A lot of money is spent during the festive season. Many people go out of their way to ensure their families have more than they usually do, especially with regard to food and clothing. Kenyan families indulge in lots of drinking and eating. Merry making activities also include travel and visits to leisure parks and hotels. So how can one cash in during the festive season? Below are the top five festive season business ideas in Kenya that are sure to make you money if carried out with a sound business mind.

1. Hair and Beauty

Women love to look good all the time. This need is intensified during the festive season when they know they’re bound to meet family, friends and acquaintances as they celebrate. They love to impress and stand out as they’re aware everyone makes an effort to accentuate their appearance.

Girl students who come home after a long time away from home also try out different hairstyles and beauty products that they feel they “missed out” while they were in school. Mothers also take their little girls to salons to have their hair made just for the holidays.

Salons make a lot of money during the festive season. With a steady flow of clientele who come in to make their hair and buy beauty products, a salon owner can make good money. If you know how to make hair but have no salon, you can do house calls which are becoming increasingly popular due to their convenience. If you are selling beauty products and have no shop, online advertisement can work out just as well. Social media is a crucial business tool in the modern world.

2. Catering Services

Another one of the great festive season business ideas in Kenya is offering catering services. A lot of people, organizations and companies throw end year parties throughout December. With a good network, you can source for clients who need catering services. Social media is also a good place to showcase previous work so potential clients can see for themselves what you can offer.

To ensure your client base keeps growing, deliver quality consistently and always keep time. Have you ever attended a wedding, for example, and the food arrived nearly two hours later than when it was required? That will surely land you as a caterer in trouble and your business may be affected.

3. Transportation Business

I’m sure the owners of vehicles such as North Rift, Easy Coach and the likes are smiling from ear to ear this festive season. There is a big number of people traveling upcountry. This is evident when you pass by massive bus stages like Machakos Country Bus. Many Kenyans follow this way of life; Christmas is to be celebrated in “ushago”. So how can a regular Kenyan cash in on this type of business? If you have a car, you can source it out for hiring. Large vehicles will rake in even more money as they can accommodate a larger group. If you don’t have a car, you can hire a vehicle then simply charge travelers more so as to realize profit.

4. Sale of agricultural and animal products

As consumption rates go higher during the festive season, another one of the great festive season business ideas in Kenya would be selling farm and agricultural products such as chicken, maize, beans and milk. A good example is “Kienyeji” chicken which is sold at high prices during the festive season. If you have been rearing some chicken, then you can sell them off and you will surely make profit. If you don’t have chicken, or pigs for that matter, you can start buying them early on in preparedness for December. Either that or you can look for them where they’re sold cheaply and sell them at a higher price in towns and cities.

5. Sale of personal items like shoes, bags and clothes

A lot of people like a fresh start when a new year begins. Instead of hoarding, you can go through your clothes, shoes or bags and pick out what you don’t really need anymore. You can also ask friends to give you what they’re pretty much done with. Selling can be physically done at a market place, pop-up shop or online.

So instead of sitting at home sulking that you can’t celebrate because you’re broke, try any of the five tips given above and watch your income increase in December.

Have a merry Christmas and happy holidays!