Given a chance, every Kenyan would be a business owner including the employed ones due to the economic state of the country currently. But one big reason why everyone can’t start a business is a lack of capital.
This has led to a big number of unemployed people struggling to keep up with the economy. If you are reading this article, chances are you are looking for a business opportunity that does not require a lot to start.
In this article, we will give you ideas on which you can start with little money or no money at all. We have divided these ideas into two categories:
- Offline Business ideas
- Online Business ideas in Kenya
With these two categories, you can choose the category that fits you well.
Read also: How To Market Your Business Online in Kenya.
a). Offline Business ideas in Kenya
#1. Dog Training / Walk
Dog training and walking is a great career option that does not require any capital to get started. If you love animals you can run a pet training and care business. The demand for expert dog care is increasing since many Kenyans have started keeping dogs, especially for sale.
Most of these people are career individuals and they need experts to train their dogs and also take them for a walk. Although you don’t require any training or qualifications to become a dog walker, they can be quite a handful and so you need to understand canine behavior.
Click here to read more on the dog walking business.
#2. Child Care Service Business in Kenya
If you love caring for children and spending time with them, then you can start a Day Care Business. Many Kenyan parents work outside their homes and they need a professional to take care of their kids while they are away.
In urban areas, the demand is high for childcare services. Most people do not trust their kids in the hands of nannies due to many cases of missing children or mistreated kids by their nannies. If you work from home you can start this business by babysitting children in your area.
Parents are more likely to trust a caregiver near them and someone they have known for some time. All you will need is a secure compound where the kids can play.
#3. Cleaning services
You can start a cleaning service company with only Ksh. 5000 and grow it into a successful business. Many Kenyans are too busy and need people to help them keep their premises clean.
You can also get clients who want to have their offices cleaned. Cleaning services can be generalized or specialized. Some cleaning services only cater to the washroom areas while others specialize in furniture only. Choose a category that works best for you.
Click here to read more about cleaning services.
#4. Laundry Business
This is an easy business to start here in Kenya since it does not require any skills. All you have to do is look for clients and convince them that you can do their laundry well.
You will be visiting their homes and doing their laundry at a fee depending on the size of the load. You will not need any capital since your clients will provide you with everything you need to do laundry.
With hard work, you can grow your business with time and buy a washing machine that can help you do more laundry a day.
#5. Tour Guide
If there is any natural resource near you that attracts tourists or any public pack near you, you can use it as a business.
Learn about the history of the place and why things are the way they are. Master every hidden corner in that place. With all that you can offer to be a tour guide to tourists visiting the area at a fee.
People like understanding more about any place they visit, so they will be willing to pay a fee to learn more about the area and see every corner of that place.
If you live near any public park or any natural resource like 14 falls you can take that opportunity and make money being a tour guide.
#6. Sell Second Hand Clothes
Mitumba business is one of the most profitable small businesses in Kenya. The best thing about this business is that you can start with as little as Ksh 5000.
You can buy these second-hand clothes from the Gikomba market in Nairobi and sell them at a profit. You can make 100% from or even 200% from second-hand clothes.
For Instance, you can buy a dress at Ksh 50 and sell it at Ksh 200. This is four times the original price. If you are good at choosing nice outfits you can do so well in this business. You need to have a good eye when it comes to fashion. This will help you select good outfits which will move faster and will help your business grow.
#7. Boiled eggs and Smokies
Starting a boiled egg and smokies business in Kenya does not require a lot from you. With Ksh 8,000 you are good to get started. All you will need is a trolley and a Jiko then buy eggs and smokies and get started.
Buy the trolley for Ksh 6,000 from any Juakali near you and the Jiko at Ksh 250. Get your eggs maybe 30 pieces and one pack of smokies and start your business. You can make as much as Ksh 30,000 a month from this business.
If you fill this is the business for you why not get started right away?
#8. Poultry Farming
Kenyans love eating chicken and those living in urban areas have to buy it for them to enjoy. You can do poultry farming sell in urban areas. This is an easy business to get started with since you start with only 20 chicks. You can get one chick at Ksh 150.
You can feed them food remains or buy growers’ feeds depending on your budget. start by keeping them in your home compound. Once they are grown enough you can sell each at Ksh 600. That’s really good money since poultry farming doesn’t take much of your time.
With between Ksh 3000 to Ksh 5000 you can get your business up and running. You can also opt to sell chicks to other poultry farmers.
#9. Be a Makeup Artist
If you are good at doing makeup, you can turn it into a business. Many people want to look good when going for photoshoots, weddings, birthdays, baby showers, etc. But since they do not know how to do makeup on their own, they will need a makeup artist.
This is where you come in. You will, however, need to market your brand for people to know you. Using your social media accounts, post every single work you do, either on your face or to a client. People who like your work might be your clients in the future.
You can grow your brand to higher levels if you are determined and ready to learn and grow every day.
#10. Interior Decor Services
There are few businesses in home decor services currently in Kenya. This is because it is still new to the Kenyan community. A few years back, people never used to put in too much work for their space to look beautiful.
