We are at that time of the year where leaving the house without a jacket or umbrella is like a suicide mission. The rains are beating, really good. Kenyans, being a very creative nation are making money by offering services to people affected by the rain in one way or the other.
Below are small enterprises that are making money in this rainy period.
Cleaning muddy shoes
In 2019, as a nation, we are still struggling with mud when it rains in our capital city. This challenge has made several women busy bees by inventing a cheaper ways of cleaning muddy shoes for city dwellers and traders.
Armed with a jerry can full of water, a container and a rag, a muddy shoe is cleaned for only Sh20. These women lined up in busy streets can tell which part of the city a person comes from judging from the color of the mud on one’s shoes.
Shoe Shinning
It goes without saying that once a shoe has be cleaned with water and soap, it requires some polishing to make it look appealing. Shoe shinners who are strategically distributed in the CBD give one of the best services one can receive for as low as Sh30.
The rainy season has favored these enterprises as they receive more customers than a month ago. This business requires little capital and resources, having a team of people to partner with makes it even easier.
{ Read: Explainer: Weathermen discuss what happened with Kenya’s long rains }
Coffee, Tea, porridge hawking
When it rains, it is cold. The best way Kenyans know how to keep cold at bay is by having a cup of hot tea or coffee or porridge depending on where you originate from. Mostly its tea. The hawkers are very smart as they only emerge when it is about to rain, when it is raining and when the rain has stopped.
A tumbler of coffee or tea goes for Sh10, the lowest quality, with a cup of hot porridge costing Sh30. These are easy and cheap ways for a person who forgot their pullover to keep warm and a for business man to make money.
Shower caps and umbrella hawking
The main market target for this commodities are ladies. Hair is believed to be a crown for most women and that means protecting it from unfavorable conditions like weather. It is no surprise to see a lady remove her pullover to cover her hair.
Shower caps only cost Sh50 with umbrellas going for Sh 200. This is one business enterprise that was starved of customers a month ago, but right now they are making a killing. From people who forgot their umbrella to those who lost it on their way to or from work.
{ See also: Why you should get a Small Business loan }
Road side snacks
This ranges from roasted maize, groundnuts, boiled eggs and smokies spiced by Kachumbari. These commodities are on demand at the moment from pedestrians, drivers and PSV touts.
These ventures are mostly found in densely populated streets and are easy to run with low capital and better returns. The cheapest snack goes for Sh10.
Windscreen blades
The scorching sun in the first quarter of the year might have worn out or stiffened the wind screen wipers. The best time and place to sell these products is during traffic jam on the highways. They can be carried in bulk with the seller moving from one vehicle to another looking for market for his wipers.
Cold weather apparels
This is the time when Kenyans appreciate gloves, scarfs, socks and winter caps. This is because they are easy to carry them around and cannot be forgotten behind. Further, with the creativity, they can work as cold accessories that enhance the heavy wear that keep cold away.
They have a ready market, courtesy of the rain and can be sold cheaply from a cost of Sh50.
{ Read: Business environment at its worst since November 2017 }
1 Comment