If you’re looking to start your entrepreneurship journey and you’re convinced that an online business in Kenya is your sure bet, I’ll reveal to you some of lucrative easy to start online businesses to engage in today.
The internet has created thousands of opportunities for budding entrepreneurs.
Whether you are jobless and looking for a way to make money or simply looking for a way to supplement your income, there is an online business for you.
Please go through the below list and decide which is the right money-making venture for you.
In the words of Walt Disney, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” So, let’s get started.
10 Profitable Online Businesses in Kenya
1. Dropshipping In Kenya
Dropshipping is an eCommerce business where entrepreneurs create stores online and sell products without having to stock them. It’s quite a creative online business in Kenya.
As a dropshipper, you become a seller without buying product inventory or packaging and mailing the product to the buyer. You act somehow like a middle man linking a buyer to a seller.
To succeed in dropshipping, find a supplier stocking the kind of products you want to sell. Show these products on your online store and place adverts to attract customers.
You can post the same images as the supplier but remember to add a markup to cater to your profits. The people who buy from your site will send payments directly to you.
Once you receive the payment, redirect the order to the supplier and pay their price. The supplier will ship the product directly to the client.
AliExpress is one of the best places to source for suppliers. You can open your shop with international platforms like eBay and Amazon or market to customers here in Kenya.
2. Digital Marketing In Kenya
They say that the future of retail is online. The sudden crop of online shops in Kenya indicates that business owners are now shifting their operations online.
Even supermarkets with big physical shops are carving a niche for themselves in the online world. This shift has necessitated the evolution of digital marketers in Kenya.
Digital Marketing, as the name suggests, includes all marketing efforts done online. It is just like any other form of marketing, where sellers aim to connect with buyers; only that it is done online.
Digital marketing may involve blogging, email marketing, pay-per-click advertising, and much more. You can tap into any of these efforts to leap big in the digital marketing world.
If you want to go big on Digital Marketing, invest in a website and good content, both in word and video. You can sell different products through your website and earn a commission every time someone buys through your site.
Marketing through social media pages is also a form of digital marketing. You do not necessarily need to own the page, but you can offer the service to business owners looking to expand their market online. You can do this by starting your own online marketing agency.
3. Blogging in Kenya
Blogging is one of the most profitable online businesses in Kenya. The good thing with blogging is that you are not restricted.
You can blog about anything under the sun and monetize your blog to earn consistent income. Do you love traveling? How about you start blogging about the top tourist destinations in Kenya? Over time, the various stakeholders in the tourism industry may want to pay you to review their services or simply talk about them.
The same applies if you are a foodie. You can blog about food, offer cooking tutorials at a fee, or even market items like plates, cooking pans, and food on your blog posts at a fee.
You can also choose to offer blogging services to others. A well-written blog post can earn you anywhere from $10-$100 for 1000 words, and this is something you can complete in a day or less.
You may earn a little less if local blogger contracts you, but this should not discourage you. Through these local employers, you get to learn the ropes before you attract international and well-paying clients.
If you want to start your own blog today, here is a detailed guide on how to start a blog a blog that makes $1000 per month.
4. SEO Services In Kenya
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is an essential part of digital marketing. Good SEO will improve a website’s visibility on search engines, and the increased traffic will eventually lead to more sales and higher profits.
One of the SEO services you can offer is writing SEO-optimized content. You can narrow down your services to only target Kenyan clients.
Since you are more conversant with the needs of the people in the country, you are better positioned to do local SEO than an SEO expert based in the US.
More than enough website owners in Kenya are looking for SEO experts to drive their site to the first page of google.
If you study SEO and you can help these people get what they want, you can earn above Kshs 50,000 every month, even when working with one of the advertising agencies in Kenya.
You have to remember that SEO keeps changing and you must stay updated if you want to stand out from the crowd. Fortunately, learning resources are readily available online.
5. Web Design Services
Web design is another one among the best online business in Kenya that you can succeed in with minimal experience.
Poorly designed websites are a turnoff. If you know how to design websites and not only make them attractive but ensure that they are mobile-friendly, you can earn handsomely offering web design services.
Very few business owners know what it takes to make a presentable website. A random search will reveal websites that either looks unattractive or take too long to open.
Pitch directly to these clients and show them how your services will help their businesses. If you have samples of previous works, the better.
Like blogging and SEO services, you do not need to be an IT graduate to make it as a web designer. Learn through YouTube and keep on perfecting your skills until you become an expert.
