Last updated on June 16th, 2023 at 12:09 pm
In this article, I will walk you through some of the best business to do online in Kenya.
Actually, these are the same ideas used by other Kenyans to bring in extra thousands of shillings every month on the side.
Not to sound like the online scammers you see online today, but you can do all of these businesses on the side.
This means that, if you are looking for a side hustle to supplement your main source of income, you are in the right place.
Don’t get me wrong here, you can engage in these ideas full time. I mean, if you pick one and it works well for you, by all means, go all in?.
With that said, let’s get down to business.
Best business to start online in Kenya now
One more thing before you get down reading;
I won’t just be giving you online business ideas in Kenya, you will also get proven strategies.
This means that after reading this article, you will walk away with a practical action plan. And you can get started almost immediately.
Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the best online businesses you can start in Kenya.
Why?
Because you literally don’t need any capital or college degree to get started.
For those who don’t have an idea of what we are talking about, affiliate marketing is getting paid to promote someone else’s products.
Here, you are being paid commissions (percentage of the sale) every time you bring in a buying customer.
How to get started now
First, you need to find a suitable and reputable affiliate program in Kenya.
Through my research, the most popular one is the Jumia Kenya Affiliate program (they call themselves KOL now).
Go ahead and sign up with them by creating an account.
If accepted, you can start promoting ASAP.
Another best affiliate marketing program in Kenya is our very own.
Yes, you can earn up to 10% commission on every client you point our way. Go learn more here.
Blogging
What is blogging in Kenya?
Blogging is the process of posting and sharing articles and your opinions on a platform.
The platform can be on social media (LinkedIn articles, Twitter, Facebook), or your website.
Now, the best way to blog in Kenya is by having your own website. Here you will be posting articles (blog posts) whenever you want, thus attracting readers).
Look at a guy like BikoZulu, the website is well known and attracts thousands of readers every month.
How to get started now
First, you need a domain name. This is the address people will use to access your articles.
Second, you need a hosting account. Here is where your website files will be stored.
Go check some of our cheapest web hosting packages here.
Once you have the website up and running, it is time to start publishing articles.
Now, this is where most people get stuck.
What do I post and how often?
Well, before getting started with blogging in Kenya, you first need to know what you are going to be writing about.
You can write stories (like Bikozulu does), write product reviews, like this guy does, or write news, like this one.
Whichever way you go, it needs to be from the heart. This is where you hear people talk about passion.
Why?
Because it gets tough sometimes blogging. And when that period comes, no amount of coffee or motivational quotes will get you started. Only do what you love, because it won’t feel like work.
How often should you post?
Here, pick the schedule and frequency you are most comfortable with.
But as your blog grows, you need to publish often, or else your readers will forget about you.
Reseller business
Reseller business in Kenya works like wholesale, but only that everything is done online. And the product you are reselling is an online service.
A popular reseller business in Kenya is hosting.
Here, you are collaborating with a web hosting company to Whitelabel their services to you.
What is white-label?
Well, let’s just say we are doing everything while you only sit and make money.
How to get started now
To start a web hosting reseller business in Kenya, you need a reseller hosting package.
Go ahead and get one here now.
While in there, pick the package you can afford, and upgrade to higher ones when the going gets awesome?.
Once you have the package, get a website with your hosting business name on it.
For example;
You can call it PandaHosting.co.ke.
By the way, that domain is available, and you can get it now at KES 399.
With your website up and running, it is time to start promoting it to attract customers.
Here are some promotion ideas
- Write educative and actionable articles like this one you are reading. And make it SEO friendly
- Use social media to share your products
- Advertise on Facebook and Google
- Word of mouth. Don’t underestimate that?.
Time for the next best business to do online in Kenya.
Selling online
Some call it online shops, others call it e-commerce.
Whatever you agree with, it is a way of making money online by selling products (digital or physical).
For example;
See those shoes you are selling in your boutique, you can open an online store for them. And then whenever someone orders them, you just pack and deliver using G4S or Wells Fargo.
How to get started now
This works for those with existing businesses.
But you can also start it as a new business.
First, think of a product you can sell online. It can be courses, physical household products, or anything (don’t worry, if it can be shipped, you can sell it online).
With the product ideas, go ahead and create a website by registering a domain name and getting that hosting account set up.
Now, install an e-commerce plugin like woocommerce and upload product images.
To promote it;
- Use articles. Here, you can write a review of the shoes you are selling, publish, and share them online.
- Go ahead and use Facebook advertising. See how to calculate the costs here.
- Join forums and groups on Facebook related to what you are selling
The next best business to do online in Kenya is;
Social media marketing
Social media a vast world full of ups and downs with loops holes anyone can fall into, whether big or small.
To make the matter worse, the platforms are evolving every day. What you knew yesterday is not what you will get tomorrow.
Despite this unfortunate trait, social media in Kenya is one of the best ways to promote a business.
Take advertising as an example.
You can reach up to 50K Kenyans on Facebook with a budget as low as 2K.
If you understand the ropes and strategies to grow a business on social media, you have yourself a money-maker.
How to get started now
To succeed as a social media marketing consultant in Kenya, you need to demonstrate your expertise. You need to show that you understand what you are talking about.
The next thing is showing the client that you understand their problems, then show how you are going to use social media to solve them.
For example;
If the client is seeking to drive awareness and reach more people, show how you are going to use social media to achieve that.
Freelance writing
If you love writing, you can make money writing online in Kenya.
As a freelancer, your work is taking on clients writing projects, getting it done, and get paid.
How to get started now
To get started with freelance writing in Kenya, you need a reliable internet connection and a laptop.
Then decide on the topics (niche). Some people go for article writing, while others opt for academic topics.
With the niche picked, now start working on your samples.
These are your tickets to getting clients.
Then start pitching your services to clients and attaching the samples of your work.
Consider joining;
- Upwork
- Fiverr
- Job boards
And other places like Facebook groups in Kenya where you can get writing work.
Wrapping up online business ideas in Kenya
There you have it, the best business to do online in Kenya.
Go ahead and follow the strategies given here and see how it goes.
All the best.