One of the most popular questions in business is – What kind of business can I start with 5,000 shillings or less? Any successful person in business will tell you that they started small before they made it big. Here are small businesses ideas that one can start with little capital.

1. Selling slippers and other fashionable footwear

If you are wondering what am talking about here then wonder no more. Selling footwear has become very popular within the city and its outskirts. As long as your product is fashionable and affordable, people will spend money to buy them.

You can start with fast selling foot wear like slippers and crocs. These can be bought in bulk from wholesale vendors or markets like Gikomba and Toi. Women and children should be your number one target market as they are the ones who need such foot wear more than men.

2. Selling Snacks and light drinks

Snacks are everyone’s in between meals. They come in handy at the office, in school, on special occasions such as parties, meetings, conferences, seminars and so on. Soft drinks usually accompany them as well.

Think egg rolls, sausage rolls, donuts and other tasty light snacks especially cakes. They must be well made too as food is a sensitive commodity. These can be sold in schools and in busy places such as bus stops and commercial areas along with milk, mineral drinks, yoghurt and so on.

3. Ties, belts and second hand shoes

Most men working in corporate organizations have the need to put on ties from time to time and not all of them can afford to buy new and expensive shoes so why not look for clean, quality ties and second hand shoes to sell to them?

4. Novels and Newspapers

With a small table you can start selling novels and newspapers in places with a lot of human traffic. Newspapers may not sell fast but novels do especially with female folk, the unmarried, unemployed spinsters and female students. They form the bulk of customers.

5. Mobile Phone Accessories

Chargers, batteries, cds, casings and so on are always in demand. People need to replace their mobile phone accessories from time to time.

6. Mobile Phone Scratch cards

Sell recharge cards, the lower denominations to friends, colleagues and family and make some small cash for yourself, it doesn’t cost anything to start at least with 5,000 shillings or even much less you can start selling 20, 50 and maybe 100 shillings denominations depending on which one is in greater demand.

If you’ve got any other small business ideas please feel free to share with us by commenting below or sharing on Facebook.