50 Businesses You Can Start With Little Capital in Kenya [2024 Ideas]

Are you looking to start a business but don’t have enough capital?

I know the feeling.

It can be frustrating to have that entrepreneurial fire and not be able to do anything about it.

That’s why we decided to make a list of businesses in Kenya you can start with little capital and turn a profit in a short time.

Of course, there is no such thing as a “Quick Fix” for your lack of funds. If you want to start with little capital and become an overnight success, I recommend you check out the lottery instead.

However, if your goal is to actually start a successful business that will last and succeed in the long term, then continue reading.

To be a successful entrepreneur, your business doesn’t need to have a huge starting capital – you need a good plan and a lot of passion for what you do!

But how much capital is enough?

How Much Capital Do You Need to Start a Business in Kenya?

Basically, it depends on the kind of business you have in mind. In general, the less risky the business, the lower capital it will require to start up.

If you’re planning to start a restaurant, for example, you will need a lot of money to set everything up properly and be able to attract customers.

On the other hand, you can start a Mitumba business with as low as KES 2,000. The point is that the amount of capital you need to start a business in Kenya will depend on several factors.

The factors include:

• The type of business
• Location of the business
• Whether or not you need a physical and permanent business residence

In this guide, we’re going to show you 50 profitable businesses that require minimal investments to kick off.

Make sure to read on to the end because you might find something that suits your passions and budget.

Best Businesses to Start with Little Capital in Kenya

• Mitumba Business
• Salon Business
• Smokies and Boiled Eggs Business
• Cybercafe
• Movie Shop
• Photocopy and Printing
• Blogging
• Affiliate Marketing
• Freelance writing
• T-shirt Printing
• Barbershop
• M-PESA Agent Business
• Small-scale Poultry farming
• Food delivery
• Daycare business
• Fruits and vegetable grocery
• YouTube channel
• Influencer marketing
• Online tutoring
• Ice cream business
• Photography Business
• Dropshipping business
• eBook Publishing
• Online courses
• Fast food joint
• Chips business
• Laundry business
• Play station
• Manicure and pedicure
• Massage parlour
• Mobile phones repair
• Events planner
• Business Consultancy
• SEO Expert
• Social media marketer
• Web development
• Landscaping and Gardening Services
• Brick making
• Retail shop
• Graphic design
• Coffee Shop
• Porridge business
• Small bakery
• Interior design
• Makeup artist
• Honey Business
• Tailoring

1. Mitumba Business

This is a business you can start with less than KES 5,000 and earn a good profit. All you have to do is buy second-hand clothes from abroad or a local mitumba supplier then sell for a profit.

The demand for mitumba clothes in Kenya is high. This is mainly because many people cannot afford to buy new clothes and prefer to go with the cheaper mitumba.

As a result, the return on investment (ROI) for this business is decent, and you should be able to turn a profit within a short time.

2. Salon Business

If you have basic training in hairdressing, this is a business you can start with 10,000 Kenyan shillings and be profitable. You will need to buy some equipment like pretty cheap hair dryers. You can even run this business from your home or wherever you wish.

3. Smokies and Boiled Eggs Business

These are simple and easy fast food you can sell on the streets. You only need to buy a frying pan and some skewers, and then you’re all set! You can easily make them at home and sell them on the streets, making good money every time.

4. Cyber Cafe

If you have enough capital, you can open your own cyber cafe. People are now spending more and more time online due to the availability of the internet, so you can start this business with as little as 25000 Kenyan Shillings.

5. Movie Shop

This is a low-cost business that requires capital ranging from 10,000 shillings to 1 million Kenyan shillings. You only need to buy a TV set, DVD player and some good movies (you can borrow from friends or relatives).

You can start this business as early as you wish because people always watch movies. So there is no specific season for selling movies, unlike other businesses that require seasonal products.

6. Photocopy and Printing

You can start this business with 10,000 to 50, 000 Kenyan shillings. All you need are photocopying machines and some paper. You can purchase the photocopy machine secondhand or buy a new one if you have enough capital.

7. Blogging

Blogs are becoming more popular by the day. They are basically web journals that you use to share your personal experiences. You can start this business using WordPress which is free and used by many bloggers around the world.

8. Affiliate Marketing

This is one of the most profitable online businesses to start with little capital in Kenya. All you need is a computer, internet connection, and some good affiliate marketing products you can sell online.

