A food joint is one of the smartest business ideas you can start in Kenya. While it’s a very competitive venture, a simple restaurant can give you some good money with a good customer flow.
A good customer flow will be determined by various factors such as hygiene level, location, prices, and the quality of the services offered, among others.
All you need to do is ensure your products are quality assured. You will also need to be creative and innovative enough to beat the competition.
And just like in any other business, you will need various legal documents to run a food joint business in Nairobi. This will make your business legal, paving way for a smooth operation.
Mistakes to avoid when starting your first business
Business Name or Company Registration
You will be required to come up with a name for your business before visiting the nearby Huduma Centre for a name search. The name search process takes about three days and will cost sh 100 per name.
The name check is usually conducted to ensure your business name is not similar to someone else’s. After the name check is approved, registration will be initiated.
You will be required to provide information such as location and the size of your business (sole proprietorship or partnership). Registration takes at least 5 days and costs about Sh. 1,000.
Once registration is approved, you will be issued a certificate of incorporation, a memorandum, and a CR12 letter.
Key lessons young entrepreneurs need to know before starting a business
City County Business Permit
This is a very important document that you cannot start any business in Kenya without. The cost of this document depends on the size of your business.
If you are in Nairobi, you can visit the Nairobi City Council Website and check the kind of permit required to run your business legally.
You can also visit the local city council offices, and the officers might visit your premise for a size check and advise you accordingly. You will then be required to pay, and a certificate will be issued to you after about a week.
Food Hygiene License
A food hygiene certificate is very crucial in businesses involving food. To be certified to run this business, a health officer will visit your premise to check for things such as the structure of the room, ventilation, drainage, food storage facilities, waste disposal, sanitary conveniences, workplace safety, etc.
The certificate costs about sh 7,000. When you pay, you receive a receipt, and about a week later, you get a certificate.
Steps to starting your own business
Fire Safety Certificate
Every business in Kenya is advised to have a fire safety certificate. A county fire safety officer will inspect your premise and prescribe the best fire extinguishing equipment.
You will then be issued a certificate at a prescribed fee. This certificate is renewed annually.
KRA PIN
KRA pin is a crucial document when starting a business in Kenya. It will help you when applying for a bank account, filing of KRA monthly returns, applying for a Tax Compliance Certificate(TCC), and applying for government tenders.
You can apply by visiting KRA offices or via KRA Itax online portal.
