Last updated on November 2nd, 2022 at 12:45 pm
In this article, I will reveal the best business to start in Kenya with 50K.
Yes, you don’t need millions of shillings to start a profitable business, and as I will show you today, you can get started and make money as soon as possible.
In fact, these are the same business ideas I see most of my friends engaging in, I included.
While most of my businesses are online, I have a couple of offline (brick and mortar) businesses.
Without wasting much time, here are the business ideas you can start with as low as 50K.
Before that, I must warn you, these are ideas that no one is talking about in Kenya, yet they are extremely lucrative.
#1 Domain flipping business
To start our Best Business To Start In Kenya With 50k list is online this online business.
A domain name is a name you type into a web browser to access a specific website.
For example:
Anytime you wish to access Facebook, you must type Facebook.com.
Now, the first part (Facebook) is the domain name, while the second part (.com) is known as the domain extension. There are different types of domain extensions, but not all of them are valuable, I will tell you why in a second.
Domain flipping means that you are buying a domain at a cheaper (lower) price and then reselling it at a slightly higher price, thus making a profit.
Pay attention because I don’t want you to confuse this with domain reselling. That is a different type of business, which by the way, can make you money as well. We will discuss that another time.
To start flipping domains in Kenya, you first need to identify a valuable domain name, but it, and then resell it.
It is that simple.
How to start this business
Here is the thing:
A domain name is like virtual real estate of the internet. This means that if you can lay your hands on a very valuable domain, you can resell it for up to 100X what you bought it for.
For example:
This domain Voice.com was sold for over $30 million. Another one, Business.com was sold for $342 million. I can go on the whole day listing website names that were sold for millions.
I guess what I am trying to say is that domain flipping in Kenya is an untapped business, and if you are willing to explore it, there are a ton of money on the table.
- Find a valuable domain name – valuable in the sense that someone will find it means something to someone, and would be willing to pay premium prices for it. For example, Kitchen.co.ke. If you can buy that domain, hold onto it, you may sell it later for thousands of shillings to companies dealing with kitchen items
- The name should be short and memorable. Avoid long names with unnecessary wordings. It should not exceed 3 words. For example OnlineTradingGuides.com. It is the best name for trading bloggers.
- Brandable – means you can easily turn it into a business. For example Kitchen.co.ke, Voice.com, OnlineTradingGuides.com, etc.
- Should contain a keyword. For example, OnlineTradingGuides.com. When you see it anywhere, you instantly get an idea of what the website entails.
Once you have your valuable domain, go ahead and register with a domain registrar in Kenya.
With it now in your possession, wait for offers to come. If they don’t, consider developing a full website using the name, and then sell the website.
#2: Open an online shop
An online store is another best business to start in Kenya with 50k.
There is no doubt online shopping in Kenya is growing. Fuelled by the pandemic of 2020, Covid-19, thousands of people are turning to the internet to buy stuff.
For example:
Just last week, I bought a laptop stand from Jumia. I didn’t have to go out of my house to order the item, all I did was pick my phone, search for what I needed, and place the order.
As for the delivery, I opted for home delivery because didn’t want to go outside anyway, thanks to Corona.
If you have between 10K and 50K, you can start selling online in Kenya literally from tomorrow.
How to open an online store in Kenya
Product ideas
First, you need to have the product to sell. So, what do you feel like selling? I’d recommend you consider something with a ready market. To do that, look at what others are selling.
I am not asking you to copy, but to get inspired.
Ask yourself, from what is already being sold online, what can you do differently?
Either you can offer better services or quality products, or cheaper prices, whichever.
Remember, competition is a good sign that the market is there for that product.
For example:
I see a lot of people starting a t-shirt printing business in Kenya. It obviously proves that people are actually buying the product.
As such, you can start your own and offer quality products or unique designs.
Product sourcing
Once you have the product idea, it is time to get a supplier.
For example:
For the t-shirt printing business, you can start looking for wholesalers of plain t-shirts. Also, get a printing machine, but since they are expensive, consider outsourcing the work to someone with a machine.
The secret here is to negotiate lower prices both with the wholesaler and the printing guy. That is how you make your profit, and not when selling.
Marketing the product
Once you have the finished product, either shoe, a bale of clothes, printed t-shirts, etc, it’s time for marketing.
This is where online shops come into play. You have two options: one, either leverage free marketplaces like Jumia and Kilimall to open stores there or create your eCommerce website.
Now, if you go with the latter, it will get expensive, so here is my recommendation:
Sign up as a Jumia Kenya and Kilimall merchant. It is the quickest way to make money online since they already have a ready market.
Another way is to use the Facebook shop feature. All you have to do is create a Facebook page and turn on the shop feature. Upload photos of the product, prices, and description.
