10 Businesses You Can Start in Kenya - By Tomorrow if You so Wish!

If you have been meaning to go into business, here is a list of ideas to get you started. But before that, it is important for you to have a plan of the business you have in mind and do some research. You do not want to go into business blindly – that’s a recipe for failure!

Some of the things which you should look at are: location, population density, security, competition, legal framework, rent, e.t.c The idea is to have a 360 degrees view of your business idea before launching it.

Here is your list:

1. Executive barber shop or salon –Who doesn’t want to look good? Do you have an idea of how much people spend to look good? On average a man spends Kes. 200 every time he visits a barber shop. And that is just for a simple haircut! Ladies spend ten times that am told!
2. Greenhouse tomatoes – I have not yet bought my greenhouse but according to my research, this is going to set your back by Kes. 150,000.00 or so for a 30x8 unit. If you were to plant 750 tomatoes and harvest at least 15 kgs per plant, a kilo going for Kes 50.00, how much money are we talking about?
3. Bottled water – if the average person is supposed to drink 8 litres a day, isn’t there an opportunity in that? Whether you want to be a retailer, distributor or manufacturer – they are manufacturers, right? – there is good business in selling water. After all, water is life!
4. Daycare – in this rapid fire we live in, young parents are finding it hard juggling between raising their children and climbing their career ladders. And since they want the best of both worlds, they don’t mind spending a lot on a good daycare. This gives them comfort since they know that while they cannot be physically present to take care of their tiny tots, someone else is, and they can comfortably deliver at the workplace.
5. Sifted maize flour mill –does anyone have an idea as to when the price of maize flour will come down? There is a huge demand for maize flour. If you can tap into this business and diversify it to include groceries and cereals, you, my friend, are going to be in business for a very long time.
6. Motorcycle spare parts - I have not been to any town or village where the most convenient and visible form of transport is the motorcycle. Okay, maybe not on Lamu island! Where are these motorcycles repaired? Who is selling the spare parts? That could be you!
7. Timber yard – We are building houses and other funny structures every day. In fact, it seems in most urban areas, there are more houses than trees.
8. Selling sand – I don’t know how much capital you need to start selling sand for construction. But I am sure, it’s nothing to break the bank. I have seen so many people make so much money selling sand – something I never thought could be commercialized! When you come from the village, sand is collected from the roadside or the nearby river!
9. Local bar/ wines & spirits shop – People love to drink. It’s no wonder then that whether there is too much month at the end of the money, or its month end, your local bar or wines and spirits shop is not short of patrons.
10. LPG retailer – Liquid petroleum gas is the preferred cooking partner of people in urban areas. If you are in an estate without someone selling LPG gas, then that is the signal you have been waiting for to start your business. What’s more, you can even charge extra for offering a free home delivery service!

I know. This list is hardly complete.

Share your thoughts on what businesses you think people can start in your own area.