong. Back in the year 2000, this feeling of ‘newness’ was even more pronounced. It was the turn of a millennium. A monumental moment for all of humanity. Many of you might remember this period as one of deep uncertainty. Those who worked in computers were worrying about the Y2K bug and whether it would completely immobilise their electronics. For those of you who weren’t around or who can’t remember, the Y2K bug was based on the idea that computer programs listed the date as a 6-digit number: the 1st of January 1999 was codified as 01.01.99. In the year 2000, the last two digits would be 00, the same as they would

Records management is a very important part of maintaining a healthy business. At businesses where records management is not taken seriously, the concept is often reduced to simply the filing away of records. Archiving and document storage are important but they are just two parts of a wider strategy of records management. This article will explain what records management is and, in doing so, demonstrate why it is so important for a dynamic, growing company. What is Records Management?  In large firms, records management is often undertaken by an entire department. The reason being that a company’s records define the company itself. They comprise a timeline of the firm’s history, the memories of its beginning. Records management, whatever system is in place, consists of the creation, maintenance and timely destruction of the data points that create this history. The management system, if done correctly, should create a functional, secure, efficient