After that, you can invite friends to like, comment, and share your page to increase your Facebook shop visibility. The same applies to Instagram, they also have an online shop tool.
Hack to make money selling products online fast in Kenya
The quickest way is using Facebook ads.
If you are good at negotiating, you should have at least 20K remaining from the initial 50K. Take 5K and put it into Facebook ads.
Now, here is the secret.
Depending on what you are selling, only target those who are more likely to be interested in your products.
For example:
For the t-shirt business, instruct Facebook to show your ads only to people who meet your target market. If you are selling adult t-shirts, 23-45, both men and women, use that information.
Also, I’d restrict the location to only around where you live to reduce delivery costs.
#3: Diaper business in Kenya
It is no secret that babies are born daily, which means a ready market for the diaper business in Kenya. Making it Best Business To Start In Kenya With 50k.
To get started, you need less than 50K. And the secret is to negotiate for low prices per unit with the supplier.
Doing so will enable you to compete effectively in the market.
Strategies to turn diaper business profitable
This is a business I see people starting to embrace, which means growing competition. As much as that may sound like a bad thing, it is actually a good thing.
How?
It shows that the products still have demand, otherwise no one would even bother to consider starting it.
With such a business, the only way to win is to be different.
How can you do that?
- Have the numbers of your customers. Stay in touch constantly, but don’t be nagging. Remember they will need a new patch soon, and there is a high chance they will buy from you because you’ve been on top of mind.
- Consider selling complementary items. When someone buys a diaper, offer something else to them at a cheaper price. Remember, it should be related to the main product and cheaper, otherwise they won’t buy it. Doing so enables you to make more money from a single sale.
- Bundle the diaper products. I bet other products can be used alongside diapers, right? What if you create a package contain at least 3 products and price it fairly. Make sure the bundle is more valuable than buying each product singly.
Implement these and you should start seeing some improvements in your diaper business in Kenya.
#4: Buying and selling used items
This is a thriving business in Kenya, especially around colleges and universities.
See, when students are leaving, the hate carrying luggage around, as such, most of them dumb the items at a throw-away price.
Shockingly, some of these items are brand new, with some just months old. Armed with at least 50K, you can start collecting used items, and reselling double the buying price.
For example:
I remember back on campus, I needed a bed and didn’t have enough cash to get a new one. So I opted for a second had, which was old and beat up and I bought it for 2K.
Now tell me this, how much do you think that guy bought it? Of course nothing near that 2K.
To increase the perceived quality of the item, consider renovating it. If it is a table, give it new paintwork, for a seat, change the material and double the price.
#5: Chicken farming business
Kenyans adore eggs and chicken meat. Don’t believe me? Visit the nearest KFC, you’ll be surprised at the rate of chicken meat consumption.
If you can rear chickens in Kenya, you can make thousands of shillings monthly without breaking your back with hard work.
If you are interested, here are some e-books showing you exactly what to start a successful chicken farming business in Kenya.
This business gives you two products; eggs and chicken meat.
Consider selling eggs to local residents or in wholesale. As for the meat, talk to local hotels and book a tender to supply chicken meat.
The secret here is to manage the population of the chickens. Doing so not only makes it manageable but also reduces losses in case of a disease outbreak.
Talking of diseases, make sure you talk to a local veterinarian for advice on the same and adhere to whatever the advice you get.
Truth is, it can get messy whenever there is a chicken disease outbreak.
You can get the eBook now for just KES 120.
#6: Start a car wash business
Another Best Business To Start In Kenya With 50k.
A car wash business can earn you at least 1K per day, with up to 5K on a good day.
All you need is a perfect location to ply your trade, relevant licensing from authorities, and washing tools.
Want to hear the coolest idea?
Instead of sitting in one location waiting for clients to come to you, what if you go to them?
Yes, it is possible to operate a mobile car wash.
To get started, you need a tool to help carry water. A cart can help if you are starting out.
But as the business grows, consider transforming these three-wheeler motorcycles to tankers. Fit them with a small tank that can carry at least 300 liters.
To get clients, go to offices knocking. Also, talk to friends to introduce people in their network.
I mean, why sit for at least 30 minutes waiting for your car to be washed when that can be done while you go by your daily tasks in the office?
#7: Start a YouTube channel in Kenya
This another Best Business To Start In Kenya With 50k.
Truth is, you don’t need to spend anything to start a YouTube channel in Kenya. You can use your smartphone to record, edit, and upload the videos.
But if you can get a professional camera, going for around 30K, you should be ready okay.
Think of it as an investment because a dedicated camera will help produce quality videos.
Once you have the channel, strive to have at least 1K subscribers. From there, you can start earning money on YouTube through ads.
Also, you can use the camera to take pictures on the side. Even with all the smartphones, people are turning to digital cameras because of quality photos.
The best business to start in Kenya with 50k to be continued…
