I have traveled and interacted in many towns but I can attest that the ideal town to do business in Kenya is Nairobi. Every business is profitable in this town because of the huge circulation of money. But there are businesses that are more profitable than others.
Though the cost of setting up a venture can be intimidating, you are rests assured of attracting profits each month.
Most businesses in Kenya are profitable but it all depends on where they are located and the management strategies of the owners.
According to our research, the easiest businesses to start in Nairobi include :
Salon
Regardless of where you intend to start your salon, the business will not give you headache when you finally decide to start.You need experienced workers, a small room and equipment costing less than Sh 100,0000.You can as well start from your house if you don’t have sufficient capital to operate a salon within a hired premise.
This business is very profitable and it doesn’t require many restrictions to operate. But one thing you must note is that you have to be extremely cautious. We have noticed that employees are cunning.They make sure they pocket at least half of the money they make in a day, leaving the owner with nothing.What you ought to do is have CCTV in the room so that you can monitor the flow of customers-this way you can manage.
Berber shop
Many individuals over look Berber shop business simply because they assume it’s run by illiterate people. But it’s one business with extraordinary profits. Some of the popular politicians in Kenya like Mike Sonko operate several Berber shops in major cities.
To start a Berber shop ,you need a chair, a machine which costs less than Ksh 5,000, Methylated spirit, a mirror, a towel and of course skills. All these things will require less than Ksh 20,000.What will require some good amount is the room where your business will be operating from.
If you are educated, jobless and living in Nairobi, try opening a Berber shop instead of staying idle at home; it might be a turning point for you.
Shoe Shining
I wish I had a chance to start this business in Nairobi; a friend of mine who operates shoe shinning business in Nairobi told me he make Ksh 10,000 per day and there is no time business is low.
What he did was to choose a suitable location for the business, buy chairs, towels; shoe polish and brush and source of water.He operates the business from Nairobi CBD.
If you went through school and you’re shying away from operating shoe shining business, you better change your mind set.For your information, white collar job is more useless than small businesses you see around.
Shoe shining business is easier to start as long as you have Ksh 15,000 in your pocket for license and equipment.
Sometimes it can be tricky to own a shoe shining space in Nairobi CBD but what you should do is approach any of the City Council employees and talk to them nicely.
Selling CDs, DVDs and Flash Disks
Nowadays most people like watching movies; they therefore require CDs, DVDs and Flash Disks for movies and storing important information.
The business is easy to start and operate especially in Nairobi where the population is very high.
The profits are very reasonable and the capital required ranges from Ksh 2,000-Ksh 20,000
Selling Second Hand Clothes (Mitumba)
Selling Mitumba clothes is the easiest business to start in Kenya as long as you know where to buy your products from.Most traders in Kenya nowadays source their clothes from Eastleigh,Gikomba and Muthurwa Markets
You can start with as little as Ksh 2,000 and grow with time.
We have determined that on average a mitumba trader in Nairobi makes Ksh 2,000 per day.
Selling Women Handbags/Clothes
Thank God there is Eastleigh in Nairobi!
Nowadays as long as you have a Facebook page and you are connected, you can easily start this business.
Most women in Nairobi offices fear going to Eastleigh to purchase cheap quality bags and clothes; those ladies who are informed capitalize on this.
You can buy a bag at Ksh 900 and sell at Ksh 3, 000, which is a gold mine.
The good thing with this business is that you don’t need a physical location, simply have a Facebook page and get as many friends as possible to introduce you to offices.
I can encourage those jobless Kenyans to try this business and life can change for the better. It is not beneficial to stay idle at home when you have a degree while those with zero skills are engaging in business which could otherwise be owned by someone like you.
Selling Fish and Chicken meat
I have seen people moving to Karen through selling Fish and Chicken meat in Nairobi.
People in major towns used to eat red meat until they realized that Donkey and Dog meat exist; they stopped eating the aforementioned types of meat and strictly resorted to eating Chicken and Fish meat.
As long as you have a fridge, the business will not give you headache even if you are employed elsewhere.
Most people in Nairobi nowadays are on strict health, so they prefer white meat which is less harmful. This makes the business person happy because they will always get customers.
Poultry farming
Instead of being employed and earning a taxable monthly salary of Ksh 15,000,why can’t you try poultry farming.This business is not hard to start, especially if you have small land,less than a quarter an acre.
Car hire business
The current generation of workers in Nairobi prefer hiring cars than commuting. Having car hire business will be a noble idea.
The business can also generate revenues from parties and events,which are common in Nairobi.
In a day,a single car can give you at least Ksh 3,000
Taxi business with Uber
Uber has taken over taxi business in Nairobi due to their friendly charges.The good thing about the company is that it doesn’t own a single taxi but are managing other people’s vehicles.
the company requires that you register your car with uber,then they start managing it where at the end of the month you get your Ksh 60k.
Jewelry business
The business can require quite amount of capital but it’s extremely profit.Selling gold and diamond jewelry is a lucrative business in Nairobi,but ensure you set it up near posh areas like Karen,Runda,Kileleshwa and Muthaiga.
Online store
Companies like Jumia,buyrent Keny,BrighterMonday are thriving.Online business,especially selling electronics ,is very profitable.
Chemist
The business requires that you must possess a certificate from a recognized institution. But the secret here is to partner with an individual who possess the skills.
It requires you to have at least Ksh 1 million to start a medium-sized chemist but I can assure you recovering the money won’t take one year.
Cake making business
This business has taken Nairobi by storm. If there is business that can pick one week into inception, then it’s cake making business. It is extremely profitable
Car wash
There are millions of cars plying on Nairobi roads. Since most people live in rented apartments, they prefer taking their vehicles to car wash for cleaning.
I can bear witness that none of individuals with car wash business in Nairobi is making losses.
Garage
Finally,try this and you will tell me the result.
Capital required—Ksh 300,000 to Ksh 1 million
Profit—-Ksh 3,000 to Ksh 20,000 daily
