This is a stressful and uncertain times for all of us, the last few weeks have brought on unprecedented circumstances around the world with the spread of covid- 19 causing nations around the world to close borders, shut down businesses and quarantine millions of people. This new restrictions leave many of us without work and struggling to make ends meet. Luckily the internet and our very own business ideas provides us with an opportunity to start and operate a small business from our homes.
Below, I have outlines some few business ideas that you can start slowly.
- Serve the community by providing products and services. I recently visited my home upcountry. As I waited for a boda boda to ferry me to the village. I saw a pickup coming my way, it was my long lost primary school friend carrying some food items at the back of his truck. I asked him what they were and he told me since he lost his job he has been going to homes in the village collect food stuff from the shamba from different homesteads that have families in Nairobi. He then labels them with the name and phone numbers of the person whom he should take to. Once he is done collecting, he then begins his journey in Nairobi and other areas to deliver the food items to the designated owners at a fee. I thought to myself this is an excellent business idea he thought of starting.
- Start any food business. People will always eat regardless of any situations present. You can become a fruits vendor in the street as well as estates, you can buy the fruits at Marikiti market since they are cheap there then resell and make sure you make some profit in line with that you can hawk eggs, sweet potatoes, get fresh greens and go around estates, Another idea is start a cereal shop in the neighborhood where you live. you will definitely make a sale at the end of the day.
- Provide online lectures/learning if you can. Schools have closed. The need to learn however must go on. Students are suffering because of the unavailability of proper online courses that can help them cope with the situations and keep them on track. You can develop your relevant field studies and informational videos to help people. You can make them free or make them affordable to everyone.
- Offer Advises and consultations in your fields and areas concerning remote working. During this time a lot of businesses need help to stay afloat. For example, many people are afraid of visiting the hospitals If you are a medic you can start doing consultation work on phone at a fee then maybe someone can buy drugs at a chemist, same applies to teachers you can do videos and share with your pupils or organizations.
- Affiliate Marketing. This consist of promoting other companies services and products in return for a percentage in the sale. You can set up your own blog or use a social media profile to promote this affiliate link. The affiliate link will be generated specifically for you so that when one of your readers click on the link and make a purchase, the sale is tracked and you get a commission. The best part is you can help to sell almost any product or service without having to do the heavy lifting. Here are simple steps to find any affiliate marketing product.
- Choose a product you would like to promote.
- Search for product name plus affiliate program [amazon offers affiliate links for most products but not many services].
- Register and join the affiliate program.
- Access the affiliate link.
- Promote the link on your website and social media to start driving traffic.
- Voice over work. With the rise in the number of video ads on you tube, voice narration services have become increasingly popular. As a voice over service provider, you will need some equipment to get started. You should have a simple microphone, an audio mixer and easy to use editing software. Since you will be recording at home you will need a room that is strictly quiet.
There are no limits or restrictions on who can become an entrepreneur. There plenty of creative ways to make money either online or within the community. You don’t need an MBA or a million dollars to start up. All you need is an idea and the drive to see it through.