50 Businesses you can Start with Ksh. 20,000 or Less

Starting a business is not a luxury but a necessity for anyone whose aim is to transform the world, make some good money, and become a millionaire someday. The ground is so fertile and there are loads of people to patronize you. Even though entrepreneurs complain of the heavy taxes they pay, sometimes this cannot be compared to the profit that one will make.

Below are our top 50 lucrative business ideas you can work on;

1. Child care centers are commonly known as daycares.

With increasing cases of insecurity from the house helps who abuse or sell babies, many parents are now opting to take their non-school-going children to child care centers. Many middle-class parents leave home as early as 5:30 am and they get back home as late as 7:00 pm, thanks to the perennial traffic holdups on our roads, especially in Nairobi and Mombasa.

Daycare centers allow parents to leave their children in a secure and educational environment while at work. However, if you want to open one, the requirements are not as much as you may think.

2. E-commerce stores.

You can come up with an idea to provide a platform for the people to sell their items, by doing this you can make good money. One can tend to come up with an online store such jumia, OLX, pigiame, rupu etc.

Ask people to place their items for sale at a small fee and market this platform vigorously. Your platform should have categories like furniture, cars, utensils, clothes, gift items, books, jewelry, food, services. Be specific with your intentions. Complete it with beautiful pictures for easy navigation.

3. Event and party planning.

Every day, week, month, and year, people are parting. Corporate, religious, entertainment events, weddings and birthdays, and many other events are taking place everywhere and every time. Planning and holding parties can be so stressful and most people who are throwing these events and parties are busy and may desperately need others to plan and execute for them. This work goes for a flat fee, depending on the size of the party. By targeting 2 or 3 parties or events in a week, just imagine how much you can make in a year.

If you are good at a particular area or subject, you can also teach it to others at a fee. These people could be students, business people, or employees. You stand a good chance of making money with this business idea. You can choose to do it face to face or online.

4. Janitorial services.

Residential and commercial buildings must be regularly cleaned. With many companies and county governments now outsourcing their cleaning needs, for the business premises and buildings, the opportunity is in offering cleaning services. With only a few cleaning tools and shampoos, you can negotiate with the owners of the buildings and businesses to clean their premises at a monthly fee. You can charge a fee of sh100, 000 to Ksh 500,000 depending on the size of the building.

5. Garbage collection.

Garbage collection services by local authorities in Kenya collapsed decades ago. These services are now provided by private entities and individuals. For residential areas, the major opportunity is in the garbage collection and the disposal of garbage generated in the houses. Walk around and sign homes to collect garbage from at a fee, maybe sh500 per month. With thousands of people have built their homes in the urban areas, this business opportunity is limitless.

6. Agribusiness value addition.

Kenya’s economy is essentially still agri-based and looking around almost every home in the rural and many urban homes, there is always some sort of agriculture going on. Food is and will always be a demand in the whole world. Agribusiness is one of the biggest business ideas in Kenya or the whole world. You can’t go wrong if you choose to add value to agricultural produce and sell. For example, instead of selling milk alone, you can turn that milk into mala (sour milk) or cheese. You will fetch much better prices in the market.

7. Poultry business.

Starting a poultry farm can appear easy but starting it as a business is something different. This means that you are not only a chicken farmer but also an entrepreneur. When starting this business, you will need to define your target market and the part of the chicken industry you intend to venture into. The chicken industry has two parts; layers, where the chicken bred also lay or produce eggs, or Broilers, where chicken is bred mainly for meat.

8. Freelance writing.

It is always very possible to become either a full-time freelance writer earning a living or to be a part-time freelancer supplementing a regular paid income. You can also do it for fun or build another broader portfolio of skills. You will get the basics on what it takes to ease your way into freelance writing as a career or to be put properly, turn your writing hobby into a carrier that does not affect your day job.

