With Sh5000 shillings (about $50) you have a wide range of profitable ventures you can out your money into. The Exchange has compiled a list of business ideas that one can engage in, with a capital of Sh,5000.
Make Brown Paper Bags
To buy the brown paper, you need between Sh2800-Sh3000 ($28- $30). That will get you enough paper for making several one kg, half a kg and two kg paper bags. The remaining Sh2000 ($20) can be spent on buying scissors, glue, hole punch and ribbon.
With the new rule that phased out use of plastic bags in the Kenya, this can be a cheaper way of availing these alternative packaging material to vendors in your local town. To know how to make these bags there are videos all over the internet, YouTube videos are some of the most clear tutorials for this venture.
Here’s a link to one of the tutorials:
This method can be duplicated across East Africa, especially in countries where plastic bags ban has taken effect already.
Invest in the reading culture:
We have seen a huge change in the reading culture among us. People like easily accessible books and that is where you come in. Buy eBooks in bulk and resell them to interested individuals. Here, most of the marketing is done on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. You would ideally join a specific group on say Facebook that would probably be dealing with marriage, parenting and such like issues and select books that would make sense to them. Then go ahead and market your hustle and make your products known to the general public. To invest in this you can start with as low as Sh150 ($1.5) and go up depending on the number of books you want to buy.
Second hand items:
Here you have a wide range of second hand products you can buy and resell and still make money out of it.
You may want to go into the shoes sector or clothes, whichever your preference is. Gikomba market in Kenya and Toi Market at Adams Arcade has a wide variety of these items. You select the best items from the bunch displayed and go home, take nice pictures of the items and price them. Then upload the images on social media platforms, watch them fly off the shelves.
Fashion industry is very lucrative and if you have a keen eye for what’s in fashion and what’s not, then you have an upper hand in this.
Personal lending:
Shylock make quite a kill on lending and as interest. Here you have to be very careful not to lend someone with a bad record. But pricing your loans at a relatively lower interest rate compared to financial lenders will place you at a competitive edge.
Ensure you give a strict timeframe for repayment and have the agreement written down on paper.
Cleaning services:
Most companies outsource cleaning services. You will need to invest in cleaning gear and spend some money on branding your business before you go out there sourcing for business. You can also buy some buckets, cleaning towels and rags, detergents, brushes, window polishing solutions among others as you set up and look for clients who want their homes or offices cleaned. You can even offer cleaning services to schools too.
Making deliveries:
Most online businesses are constantly looking for reliable errand people who can make deliveries for them.
You may want to start off by doing deliveries within a specific area that requires you to walk for about 20-30 minutes as you save up the charges to make a purchase of say motorbike, to ease your movement. This is a very lucrative business.
Event organising:
This time of the year is full of activities especially for corporates that are looking to have an end of year party. Present yourself to help organize these events and make money while at it.
Here you act as a link between the company and the service providers. You’ll get your commission from the service providers as well as the company for helping get the event on.
Printing business
Here, you just need to be on the lookout for people looking to print either, wedding cards, receipt books, eulogies, business cards, brochures, among others. Then get the price from an established printer and because you will be bringing printing jobs in bulk, you can negotiate for fairer prices. Then build the brand from there on. Here you need to be very keen as referrals and return customers are key to building your business.
Mobile Phone Accessories:
Chargers, screen guards, phone covers etc are a growing trend in the mobile phone industry. Find a vendor who sells these accessories in wholesale and then resell them.
The basic skill you may want to invest in here is learn how to change screen guards.
Shaggy Mats making
These are time consuming but worth every penny. Mats have a huge market especially if they are of good quality. You can either learn how to make them or have a group of people make them for you as you source for the market.
Jewelry making:
There are simple tutorials on how to make earrings, bracelets and neck pieces online. You only need to identify your strong areas and invest in it. While at it, you may want to learn how to market your stuff online too. That way you put into good use the existence of social media platforms to market your skill.
Nail Art
This is an emerging trend in the fashion industry all over the world. Here, your ability to wow your client with an amazing piece of art is what will separate the wheat from the chaff. You will need good photography skills on this to ensure you sell the intriguing designs in their actual form. You can walk into an already established nail art salon and ask to learn what they do to impress their clientele. Then get some ideas on how to achieve some of these unique designs.
