With the increasing rate of unemployment in Kenya, many people are turning to self employment as the way forward. As much as it is enterprising to have a go at running a business, not all of us have ready capital. That said, with determination on your end, there are a number of low cost businesses that can still thrive.
1.Fruit and juice parlour
Due to more information about benefits of fruits being made available, many who normally won’t eat fruits everyday are substituting one meal for fruits. Your fruit and juice parlour can be a street cart, a stall, a small office-to-office business or a restaurant.
2.Ice lollies
There are different types of ice lollies; those made from fruits, juices, milk or your basic water, sugar, food colour and flavour.  It’s a fairly simple business but for commercial purposes, you need to consider speed and capacity.
3.Second hand clothes
With this business you have the option of going to a flea market and buying clothes at a reduced cost for resell or invest in buying a bale which comes with more pieces of clothing at a better cost, thus better profit margins. Nowadays, bales are available for almost every clothing item and they packed very well.
4.Women intimate clothing
Bras and panties are a necessity. Before embarking on this business you will need to do some research because trends keep changing and you would not want to dead stock. You can import the pieces of clothing or buy at wholesale costs locally from places like Kamukunji in Nairobi.
5.Arts and crafts
You can make money from your creations with minimal capital. There are many business opportunities to choose from: jewellery design, home décor, soft furnishings like rugs and carpets, greeting cards, candle making, drawing and painting, embroidery and knitting, cloth designing, photography, floral artistry- the list is endless.
6.Food distribution
Food is a basic necessity and food businesses are very popular. Food distribution will involve supplying food to your customers for breakfast and lunch. You can also choose to have a different setup where you target single people and supply cooked meals to be refrigerated or frozen.