9. Pest control business.

If you always think of starting a business that can guarantee you a steady income, then one of your opinions should be starting a pest control business. Pest control involves the eradication of potentially harmful insects and rodents in residential properties. These days more and more people are conscious of eradicating things that might bring ill-health. This can be a very good business to start.

10. Disc jockey.

Employ your compilations of music from a variety of eras to please every generation in music. The wedding DJ can make or break the event. If you have a lot of energy, a knack for detail, a love for music, and personality, this could be the perfect role for you. Some DJs also serve as wedding planners. By learning both trades, you can make yourself good money.

11. Car washing.

Cars get dirty and need a regular wash but most people have no time to spare. Driving to the car wash to get your car professionally cleaned is much easier and faster than spending time washing it yourself.

Starting a car wash requires having a free space and some money to buy possibly a bar soap or foam and sometimes a piece of cloth to wash with.

12. Mobile device repair business.

People will always come with their mobile phones and that is why you can pick the trade of a phone repairer up. The first rule, before starting this business you will have to acquire some phone repair skills because you have to win the trust of your client and to be on top of the game to gain more clients.

13. New and second-hand clothes.

The clothing store industry comprises of small retail stores that sell a limited range of clothing and accessories. You can decide to start selling mitumba by the street and get a shade that u sell your second-hand clothes.

14. Chemical merchant.

Demand for some chemical products is high. Homemade chemicals are always the best alternative for some people. Most of the local hotels use these homemade detergents for their clients to wash their hands before and after meals. This can grab you money as a business by just identifying which hotels to sell to.

15. Soap making.

Soaps are part of the products that are made from chemical products and they are used for washing and bathing. No doubt there is a large market for soap and the industry is still pretty much open as many people are ready to make soaps.

16. Airtime selling

Sell recharge cards, the lower denominations to friends, colleagues, and family and make some small cash for you, it does not anything to start at least with Ksh 5,000 or even less.

17. Laundry services.

This business is good and cheap to start. There is a large market for this, many Kenyans are busy with work and how they can make money, and sometimes doing laundry is a problem.  You can start a laundry business by giving out your contacts on how one can get you. Most people call them mama wash. Or you walk door to door to ask if you can get some task to do.

18. Brick molding.

The real estate market in Kenya is growing. Demand for affordable homes is on the rise. Bricks are affordable to produce and thereby providing affordable building options. All you need is a brick-making machine, enough subsoil, spades, and labor.

19. Appliance repair.

Fix your customer appliances and other electronic equipment. Many Kenyans have both electrical and electronic appliances that they want to fix; you can tap into this business and make good money.

20. Computer repair.

With the increase in the sales of computers and laptops in the Kenyan market, the scope of repairing services will automatically grow in Kenya. Computer Repair and maintenance service is a good business idea to start.

21. E-book writing.

If you enjoy writing and you know the technique of making an e-book, then e-book writing is one of the best business ideas for women. You can start selling these e-books from your website, blog, or Amazon.

22. Selling snacks and drinks.

Snacks are everyone’s in-between meals as they come in handy at the office, in school, on special occasions such as parties, meetings, conferences, and seminars, and also along roadsides. Soft drinks usually accompany them as well just think of selling egg rolls, sausage rolls, donuts, and other tasty light snacks like cakes. These can be sold in schools and in busy places like bus stations and commercial areas along with milk, yogurt, and also water.

23. Private tutor.

How about teaching children after school? Many parents are busy and cannot afford to pay home teachers, you can organize a small after-school lesson from home and charge just a little less than the home teachers and make some cool money. You have to choose your subject(s) of expertise.

24. A saloon or barbershop.

This kind of business is always underrated but the rewards are handsome. You can start the business by visiting clients in their homes and then later look for a physical location where your clients can trace you easily. The capital required to start a saloon always depends on the location and the size of your business. For example, in Nairobi, there are saloons that charge up to sh50, 000 but head but the normal rate ranges from Ksh 600 per head.

