Richard Branson said, “A big business starts small.” Every business is conceived from an idea, then later, it transforms.
In today’s post, we’ll dive into how to succeed in business in Kenya. We all want to achieve, whether in business or life.
However, sometimes we meet challenges and miss opportunities. But we can counter all these by having a plan and staying committed.
So what counts as a business?
A business is a transaction between a buyer and a seller. The exchange must involve a good or service and payment for it to complete.
Selling to friends or neighbors can be termed a business transaction. Large and small businesses can depend on the products or services rendered.
Both operate under the same parameters of buyer and seller. These are the core elements of a business:
- Product/service- it’s what the business provides by bringing a gap in the market. Aim to solve a problem.
- Marketing – is showcasing your business using different channels. It involves reaching out to clients and sharing about your business.
- Finances – are resources that help you run the business—separate personal finances from business finances.
- Strategies and plans- it’s how you plan on implementing business success.
- Team – the driving force that will interact with clients and make sales. Choose the best team to grow your venture.
Every business needs to have these elements to scale. Starting a business becomes less challenging when you have this in mind.
How do you start a business in Kenya?
Before starting any business, you need an idea! It’s the first step you take to bring your business to life.
- Idea: It’s a thought crafted from brainstorming or research. It can also come from friends and family or even from daily challenges. It’s from the idea that a business is born.
- Find a business name: What name will you give your business? Will it be easy and marketable? Consider having a name that best suits your business. Make it simple and reliable for your business. A character can help the business scale or downfall!
- Gather resources – these are the necessities you need for your business and include finances, strategies, and goals. Have this in place before taking the next step.
- Register your business- go to the right offices and get your business permit. Alternatively, register your business online, print out the access, and start operations.
- Market your business- let people know about your business. Use free platforms like Google, emails, and Social Media; later, use paid services to reach many.
- Start your business operations- bring products and services and attend to clients’ needs.
- Set up business insurance- protect your business and get it covered. It makes sure your business is set up for success.
Starting a business is relatively easy; running it makes it challenging. You have to keep up with the competition and trends.
To succeed in business in Kenya, one needs these traits:
- Time management- plan for your business activities. Ensure you tend to your business by managing time effectively. Keep consistent business operating hours.
- Consistency- keep working daily, don’t stop because you’ve reached a target! Set new ones and keep smashing them!
- Goal-oriented- be smart, and set achievable goals and targets for your business. Take time to plan and implement new strategies.
- Keep innovating- always learn and improve your business. Better your services and products as well as customer relations.
- Watch the books- ensure to account for finances. Keep a good record of transactions and business operations.
With these, operating your business becomes easy so is scaling. Build a good reputation for your business by having a strong rapport with clients.
Ensure you offer the best and keep up with trends. Have the best team and always reward them for the services they offer.
9 Ways To Succeed In Business In Kenya
Have a strong marketing strategy
Marketing is the best way to reach people and showcase your business. A strong marketing campaign has positive results.
Good results are those that help the business scale. They also help you know what to focus on and what not to do.
Campaigns transform people into your business clients. From seeing a campaign to purchase, that’s a successful strategy.
Aim to outdo your competitors by advertising effectively. Don’t include services not rendered, for this will cost you!
A campaign is only enough if the goods and services are proficient.
Provide the best goods and services.
Every business runs on a service or product. It’s what brings and maintains clients, which later scales your company.
To succeed in business in Kenya, you need to offer the best. It means outdoing the competition by being unique and providing extra services that your competitors don’t.
Ensure your goods are fresh and reliable. Create a good rapport with clients and seek feedback and improve on areas you’re failing.
Learn to understand clients’ needs and provide for them. Also, listen and understand what the client demands.
Practice good business relations and ensure your clients always get what they need.
Innovate
Everyone in the business world wants to be successful. Success comes from a series of innovations, consistency, and hard work.
Remaining at the top is challenging as the market keeps changing. But with innovation, one can counter that!
To innovate means incorporating knowledge learned and improving every day. Innovation is done by keeping up with trends by reading and researching.
Learning about market trends and competition is a good way to scale. With that in mind, one builds strategies that grow your venture.
Focus on building a reputable brand and keep innovating.
Be open to changes
It’s another way to succeed in business in Kenya! Being open to changes means accepting different business approaches to business transactions.
Learn about different strategies used by successful brands and incorporate them. Be able to use old, outdated methods.
Take inputs from your employees and clients. Keep learning, take risks, and try new things for your business.
Find out what works and keep improving your business.
Plan ahead
Business success needs one to have a plan. The plan is responsible for incorporating different aspects that transform the business.
Business plans are very vital; one can use them to source finances. “Failure to plan is planning to fail” words said by Benjamin Franklin mean a lot.
A plan helps you deal with future challenges. It makes it easy to incorporate changes and learn about your business’s success.
Make a business plan and implement different strategies to help your business grow. Take your time with a plan!
Research on the market and trends
Research is what keeps you ahead! With this kind of knowledge, implementing successful campaigns is easy!
Ensuring you succeed in business in Kenya and understand market operations and trends. Both the market and trends influence pricing and demand.
Leveraging the knowledge learned will have you scaling the business. It will also save your business from losses.
Take time to learn about the market before jumping into the business. Also, understand the current trends that help run the business.
Attend business conventions
Business conventions are another way to scale your business. Conventions are opportunities where brands meet and exchange ideas.
Here also, one can encounter clients and business partners. Later use the partners to take the business to another level.
Use the convention for marketing your brand. Share about your services and products with potential clients and associates.
Also, ensure to take notes from established brands. Ask questions and listen to experiences that others have taken.
Learn from others and make strategic plans that best fit your business.
Have a passion for the business.
Loving what you do is a way to succeed in business in Kenya. It makes it easy to work as it doesn’t feel like work but more of an accomplishment.
When you love what you do:
- Managing time and other resources is easy- it becomes part of your activities, and doing them makes you happy.
- Rewards are amazing- one likes working! You also feel a sense of accomplishment for running the business.
- Become contented – it becomes easy to manage the business. You incorporate the best practices that keep your business scaling.
Having passion is very crucial as it’s what will drive you. Find what work fulfills you; plan, gather resources, and start working.
Practice good business practices.
With the right business practices, the business can succeed. Good business practices involve:
- Having a good rapport with clients ensures that you communicate effectively and also listen to your clients.
- Rewarding loyal clients – offer discounts and after-sale services for free. Ensure they always get what they need.
- Have good records – maintain all the business transaction records. Keep the books straight and ensure to account for all resources.
These practices will help you run your business effectively. Learn more about business practices that help you succeed and incorporate them.
Wrap up;
As seen, to succeed in business in Kenya is simple. Incorporating these practices will help you transform your business.
Making your business successful is everyone’s goal. Challenges are part of growth, and having a plan will always help.
Take time to build your brand and always be open to change. Remember to keep up with trends and competition by innovating.
That’s it; build a successful brand! Use the traits and strategies from this post and start and scale your business!