9. Freelance Writing

This is one of the most demanding businesses in the Kenyan job market today because there are not enough trained writers in this field. You only need to learn how to write various types of written materials that many people want.

10. T-shirt Printing

If you have the skills to design t-shirts, this is another business that can be started with little capital. You only need to buy a screen printing machine which is pretty cheap online or in shops around your neighborhood.

11. Fruits and Vegetable Grocery Business

You need a small kiosk in the market to start this business. You only buy fruits and vegetables from farmers or wholesale markets and then sell them at a higher price after adding value. Some people add fruits into porridge while others juice vegetables for extra income. Either way, it’s a profitable business!

12. Catering Business

Kenyans love good food, and a well-cooked chicken is a delight to anyone. So you can start this business with little capital, from 5,000 to 10,000 Kenyan shillings. You only need a few cooking utensils and ingredients for making delicious meals which will attract many customers.

13. Barbershop Business

Many men get bored with the same short hairstyle every day. So you can start this business, equip it with good equipment and begin by offering different types of haircuts to your customers. You can expand later if you want to offer other services like shaving beards or trimming mustaches.

14. Small-scale Poultry farming

This business can be started with as little as 10,000 Kenyan shillings. All you need are chickens, and then you’re all set. You can feed them using waste food or other products like maize cobs that many people do not need.

15. Social Media Marketing

If you know how to use social media, this is another business you can start with little capital. You only need a good networking site like Facebook or Twitter where you market products or services for different companies.

16. Tailoring

You can also start a tailoring business with as little as 10,000 Kenyan shillings. All you need is a sewing machine and some fabric which you can buy from various suppliers around your neighborhood or town. You only need to know how to use the sewing machine and create different types of clothes for men, women, and children.

17. Graphic Design

This is another form of freelancing where you design logos, business cards, and other types of graphic materials. You only need a laptop or computer with Photoshop installed to design different types of graphics.

18. Brick making

Start this business with as little as 30,000 shillings and purchase a brick-making machine that you can find in the market or secondhand from various suppliers. You only need to make bricks using clay soil, re-water and leave them for 24 hours before using them for constructing buildings.

19. Food Delivery Business

Many people do their normal business and hardly find time to cook a good meal. So you can start this business with little capital and begin by offering local food delivery services in your area or town. You only need to know the roads well so that you don’t take long before delivering different types of food to customers.

This will work better if you already have a bike or a car that you can use for the deliveries.

20. Daycare Business

This is another business that works perfectly well in Kenya. Many Kenyan parents have to travel long distances for work, and some of them are too busy with their own things to care for their children before they leave for school or go back home.

So you can start a daycare business where you care for children when their parents are busy or out. You need a small room or compound where you can keep the kids. You also need fun activities that the children can engage in so they don’t give you much trouble.

21. YouTube Channel

Creating a YouTube channel where you upload videos is another way of starting your own business. If you have a good sense of humor, this can be something that will allow you to make money easily.

There are many Kenyan celebrities who started their career by uploading comedy skits on video-sharing sites like YouTube or Facebook before they got discovered in the mainstream media.

22. Influencer Marketing

This is a modern way of marketing where you promote products or services through different social media platforms. You only need a good number of followers on your chosen social media platform before you can start working as an influencer for companies who want to sell their products and services.

This differs from affiliate marketing, where you earn a commission for every sale or action you drive. With influencer marketing, you just need to promote a product or service to your followers, and you will be paid whether it sells or not.

23. Event Planning Business

If you’re creative and know how to plan different types of events, then this business is perfect for you. You can start it with little capital after attending seminars or workshops teaching event planning. You can even take a short online course or have someone show you the ropes.

You only need a good number of contacts in most corporate organizations that are always looking for people who can plan special events like conferences, symposiums, and exhibitions, among others.

24. Photography Business

Kenya is a world full of scenic beauty, and many people would love to capture these scenes in their photos. So, even if you don’t have a good camera or are not creative, you can join the bandwagon by starting this business with little money.

First, you need only one decent camera to gain more clients. You can borrow or hire a camera and buy yours after you start making some money.

25. Online Tutoring Business

This business idea is one of the easiest you can start. You don’t need any qualifications or experience to become a tutor. All you need is to be good in a subject that someone else may not know and start sharing your knowledge online.

This can apply to your children, friends, and even yourself if you know something well. You will earn money from either group classes or private lessons, depending on what people want.