You can start your training by creating your site where you let prospective customers know about your services. Keep on improving the site until it matches one done by seasoned Web Designers in Nairobi.
6. Start a YouTube Channel
Almost everyone is now starting a YouTube Channel to earn a part of advertisement revenue and influencer marketing.
There is no reason why you cannot join these people. As YouTube users grow above the 2 billion mark every month, it is easy to see why a YouTube channel is a good business to start in Kenya.
Growing a YouTube following as a celebrity is easy. However, even if you are not one, you can get a good following in just a few months.
The secret is to find a niche and create quality content around it. If you become an authority in a particular area, it will not be long before your viewers start to tag their friends to join your channel.
To make money through Ads, you do this by joining the YouTube partnership program once you have accumulated 1,000 subscribers and you have 4000 hours of watch time.
Starting a YouTube channel is free. You may need a few lessons on creating engaging content, but all this information is readily available online.
7. Create an Online Course
Creating Online Courses is an excellent place to start if you are looking for a simple business to start in Kenya.
What are you good at? If you are an accountant, you may be good at filing returns. Imagine the many small business people who wish they could get information on how to do their taxes?
What about those wondering how to make money online in Kenya? A course on how to accomplish this can earn you a decent amount.
Whatever your profession, you cannot lack one skill you are excellent in. Cash in on this skill by creating a course around it.
You do not have to be an expert while starting out. However, as long as you have a rough idea, you can research online for tips on how to fine-tune your course.
If you have no clue where to start where online courses are concerned, reflect back to yourself. What is that one thing that you struggle with?
It is highly likely that millions of other Kenya struggle with the same and are looking for solutions. Create a course on the same and offer well-researched insights on the topic.
Sell your course for a thousand bob or so if it is not too technical. You can push your sales by marketing the course on social media, but if the course is good, you will get referrals from people who buy your course first.
Also Read: how to make money online via Mpesa
8. Airbnb Business In Kenya
Airbnb is another good business in Kenya. Considering the many tourists coming to the country and looking for affordable accommodation and local travels looking for somewhere to spend the night, you cannot go wrong with Airbnb.
If you have a home close to a tourist hotspot in Kenya, you should consider converting it into an Airbnb.
Just post great pictures, do a good description of your services, and wait for clients to start streaming in. When marketing your Airbnb, focus on those features that make you stand out. It could be your fantastic location, your reasonable prices, or even the size of Airbnb that makes it suitable for a specific group of people.
Just like in the hotel business, you have to provide quality services for your clients. Ensure that all rooms and facilities are clean and charge a reasonable price for Airbnb.
There are some Airbnbs in Kenya that stay booked throughout the year, so this is a tried and tested business.
9. Video Editing Business
Video editing is an art that takes both skill and talent. Unfortunately, not many are keen to learn it.
If you love visual art and everything connected to video, you should consider offering video editing services. Since the market is not saturated, you will have an easier time getting clients and making money online in Kenya.
Such a business works great if you also offer photography services in functions such as weddings funerals and other ceremonies. Offer video editing in addition to photography and any other service.
As a video editor, do not restrict yourself to a specific area. You also do not need to rent a shop if you do not have the money for it. Just organize how clients can send their work for editing.
When starting, approach photographers in your region and offer to take the editing work off their hands. Many will be happy to subcontract you and use your services whenever they are overwhelmed.
There are several freelance video editors in Kenya who are making money thanks to their flexibility. Advertise for your services online and deliver quality to keep your customers coming back for more.
10. Online Consultancy Business
This list of the best online businesses in Kenya cannot be complete without mentioning consultancy business. A consultant is an expert in a specific field.
You can start an online consultancy that is in line with your career or what you do to earn a living. People are often in need of expert advice and are willing to pay to get an expert opinion.
Before starting a consultancy business, you must decide on the type of consultancy to run. Do you want to be a management consultant, a strategy consultant, an operations consultant, or a financial advisor? Whatever your choice, you must remember that your success will depend on your ability to meet your target client’s needs.
Some consultants team up with a few professionals who are experts in their field. This way, they offer a wide range of services to their customers.
Also Read: Blogging in Kenya
Parting Shot
These are the 10 best online businesses in Kenya. If you were keen, you must have noticed that the businesses can be started with minimal if any capital. You can do a more comprehensive research on either of them to see the benefits.
There are many more online business opportunities in Kenya that you can take advantage of, so do not limit yourself to these ten.
As long as you are willing to learn and perfect any skill, you can launch a profitable business online.
You also must remember that success doesn’t come overnight. It is through small but consistent steps that you will build a successful business.