Profitable Business ideas in Kenya

*ONCE FORGOTTEN, SWEET POTATO IS NOW HOT CAKE* The popular sweet potato is well known for its great source of fibre, vitamins and minerals such as beta-carotene that acts as powerful anti-oxidants in the human body. According to Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro), sweet potato has a number of varieties for both food and feed.  Kalro orange fleshed sweet potato are for commercialization, income generation and health improvement.  Sweet potato varieties vary depending on their flesh colour, maturity time and recommended growing areas. Some of the common varieties are Kenspot 1, Kenspot 5, Kabode, Vitaa and Mugande according to Kalro.  Festus Omogi grows sweet potatoes on his farm in Siaya County and shares vital lessons.  *Land preparation* Choose an area in full sun, till the land and add compost manure to make it fluffy. “You can plant on a flat land or make ridges, let the land warm up before planting,” says Omogi. *Propagation* He says s...

*MAKING MONEY WITH WASTE PLASTIC* As the country forges towards doing away with plastic pollution, Francis Muriithi is steps ahead in the plastic recycling business. Starting off as a hawker in Karatina town Nyeri County 12 years ago, Mr Muriithi has turned collecting trash into a fortune. “We came together as a team to clean up the town by collecting garbage for a little fee but did not live up the task as some members left,” said Mr Muriithi. Once his teammates left, Mr Muriithi started collecting garbage with zeal including scrap metals. “I used to deliver scrap metals to dealers within town but I realized that there were lots of plastic bottles in the trash. I seized the opportunity and created my own path of success,” he said. Mr Muriithi, an employer of four people, is currently the sole plastic collector in Karatina town. He buys a kilogramme of the waste at Sh.10 and sells them in Nairobi. “After the initial stockpile I thought if there was a market for scrap metal there must b...

*ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS ABOUT SOLVING REAL PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE FACE IN THEIR LIVES.* “Life is too expensive,” “It’s a hopeless scenario out here,” “I will never get out of debt,” “Were it not for my parents I would have done better in this life”.  Have you ever found yourself making such utterances?  Well, be my guest. Whichever way you look at it, there is always someone who we can all blame for our woes – whether in business or in life in general. But as it turns out, blaming just compounds the problem instead of solving it. This is how the cycle goes…the hustlers blame the banks for not making loans affordable enough for start-ups. The banks blame the government for collecting too many taxes making it difficult for them to operate profitably. Then the government blames the hustlers and banks for not paying adequate taxes hence inhibiting normal service-delivery. The politicians blame everyone else apart from themselves of course. Isn’t that how we live on this side of the pla...

*HOW TO START A JEWELRY BUSINESS IN KENYA WITH KSH.2,000* Are you in between jobs, seeking self-employment or simply want to start a side hustle to supplement your income?  There are numerous businesses you can start, but you may be limited by the amount of money needed for capital. Don’t be discouraged, there are some business ideas that you can start with as little as Ksh.2,000.  One such business is selling jewelry. Women love looking pretty and will spend cash to ensure they stay that way. You can never go wrong with selling things like earrings, rings, necklaces, body chains, hair jewelry, watches, bangles etc. *Where to get them* The best street to purchase jewelry in wholesale is Dubois Street which is off Accra Road. Both sides of Dubois road are lined with shops selling jewelry, makeup, inner wear and hair extensions.  Avoid purchasing items from the stores that are near the entrance to any building, as they tend to be expensive. Choose a day when you can visit D...

*HOW PROFITABLE IS THE LIMO HIRE BUSINESS IN KENYA?* People nowadays like to spice up their weddings, graduations, political campaigns and even vacations with a limousine ride. It is a craze that is taking over the middle-class segment of our society which, Kenyan economists predict will keep growing onwards to year 2030. From an investor’s point of view, limo hire business may look like the ultimate venture to undertake – but is there more than meets the eye?  Let's take a closer look at the hustle and its intricacies. *Starting Limousine Hire Business* There are three major things required to run a successful limo hire business. That is (1) A fleet of limos (2) Good management (3) Good staff. *Fleet of Limos* You may not be in a position to cough out millions as a beginner, but that should not discourage you as there is a cheaper way of doing things. For instance, you can consider leasing – whereby you link up with an established Auto company and negotiate a deal. Companies like ...

