Profitable Business ideas in Kenya

*2 SIMPLE BUT MONEY MAKING IDEAS YOU CAN START WITH LITTLE CAPITAL* If you are jobless, you have been tarmacking or you are struggling to make ends meet, this article is for you. You may not have millions of shillings in the bank to start a business, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have any options.  Let me surprise you. There are so many ideas you can explore with next to nothing and make serious returns out of them. All that is required of you is to provide the skills, work ethic and a bit of marketing.  In short, that is what is called “sweat capital”.  In the world of start-ups, “sweat capital” is worth more than monetary capital. Enough of vague statement. Let’s get practical. Here are 2 business ideas that require very little monetary capital to set-up but can make you good money.  *1. Distributing Black Coffee* If you live in towns like Nairobi, I am sure you have come across some guys who distribute black coffee in matatu termini.  Have you ever stopped ...

*JUST HOW PROFITABLE IS THE BUSINESS OF IMPORTING & RETAILING SHOES FROM ETHIOPIA?*   Ethiopia is known for many things, it is home to some of the world’s best long-distance runners, a fast-growing economy and a vibrant textile industry.  Talking about textile, Ethiopia’s leather industry has of late been attracting all manner of international and local shoe manufacturers who have turned the Made in Ethiopia brand into a global phenomenon. As a small businessman or investor, you can be part of this game-changer by importing Ethiopian made leather shoes and retailing them for a profit.  The main benefit of doing this is that cost of doing business is cheaper than say importing from Turkey, Italy or China. And because Ethiopia is a member of COMESA you can expect to pay friendly custom duties when bringing your cargo into the country.  That is of course in addition to the fact that it takes fewer days to receive your cargo because of geographical proximity.  H...

*HOW TO MAKE KSH.30,000 MONTHLY FROM DHANIA FARMING* Dhania is a popular spice in Kenya commonly used in stews and kachumbari. Universally known as coriander, dhania is loved because of its pleasant aroma and the delicious flavor that it adds to food. Getting into dhania farming is a profitable venture due to its high demand both locally and internationally. A report by Farm Biz Africa stated that the international demand for dhania and similar herbs has gone up by 40% with farmers gaining more revenues of up to 25% compared to traditional crops. If you are interested in making money out of dhania farming, here is what you need to know: *STEP 1: GETTING SEEDS AND LAND PREPARATION* You can get quality dhania seeds from Kenya Seed Company, Simlaw Seeds, Kenya Highlands Seed Co. Ltd and other seed companies for Ksh. 1000. After tilling land, plant coriander seeds in drills 30cm apart at a sowing depth of 2.5cm – 3.5cm. You should expect germination to take place 10 days after sowing. *STE...

*3 SECRETS YOU MUST KNOW IF YOU WANT TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS & MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL IN KENYA OR AFRICA* Look around and you will notice that these days everyone wants to have their own business. But what is stopping people? Why are there not many successful entrepreneurs in Africa? There are 3 (hidden) reasons for this. First reason is because we grew up in a society where nobody expects (or encourages) you to build a business. When I went fully into the business world after my university education, everyone in my family thought I was crazy. You know, everyone wants their children to work for "big companies" That's number one reason why we don't have many successful entrepreneurs in Africa Growing up, we don't dream (or desire) to build companies. The second reason is because everyone talks about what is bad with us. We focus extensively on the problems in our countries and continent. No one sits back to look for the opportunities We can't build companies...

*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...

*YOU CAN CREATE WEALTH AS AN ENTREPRENEUR IF YOU CAN DO THESE THREE THINGS* Today I will be sharing with you a topic which interests most of us (or all of us)… how to make money. To start with, what is money? I know, that question sounds stupid. Since you are not a baby, of course you know the definition of money and what money is. Your teacher in primary or secondary school must have taught you that money is a medium of exchange of goods and services (or something similar). Now, listen to my definition of money … money is the reward we get for offering value and making the world a better place. If we see money in the light of my above definition, we will have a better approach for creating wealth. To create wealth, you have to understand that your primary task is to offer the world around you (your street, your city, your country, your village) some value. Riches are only a reward, not a goal. Let me explain with an illustration I love very much. Because our families needed eggs and s...

*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...