25. Boiled eggs and sausages.

If you are a small entrepreneur or you have little capital which will not be enough to start a big business, this is where you can start. To start sausage, samosa and eggs business you need a capital of between Ksh 2, 000 to Ksh 10,000. What is surprising is that this kind of business is very profitable. With this type of business, you can make profits of up to Ksh 48,000 per month in Nairobi.

26. Food truck and food cart.

If you have not noticed, food trucks and food carts are more than just hot dog and burger stands now. Many are in the cutting edge of the cities in which they operate. if you can cook and drive and you don’t mind putting in some long hours, you can have a successful business in the portable restaurant space.

27. Coffee Bar or tea saloon.

You do not have to go crazy here. We are not talking about a full-blown restaurant, which is likely to go beyond your budget. You can open a little space that has a nice selection of coffee and teas, and maybe some snacks. Keep it open from morning till lunch this is to catch the commuters and the office crowds. Of course, the location of this business matters a lot and it is very important too. It can be as small as a cart if you can find a way to efficiently store your product and your equipment.

28. Rare book dealer

This business is very easy to get into but somewhat harder to turn into a full-time gig. Just start buying rare books and try to sell them out, and you can be a dealer of rare books. The challenge can be selling enough rare books often enough to sustain a full-time business, but for those who are up to it, the rare book game can be a lot of fun.

29. Pet grooming.

People love their pets and regret not having the time they’d like to take care of them. You can always help assuage their guilt and keep their precious furry friends clean and clipped with pet grooming business; this can only work best with you if you are a fun pet too.

30. A home-based food business.

Can you cook for any reason? You might have your chance if you start a home-based food business. Unlike a restaurant or even a food truck, with this business, you can prepare everything in your own home and then deliver it to a client or even have your clients order what they want, and then they eat up later.

31. Commercial real estate broker.

There is no reason to sugar coat it; this is a tough business indeed. But if you can network and sell enough to make it in commercial real estate broker, your business venture could be staggeringly successful. This is not something you can just jump into, all states require real estate brokers to be licensed, and acquiring a license could require up to 90hours of course work.

32. Firewood services.

If you are not a lumberjack, you are still okay to start a business running a food service. A blaze in the fireplace is wonderful on cold nights, but getting and storing firewood can be a real pain for a lot of people. You can make this easier by delivering wood to them.

33. Hauling services.

Everybody has junks. People moving into or out of houses, people outhouses and people who need to get rid of natural debris such as tree limbs and piles of large weeds could all use someone with a truck to take that stuff away.

34. Carpet installation.

Hardwood floors might not be the rage in homes now, but plenty of places still need carpet installed. Offices, for example, almost always have carpeted floors, as do hostels, many apartments, and some restaurants. Whenever there is a commercial real estate, there is a need for carpet installation.

35. Construction services.

In many states’ construction projects starts to bloom. And they are not just housing and commercial buildings, either. Garages, sheds, and playhouses are also in the works. With the right skills and tools, you can create a successful business doing local residential construction projects.

36. Fabric covering.

Old furniture can look new with the right treatment. A re-upholstery job can extend the life of a sofa or chair by years. And the furniture is expensive, so people are looking for ways to make their furnishing last. That’s where you come in, with a business that offers fabric coverings for furniture or just about anything else fabric can cover.

37. Vacuum cleaner and repair.

Vacuums are supposed to suck and it is a problem when they do not. Vacuum cleaner repair businesses are becoming increasingly rare, but vacuums still break, meaning there is a huge opportunity for you to start a repair business yourself.

This is possibly one of the most lucrative fields to top into in the digital edge. Professional blogging requires only a minimal startup cost. You only have to invest in a domain name and hosting space initially at least. This is best if you are into writing.

38. Online fitness instructor.

The world is looking at how to get fit. While not everyone has the time or inclination to visit the gym or join any fitness classes, the idea of fitness instructors visiting their homes or houses and helping them get in shape is definitely more appealing to them.

Those looking to launch a business in online fitness should spend their money on maintaining a strong online presence through their website and social media pages, considering that they do not have to rent a studio space or equipment.