To get started you will first need to convince your potential clients that you are good at it.
Well, if you know you are good at interior decor, you might have tried it in your own house. Post the images of your space or any DIY you might have done in your space.
Once you get a client, you can calculate all the costs and then tell them what you need for the project. That way you won’t need any capital for a project.
b). Online Business Ideas
#1. Youtube Channel
Starting a youtube channel does not require a lot. You can start recording videos with your phone as long as you have a smartphone. Since 2020 soo many people started their youtube channels and most of them are doing great.
To get monetized you will have to get to 1000 subscribers and 4000 watch hours in the last 365 days. To make sure your channels gain subscribers faster, go for a niche that attracts more audience.
Choose a schedule for your uploads so that your audience knows when to expect new content. With Youtube, channel consistency is the key.
#2. Podcast
For a person who is good at storytelling, starting a podcast is a good idea. A podcast is an audio-only episodic series that features one or more hosts discussing a certain topic. This can be an interview, trends, or anything entertaining.
You can record this audio from the comfort of your house. As your podcast gains more audience you will be able to do adverts and earn money from that.
#3. Data Entry
If you are great with a keyboard and you can work with deadlines, data entry may be a solid career for you. These jobs are commonly available in an independent consultant structure. You can get them full-time or part-time.
Data entry requires minimal startup costs which is one of the reasons why you can easily get into it. Just with a computer and internet connection, you can be ready to get started. Data entry is wide and therefore it is important to focus on a specific niche.
A niche gives you chances to easily get clients and even better pay. You can specialize in a niche like medical and health, administrative, accounting and finance, retail and sales, etc.
#4. Social Media Management
Many companies and even individuals get overwhelmed by the amount of work that has to be done to keep their social media pages active. In today’s world, social media is everything and so businesses can’t afford to operate without active social media accounts if they want to grow and succeed.
That’s where you come in. If you spend a lot of time on social media and you understand how all these works then this can earn you some money. Approach those busy individuals or businesses and offer to manage their accounts at a fee.
#5. Freelance Writing in Kenya
A freelancer is a self-employed person who offers their skills to companies in need of their help. This can be graphic design, web design, or writing. You can do this from any location in Kenya provided you have a laptop and internet connection.
All you need is to have excellent grammar and good writing skills. Your clients can pay you per hour or a fixed amount of money based on the work done. This is one of the best small businesses to start in Kenya, especially for young people. To get started you will need to sign up with a freelance website of your choice.
#6. Become a Blogger in Kenya
With a laptop, internet connection, and passion for writing, blogging can be the easiest startup for you in the comfort of your house. Once you gain traffic for your site you can monetize your website and start making money.
You can make money through affiliate marketing or advertisements. Soo many young Kenyans have become bloggers and are making decent money out of it. All you will need is to get hosting and a domain name for your website.
Click here to learn more about how to become a blogger in Kenya.
#7. Become an Online influencer in Kenya
Leading brands know that social media influencers are amazing to work with because of their social media following. You can be a full-time influencer, and so you have to do content creation almost daily, community engagement, photography, etc.
You might think it’s hard to become an influencer but it’s not. Look at the well know TikTokers who you didn’t know anything about 3 years ago. All you need is creativity which will help you gain popularity on social media especially TikTok or Instagram.
You can get an opportunity to work with big brands meaning more money.
#8. Do Affiliate Marketing in Kenya
As an affiliate, you earn a commission by promoting a product or service for another party through an affiliate link. Most affiliate programs are free to join such as a Jumia affiliate program. If done right, affiliate marketing can go from just a side hustle to a profitable business.
Affiliate marketing does not require you to have any money to get started. You can promote these products by sharing the links on a blog, your social media platforms, podcast, or a website. Any time someone purchases through your affiliate link you earn a commission.
Click here to learn more about how to join affiliate programs.
Read also: How To Start A Profitable Business In Ghana With Little Capital.
#9. Sell e-books Online in Kenya
Making money through selling e-books in Kenya is as easy as you never thought. You just need to buy a book at any eCommerce website like ebay.com or amazon.com. Let’s say you bought it at $100 you can sell it at $150 on other online book-selling websites in Kenya.
Some of the best websites where you can sell your books and earn cash include muthurwa.com, Chegg books, Kobo books, etc.
Read also: How to start selling online.
#10. Become an online tutor.
Online tutoring is a good business that you can easily start in Kenya. If you have certain skills, you can offer to teach others at a fee. You need to be good at that particular skill to create a profound link with your students.
You will need a laptop and an internet connection to set up your online tutoring business. Specializing in a particular niche helps you stand out from the rest. If you are good at online marketing, freelance writing, or any other skill that is in demand you can start tutoring today and earn from your skills.
Final Thoughts
The above are some of the businesses you can easily start in Kenya whether online or offline. Go for a business idea that is an idea for you. For you to grow and succeed in business you need to have passion for what you do and most importantly have the right business skills.
Look for a market gap or a problem that needs to be solved since their demand tends to be high. If the demand is high the profits are going to be huge too.
Read also: 15 Profitable Home Business Ideas That Are Easy to Start.
