Profitable Business ideas in Kenya

*WHAT IF I FAIL?* Well, what if you succeed? Why have you chosen to see this half-glass of water as ‘half-empty’ instead of ‘half-full’? The fear of failure is the most crippling reason why many of us will never start a business in our lifetime. We admire successful entrepreneurs as if they knew from the beginning that they would succeed. You should know that they had the same doubts like you do. They all feared for an uncertain future, an irregular income and total failure. What if you fail? What if your business idea doesn’t sell or work? While these are very important questions, you may never know the answers unless you try. In the world of entrepreneurship, success and failure live in the same house. If you’re afraid of failure, there’s a very thin chance that you will ever taste success. How do you win a boxing match if you’re afraid of entering the ring? Business is, and has always been, about taking risks. That’s why entrepreneurs are known as ‘risk takers’. There is always an e...

*7 UNEXPECTED THINGS YOU CAN LEARN FROM A MATATU CREW ABOUT BUSINESS* Whether you love or hate matatus one thing is clear, the kind of work they do is simply phenomenon. From dealing with moody and sometimes downright unfriendly customers to surviving in an insanely competitive industry, being a ‘makanga’ requires nerves of steel and ability to do what’s beyond the obvious to survive. The rules are not too different in the world of entrepreneurship either. You have to survive against all odds and put your best foot forward in order to guarantee your existence. I have lifted a few practical lessons from the dusty streets of Nairobi and here are some tactics you can take out from your matatu crews playbook on the fundamentals of running a business. *1) Yell About Your Product At The Top Of Your Voice* You are in business to sell; not to sit down and look pretty. And our matatu guys seem to know this quite well. They shout at the top of their voices “Namba nane, Kibera” “Namba nane, Kiber...

*FRUIT VENDORS WHO LIVE LIKE KINGS* *Josiah Akolo* Josiah is an entrepreneur who has just joined a rare club of millionaires. The banana trader in Nairobi made his first million 3 years ago, two years after he started the business venture. Josiah shares his story. “The first time I touched Nairobi was in 2010. At that time, I had completed my high school and was ready for any challenge in life. Immediately I settled in Nairobi I came face to face with the challenges of living in the city. The first thing to hit me was that everything I did required money. I was forced to be innovative. With Ksh.2,000 in my pocket, I decided to sell second hand clothes. The business was at first not good because the location did not have traffic. In a day I could make Ksh.100 to Ksh.300. That forced me to move to Jogoo Road from Ruiru. I did the business for two years, making my meagre profit. After realizing I was not moving in terms of financial stability, I decided to diversify. That was when I start...

*WONDERING WHAT VENTURE YOU CAN START WITH KSH.20,000? TRY MANAGU BUSINESS* Many people have come to realize the dangers of surviving on junk, processed food and red meat; a feat that has led to a boom in demand for indigenous foods such as Managu.  To give you the perspective, 10 years ago, managus worth Ksh.10 used to be enough to feed a family of four for two days. But today, even with Ksh.50 one would struggle getting enough stock to feed two people for a day.  With such growth in popularity, it’s possible to say that there is no better time to venture into the business of planting, packaging and wholesaling managu.  You only need to think smarter than everyone else and launch your business with as little as Ksh.20,000 and end up making as much as Ksh.1.2 Million per year.  Read on to find out how. *What Is Managu?* Managu is a kikuyu word for the African nightshade plant. The Swahili call it Mnavu, Luhya’s call it Namasaka, Luos refer to it as Osuga, Kambas simp...

*ARE YOU HAVING A "ME TOO BUSINESS?"*   If you are fortunate to pass through the secondary school’s business class, you might have read it from your Commerce textbooks that “business is buying and selling of goods and services”. Most people leave school believing and approach their businesses just with that mentality. That’s one of the reasons why most businesses fail. I have heard people saying, “I just need XX shillings and I will go to Nairobi, buy xyz and sell” Business is NOT just “buying and selling”. If it were, everybody would have become a millionaire. Buying and selling? Who doesn’t know how to do that? You know the problem with buying and selling is that everybody can do it. You cannot make meaningful cash from whatever everyone can do. Why? Because, well, just any Joe can and possibly already is selling what you’re selling, the same way you’re selling it, at the exact same price you’re selling it. You cannot make huge sales and you cannot be rich, if you’re merely...

*BUTCHERY IS A PROFITABLE BUSINESS BUT YOU NEED TO HAVE THESE FACTS* Kenyans love meat and thus a butchery can be a lucrative business. Butchery business is often seen to be done by people who did not make it in school, yet it is very profitable. Only entrepreneurs with keen eye try this business but because most Kenyans love clean businesses they often miss out on opportunities that could earn them good money. Butchery business is extremely easy to operate. The cost of starting a butchery in Kenya depends with location and size of the shop. It is advisable to have your butchery located in a place with high human traffic, e.g. near a bus terminus or a busy street. Low Income Areas – Ksh.100,000 Middle Income Areas – Ksh.200,000 – Ksh.500,000 High Income Areas – Ksh.500,000 – Ksh.1,000,000 *Start a butchery business* Meat Supply: Butcheries within and around Nairobi area get their meat supply from Dagoretti, Njiru, Kajiado and other smaller slaughterhouses.  Others in Nairobi get th...