Smokie Business & Other Great Ideas That Can Earn You Big Profits

Starting a business is always the best alternative to the ever elusive jobs. However, even if you are employed, you can still do business alongside your full-time job.

All that matters for you to be successful in business is your managerial skills, a good customer service, your vision and last but not least, an ideal business location.

Although certain businesses can’t be put up without access to large amounts of capital, it is still very possible to start a very profitable business with very little capital.

This article will take you through some business ideas that can be executed with even as little as Ksh.5000.

How to start a smokie business in Kenya

1. A smokie business

You need a vending cart which costs roughly about Ksh 5000.

You will need kachumbari which costs around ksh 200 to buy onions, tomatoes, dania, tomato source, and chili source.

You need 22 pieces (a packet) of smokie costing around ksh300-350.

One smokie usually cost ksh25 so if you multiply by 22 pieces, you get Ksh550.

The profit you’ll be making per packet is Ksh200. So imagine if you sell at least 3 packets per day and maybe even sell the same amount of eggs as well. You will make around ksh1200 daily.

Per month you will earn an average of ksh36,000, which is equivalent to the salary of someone who is employed in an office.



Then look for strategic positions where there is a high number of people. Consider the following locations:



Near bus stops and stages



Areas around learning institutions



Around bars and clubs



Near hospitals and industrial areas



Junctions



Market places especially in town



Note:  This business is not for the faint-hearted, you have to be patient, consistent and ready to make losses.



In towns, especially in Nairobi, a smokie business can be quite harsh due to city council askaris (Kanjo) who will from time to time demand a share of your earnings.



2. Barbershop and salon



As much as most people underrate this job that it's for uneducated, it is one of the most lucrative businesses that has potential of making you good money.



You can start by visiting clients in their home, then make enough money to finally rent out a place.



A standard salon or barber stall goes for Ksh.6000 to Ksh15,000 depending on location. From there you can work on getting cash to buy more equipment that you need.



3. Printing and photocopy business



If you are in college or university, this is one of the most profitable businesses you can start. This business is also appropriate for those people who reside near a college or university.



Starting such business will require a starting capital of less than Ksh7,000.



4. Selling mitumba or second-hand clothes



This is also one of the most lucrative business ideas. The good news is that you don’t require much capital to set up this business.



With as little as Ksh1000, you can start make a living.



All you need to do is find a good location and know where you will be buying the clothes from.



With this business, on an average day, you can be assured of not less than Ksh500 each day.

5. Movie shop



This is one of the top business in Kenya that you can easily venture into. With as little as Ksh20,000, you can start a movie shop.



If you have a computer or a laptop already, you can just rent out a room and start selling your movies.



6. Operating a Boda Boda



If you are still looking for a job and have some money saved up, this is a good business start.



A single motorcycle costs between Ksh40,000-Ksh120,000.



This is what you need, primarily, to start this type of venture. And since the business is booming, regardless of the county you operate from, not a single day will pass without realizing a net profit of at least Ksh1,000 per day.

7. Mpesa Business



M-Pesa has grown tremendously and it is one of the lucrative business ideas in Kenya today.



Even though this business seems crowded, no matter where you are operating from, you will still make a profit.



With at least Ksh100,000 you can start an Mpesa shop but if you someone gives you their line to operate with, you only require about Ksh50,000.



8. Making beaded handbags and sandals



One kilogram beads cost Ksh370 in Nairobi. For a handbag and sandals, one kilogram of beads is enough.



Selling cost of those sandals and handbag will range from Ksh3500 to Ksh4000.



Training cost and equipment costs such as needles and string can be about Ksh3000 and Ksh600 respectively.



This is one of the unique business ideas in Kenya which you can definitely opt for.



9. Recycled product business 



People in Kenya believe in art and they do not want to waste product. Startup cost and the initial cost for this business is low. One thing that you require is an innovative idea.



For instance, you can create roofing tiles from waste plastics . Small pieces of waste cans, old plastic buckets will help to make the roofing tiles. The initial investment for this business would be around Ksh50,000 to Ksh60,000. 



10. Wallpaper selling



Selling wallpaper is one of the viable business ideas in Kenya. Most of the people in Kenya live in houses with dull paint.



Painting is basically done by their landlords. Many people will be happy if they get better interior looking.



As a businessman, you will be dealing with handy wallpapers. You can get this kind of wallpapers from the local wholesalers or get them by importing from other countries.



The cost of ten meters of wallpaper roll can be around Ksh1600. Including other expenses, the total expense of the business might be approximately Ksh1800 to Ksh 2000.



After getting the material you can sell that wallpaper roll for Ksh3600 including installation charge for Ksh1500. It can generate double profit and more revenue. 

11. Event Planning and party planning



Religious events, birthday parties, weddings, and other events are taking place in Kenya every day, week, year or month.



Holding parties and planning for the parties is very stressful. The fee of the event planning business depends on the size of the party.



The business event management will require very low capital. The initial expenses of this business can be divided into separate groups, such as initial marketing cost, registration expenses of the business, other equipment, a computer or laptop, and a printer.



Capital expenditure can be about Ksh60,000 while the cost of a computer should be around Ksh30,000. Printer cost can be around Ksh5000.



Registration of the business will cost you around Ksh10,000. Marketing costs in the initial stage should fall within Ksh10,000 and office supplies of the business may be around Ksh4,000.