39. Dance or a music school.

The only investment that those looking to run a dance or a music school is a rental space. Besides this, the business runs on their skill as an instructor as well as their active presence in respected circuits. As the business grows, they may need to set aside an amount for the salary of an assistant or associate as well, but in the initial stage, the trick is to make sure that enough people are recommending your school to its potential students.

40. Translation services.

In the light of globalization, the influx of overseas business deals has risen fourfold, and in many cases, it is difficult to have meetings with the locals considering the lack of a common language for communication. Thus, translators are high in demand, and those looking to go into the business would be happy to know that the cost for setting it up is based at a bare minimum. The only real thing that they need is to attend classes on a particular foreign language to become fluent enough to practice it.

41. eBay selling.

There are really some people who make decent people living buying things at the garage sales and flea markets and selling them on eBay. Big secrets? Stick to products you know or you can learn before you start extremely well, package your goods carefully, and provide impeccable customer services. It helps to have a digital camera or a scanner, but it is not required. In Kenya here people call them mali.

42. Shoemaking.

These are the people that most do look down upon. You can start in an open space by making and repairing shoes it always has a market as there are so many people who want to repair their shoes instead of buying a new one.

43. Personal services- shopping and errands.

This is a great business idea especially heading into a holiday season. Believe it or not, there are people who would not be caught dead going anywhere near a mall to do shopping, but they are not comfortable with buying certain items online, either. Alternatively signing up to run errands on an app like Task Rabbit or deliver food through services like postmates, can immediately provide a good client base.

44. Selling baby diapers.

Unlike in the past, diapers have become a norm in every household with a baby. You can try to take advantage of this new market by selling diapers. All you need to do is get a supplier who can sell them to you at a discount and then your work will be distributed. You can start with where you live by targeting homes with babies.

You can start by door-to-door delivery. The good news is that you can start this business with less than Ksh 5,000 as long as babies are been born be assured that you will never lack a market for this commodity.

45. Juice blending.

With so many terminal illnesses like cancer, most people opt to stay away from processed foods. This is always where the juice blending business comes in. You can require about Ksh 3,000 to buy a blender and other containers and you are off to go. With as little as Ksh 10,000, you can start this profitable business.

46. Selling women handbags.

Women love fashion and looking good. You can start selling handbags that fetches a very good profit. People who are in to this business always have a constant supplier or get their products from Eastleigh. If you are an active user of social media, you can use your Facebook page and Instagram account to market your products.

47. Cleaning service business.

This is one of the most profitable businesses. It took parapet, one of the biggest cleaning service providers only 10k to start. He started by hiring women who would clean houses in estates at a charge of 1000 shillings. He would pay these women 500 shillings. Before long, the business had grown and he had to register it as a company and now making up to 15 million in a month.

48. Consulting

If people always come to you for help in certain areas, maybe it could be the prime time to give it a try and offer services to people with a fee. Businesses need consultants who can help them realize their missions and visions. This job would require you to have expertise in a certain field.

You can be paid to offer advice and also teach it to others at a fee. These people could be students, business people, or employees. You stand a good chance of making money with this business idea. You can choose to do it face to face or online.

While most people will complain of lack of a job, there are many opportunities available for anyone whose focus is earning a livelihood and making money. Any idea you will implement? Tell us in the comment box below.

49. Fruit Vendor

Fruits are a necessity and cheap. Therefore, you can be able to buy fruits of different kinds in bulk and sell them at a cheap price. You require to set this business in a street with high traffic or places near a hospital, campus, or bus station.

50. Printing/Photocopy services

This job mainly is advantageous in places near campuses or government offices. The only thing you would require is renting a cheap place and having a computer and printer. You can also provide scanning services, typing, and data entry services at a fee.

Winding up.

While most people will complain of lack of a job, there are many opportunities available for anyone whose focus is earning a livelihood and making money. Any idea you will implement? Tell us in the comment box below.