Entrepreneur's niche marketing leads to successful voyage

Have you ever asked yourself, "How can I find tenants to rent this townhouse, apartment, or vacation home?Maybe you were a tenant looking to rent?Chinedu Ekechukwu has just what renters and rentees have been looking for: an online directory of apartment and vacation rentals, residential as well as commercial real estate, and roommate vacancies and sublets.This Nigerian native created the company Mwendo, which is completely online and can be found at www.mwendo.com. In Swahili, Mwendo means to journey or voyage.He said he was looking for a name that was both interesting and thought provoking and something different that could be summed up in one word.

Ekechukwu first began working on this innovative Web site matching those looking for renters with those looking to rent in February of 2005.However, it wasn't until the beginning of May of 2006 that it was completed.The 26-year-old said "it took time to get it the way I wanted it."

Ekechukwu completed his bachelor's degree in engineering at Cornell University and went to University of California, Los Angeles to earn a masters' in business administration with a concentration in marketing.

Though he always had an entrepreneurial spirit, Ekechukwu explained he still gained quite a bit of work experience prior to starting Mwendo.He was a consultant for KPMG and worked with a marketing group for distribution strategy for Disney.

It wasn't until a few years ago when he and friends went to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah did and discovered how he wanted to quench his thirst for entrepreneurship and service.Ekechukwu said he and his friends stayed in a log cabin and he starting asking questions about how people found out about rental properties and vice versa.

He researched and discovered the array of Web sites dedicated to providing rental property listings and came up with the scheme for his business.He expanded the types of properties that would be listed, created very affordable rates, made his Web site completely user friendly, and developed the logistics.

It is free to search the listings; up to 10 photographs can be given which each listing, a listing can remain for up to 12 months; one can search by amenities and sort by date, price, distance, and number of photos. Users can view the location of the listings on Google maps and save and manage listings in the following categories: rental properties, roommate listings, sublet listings, vacation homes, residential sale listings, commercial sale listings and commercial lease listings.

Clients listing a property can do so without a photograph for up to 45 days for free and listings can be renewed an unlimited amount of times.Listings posted with photographs are charged. Prices vary for United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and Australia.

Although he considered quitting, Ekechukwu decided that it was worth it to stick it out.He said that he loves having a flexible schedule that's not limited by the idea of a "normal" work day.

Ekechukwu's advice to others: "you can't go in thinking your going to be Bill Gates." Ekechukwu said although his primary target is college students anyone is welcomed to post and view listings on www.mwendo.com.

"So as you begin your mwendo for the perfect living arrangement, consider us as the primary guide in your search," said Ekechukwu.

Phone: (703) 635-2175 and (213) 246-0639