26. Ice Cream Business

An ice cream business is another good business that you can start with little money. You can either buy ice cream to resell or make your own. Don’t worry about the perfect location yet; you can start selling in your neighborhood with a pushcart.

You will need several ice cream sticks and cones to make a profit on the first day. Once you get more clients who trust your products, you can invest in an ice cream van or even open a shop.

27. Dropshipping Business

The dropshipping business is one of the best ways to start selling products or services online without having to stock or buy them.

You only need several suppliers who will sell you their products at wholesale prices. Then, all you have to do is create a website for your client and tell the supplier to ship the product directly to your customer.

This business saves you a lot of money and resources in the early stages which you can use to market your products or services.

28. eBook Publishing Business

You don’t need to have a diploma in creative writing to write a hit eBook. Anyone with basic writing skills can become an author and earn from their books.

With the advancement of technology, many people are now reading digital books on their tablets or phones as opposed to conventional printed books. In this case, you only need a laptop or a personal computer to get started.

29. Online Courses

If you have several skills to offer, then the online courses business is perfect for you. You can either teach one specific skill or multiple skills to different people depending on what they prefer.

You will need little capital at first because you only require a good number of students after which you can start earning money from your classes without having to worry about overhead costs.

30. Tea or Coffee Shop Business

If you are a tea or coffee lover, then this business will serve both your needs and desires. You can either start buying wholesale tea or coffee for resale to other people who really need it in their offices, homes, schools and so on.

You only need enough funding to buy the initial stock of tea, coffee and accessories you will use in your new business.

31. Lawn Mowing Business

If you have a lawnmower at home and don’t really need it for reasons best known to you, you can consider renting it out to people who want their own lawns neatly trimmed on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis.

You only need to advertise your services and wait for willing customers to place orders with you. However, ensure that you charge a friendly price because the competition is quite high in most urban areas.

32. Fast Food Joint

There are quite a number of famous fast food joints in Kenya that have acquired high levels of patronage from customers all over the country. You can consider opening one in your area or town. Doing so will require very little capital because you only require a small space for your business.

The ingredients for fast food are also pretty affordable making it well within the reach of most entrepreneurs.

33. Potato Chips Business

Potato chips make a very tasty snack and can be eaten with other foodstuffs like fried rice, French fries and so on. Providing this kind of snacks will require you to work closely with the right suppliers who will provide you with all the necessary ingredients which you can then use to come up with delicious recipes for your potato chips.

You only need a small space for your business and some money to buy the initial stock of raw materials and other accessories you will use in running the business.

34. Laundry Business

This is a business which you can run on a part-time basis while carrying on with your normal job. Doing so will allow you to enjoy the benefits of both jobs without necessarily compromising either one of them.

You don’t need a lot of money for this kind of business because it only requires a small space and some working capital to set it up.

The best part is, you can work at your customer’s resistance to avoid buying water or renting space.

35. Play Station Business

Gaming consoles such as PS5 and Xbox are quite popular among the youth and even some young at heart.

You can consider starting a play station business where you buy the systems and rent them to clients who would like to enjoy playing different types of games on these gadgets.

Before you get into this kind of business, ensure that it is allowed in your area or town because some communities frown at some types of games.

36. Manicure and Pedicure Business

Do you love beauty? Then, starting a manicure and pedicure business will work well for you. All you need to do is to look for a suitable venue where you can invite potential clients so that they can get their nails groomed or even painted according to their preferences.

You only need some money to buy the initial stocks of nail polish and other accessories you will use in your new business.

37. Massage Parlour

This is another business that most people find very interesting. It’s quite popular and has a large number of potential clients both in local and international markets. You can consider starting one if you love massaging and helping people to relax their muscles after a hard day at work or school.

You only require enough working capital to get started and the right place where you can set up your massage parlour.

38. Mobile Phones Repair Business

Almost everyone loves owning a smartphone or tablet. However, some of these gadgets get damaged easily making the need for mobile phone repair services quite high.

You can consider starting this kind of business because it doesn’t require much capital and it’s quite easy to source for necessary parts that you will use in repairing phones.

However, ensure that you have the necessary skills to carry out the repairs.

39. Cake Business

Do you love baking? If so, starting a cake business will work well for you. All you need to do is to come up with creative designs and flavours of cakes and make sure that your clients can conveniently order for them.

You will require enough capital to buy the initial supplies and also a well-located space where you can set up your bakery business.