*WITH WATERMELON FARMING IT TAKES 100 DAYS TO GROW KSH.40,000 TO KSH.400,000* We live in a beautiful country indeed. Our potential for agri-business is immense, our land is fertile and our people are hard workers.  Thanks to a fast growing demand for fresh grocery, demand for agricultural products such as watermelons has grown exponentially over the last few years.  Today I want to share some important tips about watermelon farming.  *How To Grow Your Ksh.40,000 Into Ksh.400,000 In A 100 Days* *#1: Get the Seeds* High quality seeds are available at  Kenya Seeds Company and Simlaw Seeds Company outlets. At the moment 500 grams of seeds is retailing at Ksh.12,500 and it can serve up to 1 acre. Keep in mind that because watermelon produce large vines, you need to leave a space of at least 1.5 metres between rows. This leafy crop should be grown away from any shade so that it receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight. *#2: Choose the Right Variety* The variety of wate...

*LET YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE SPEAK FOR YOU.* So many people these days are in a hurry to make money that they are going to the market with fake, substandard or pirated products.  They could make some money this way, but never enough to make them rich. For a small business to grow and become successful, the owner has to sell a great or unique product.  The two are different. A product can be great or can be unique. Let me explain. In a new market (when a new product or line of product just comes into a new territory) a product needs not be great. Since there are no competitors, an average (but unique) product or service can become a great success. When newspapers like Taifa Leo started, they might have been writing about how two goats were fighting or how a vehicle killed a Maasai goat on the road. People would still buy their newspapers then.  Why?  There were probably less than five national newspapers back then in Kenya. They needed not to be great. They were already ...

*PROFESSIONAL CLEANING SERVICES – HOW YOU CAN START A LUCRATIVE BUSINESS FROM CLEANING HOMES, OFFICES AND MORE…* Most people don’t want to spend their time doing boring work. It’s an interesting trend that’s catching on across Africa, especially with people who have busy lives in the urban areas. Nowadays, fewer people want to do their laundry, wash their cars or clean their own homes. In fact, they are willing to pay somebody else to do all these work. It’s not only households that are outsourcing their ‘boring’ work. Organizations like schools, offices, factories, shopping malls, hotels etc. are willing to pay for professional cleaning services too! And that’s where you come in. This article reveals why professional cleaning services is really taking off in Africa and how you too can start an interesting business in this industry.  *Why Is The Professional Cleaning Services Business Booming Across Africa?* Every business opportunity exists for a reason. In this section, we will l...

*SWEET MELONS ARE BECOMING MORE POPULAR FOR THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS* “Sweet melons are giving me sweet returns. One fruit weighing around two kilos retails at an average of Sh.130, and in a month I can sell up to five tonnes of the fruit,” says Mr Steven Ithau. Mr Ithau, the proprietor behind Ithau Farm along Nairobi’s Ngong Road, started off as a watermelon and mango farmer and only started growing sweet melon following his customers’ demand for the fruit. Sweet melons have gained quite a following as more people become aware of their health benefits. The fruit has cancer-preventive elements, reduces oxidative stress and kidney cell damage, which is particularly helpful for diabetes patients, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and is rich in potassium, a nutrient that helps control blood pressure. *Benefits* Sweet melons, despite their name, have lower fruit sugar (fructose) than most other fruits, making them kinder to your waistline. Their collagen content also helps ke...

*3 FACTORS OF SUCCESS IN AGRIBUSINESS THAT NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT* New investors in agribusiness (I don’t really like calling them farmers) consider many important factors such climate, the soil type, crop variety, best seeds and the market before pumping in money to their projects. Unfortunately, they forget to think about a few, most important factors that determine the success or failure of these projects. You must consider the following before you put in your money in any farming project: *1. Scale – the size of your project* We love avoiding this topic but let’s face the facts: too small farming projects can never be profitable. You need a big enough farming venture to put you in a position from which you can negotiate for discounts on farm inputs, invest your time, mind and energy in a worthwhile manner and to be able to attract serious and well-paying buyers. I do not despise small-scale farmers but being one should only be a starting point. You won’t make much as a small-scale ...