40. Business Consultancy

This is one of the most profitable business ideas in Kenya for 2022. There’s so much you can do with this type of business because almost everyone needs help in doing their business well.

For instance, you may need to know how to manage your finances better, improve on your advertising strategies or even know when to acquire new stock for your business.

Although you will require some amount of money to start this kind of business, the returns are very high.

41. Stock Broking Business

Are you good at analyzing market trends? If so, starting a stockbroking business will be great for you because it only requires knowledge and skills in making sound judgements concerning which stocks companies to invest in and which ones to avoid.

You will require some working capital and the necessary skills for this type of business because it’s quite competitive. However, you can work with other stockbrokers with experience in the field but don’t yet have their own b businesses.

42. SEO Expert Business

One of Kenya’s most sought-after business ideas is starting an SEO Expert Firm. This is one of the businesses with a vast local and international job market.

You can earn very well by helping companies increase their potential customers through organic search engine optimization.

To start this kind of business, you will have to understand the algorithms used by search engines such as Google and Bing.

You will also require enough working capital, a website with basic SEO functionalities, and perhaps some employees who can help you do your work efficiently. So many local travel agencies do not use social media, making it very easy for people like us to market them through this platform.

43. Web Development Company

It’s among the most profitable business ideas in Kenya for 2022. You can start this kind of business with little capital and you only require basic knowledge of website coding languages such as HTML and CSS.

You can offer your clients web design services, build new websites for them or even maintain their present sites so that they remain up to date.

44. Retail Shop

One of Kenya’s most common business ideas is starting a retail shop. It’s a good idea to start if you have enough working capital because it requires no training or qualifications.

You will only need to ensure that your products are competitively priced and within reach of most customers. You should also focus on making your shop appear well-designed and professional to attract more customers.

45. Interior Design Business

If you are creative and good at designing, then starting an interior design business will be great for you. Interior design experts are needed in both home and corporate settings to help clients decorate their homes or offices.

You will require some working capital and you may need to acquire a few basic equipment such as computers so that you can produce professional-looking designs for your customers.

46. Honey Business

Are you located in a place with an abundant bee population? If so, starting a honey business is one of the best ideas for you because it’s really profitable and doesn’t require much capital.

You can start by selling the honey locally and as your business grows, you may want to export it to other counties. This will be wonderful because there are lots of people who use honey daily.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of extracting honey from the beehives, you can just buy it from someone who has managed to build a good relationship with beekeepers.

47. Makeup Artist

Every Kenyan lady desires to look stunning all the time. That’s why most of them buy cosmetics such as foundation, mascara, lipstick, etc.

However, not everyone knows how to apply makeup, and that’s where you come in. If you have sufficient training and experience in the field of makeup, then starting a small business, such as offering makeup services, will be excellent for you.

You will need a small working capital to start this business and require a few products such as makeup tools, brushes, cosmetics, and a few mirrors.

48. Porridge Selling Business

Kenyan love taking porridge, especially during the cold season. That’s why you can start a business that makes and sells this type of food.

You will need to have working capital as well as some storage equipment. You should also focus on having a good marketing strategy in place so that you can easily find customers who are looking for porridge.

49. Landscaping Business

Do you know some people make lots of money by starting landscaping businesses? This is one of the most profitable business ideas in Kenya for those with basic gardening knowledge and gardening skills.

Landscaping experts design and create attractive outdoor spaces such as rockeries, lawns, and flower gardens that will please the eye and the heart.

To start a landscaping business, you will need to have some working capital and essential gardening tools such as shovels, rakes, and other equipment that will help you during the process of designing.

50. M-PESA Agent Business

M-PESA is one of the best mobile money transfer services in Kenya, that’s why many people are using it to send and receive cash. This has led to an increase in the demand for M-PESA agents.

Registering as an M-PESA agent is easy and takes only a short time. This is a small business that you can start without any form of expertise. The only investment required for this business is the capital needed to meet the initial M-PESA agent float deposit.

How to Pick the Best Business Idea for You

Now you have many business ideas in Kenya to choose from. However, deciding which idea to start will rely heavily on your skills and interests.

If you are passionate about starting a particular type of business, then you should go ahead because this is one of the best ways to boost your chances for success.

On the other hand, if you find most of these business ideas unappealing, then your best option is to try and develop some unique ways of making money.

The good news is that there are many opportunities for everyone, and what matters most at the end of the day is perseverance and hard work.