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How To Raise Funds for a Startup Business

For one to start a new business he/she needs to raise funds that will enable him/her carry out daily activities.

Putting your money where your mouth is important, this article will give different means of raising capital to start a business.

Many people always have ideas. They all seem to be great, but very few put their ideas into practice by coming up with a business. To the many left out brilliant ideas the excuse is always lack of capital to start up a business. Here are ways that one can make capital to start a business.

1) Personal Assets

Mostly belongings you can do without. It all goes down to how much ones can sacrifice. The hope here is always to get better versions of your assets once your business brings profit. It depends with one’s risk appetite. As much as it looks logical to sacrifice, not everyone find it easy to let go of their assets. Hence, people may opt to offer their assets as security to bank loans.

2) Savings

It is always good to do it yourself. Put together an amount of money from your income. It may add up to the capital you need to establish a business. At times your savings may not be enough but it helps to attract more capital since it will be easy to convince family, friends, the bank and other ventures that the money you have and what you need to top up for your business.

3) Crowd funding

It goes back to self. How far can one go in terms of networking, sensitization and convincing crowds of people? With the help of social media one can channel money from social media, open forums can also be a source of acquiring cash. This method helps the entrepreneur to get small money from different sources. An example would be how the activist Boniface Mwangi is using social media to fund his campaigns for a political seat in Starehe constituency in the coming elections.

4) Partnership

One can get a partner who has money to contribute to the business, or come together with a partnership where you all contribute on skills and money needed to start the business. “Billionaires never have a business called ‘mine’. Are you in cooperation with others such that you can get out and that business will run smoothly? Great minds don’t compete, great minds pull together,” says Architect John Kithaka, CEO and founding member of the Fountain Enterprise Programme (FEP) Group of Companies.

5) Small business grants and loans

Looking for capital to fund your business can be a full time job on its own. At times running to the bank with your business plan may not guarantee that you will get a loan. However, all is not lost for Kenyan entrepreneurs. There are options like: M-Shwari from Safaricom, Uwezo Youth Fund, Vision Fund Kenya among others that offer financial support. Do not let opportunities like these by pass. However, it is good to know the difference between grants and loans. Grants do not attract interest and are not to be repaid Loans attract interest and are to be repaid within the stipulated time.

6) Family and friends

Your family and friends will determine the future of your business since they have a strong influence over you. Those close to you are more likely to believe in your vision and listen to you, and be willing to offer financial support and see your business grow. It could be a gift, a loan or an equity investment in the business. Each have pluses and minuses, and each should be recorded in writing. In many cases, a legal document. An example is Eric Muthoni, founder of Stawi Foods Kenya.When he started his business, Stawi Foods, he was only 25 years old and fresh out of university. He didn’t even have any money to start a business so he borrowed from his family.

7) Angel investor

An Angel investor is usually a former entrepreneur or professional who provides starting or growth capital in promising ventures, and helps also with advice and contacts. Unlike venture capitalists, angel investors usually operate alone (or in very small groups) and play only an indirect role as advisers in the operations of the investee firm. They are deemed to be ‘angels’ in comparison with grasping investors who are termed ‘vulture capitalists.’ Also called business angel.

KCB’s Lions Den simplifies to entrepreneurs how angel investors work. They get a link for entrepreneurs to apply, present their business plans to their panel (which is full of professionals from different careers – most of them are CEOs of their companies) and they get their business sponsored on an appealing business idea. To attract an angel investor, have an attractive business plan, unique business service, and work with your close networks.

One may use either path or all of the ventures to get capital the goal is always to see your business grow.

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How To Succeed in Business

Business tends to be very challenging but there are aspects that need to looked unto for a business to succeed.

First in business one needs to value a customer. The customer his always a king regardless of what. Without a customer there is no business being run.

Secondly in every business you are doing you need to analyze the environment and see whether you are making profits or not. Business environment is the surrounding that you are running business, i.e what surrounds you.

Infact business doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Therefore whenever you want to run a business make sure you have all necessities, for instance licenses and you do comply with KRA. In this way you won’t get interruptions.

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CS Willy Bett, grilled by Agriculture Committee Early today at Parliament Chambers Over Importation of Maize From Mexico

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Early today, the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Willy Bett  was grilled by parliamentary committee of agricultural. The parliamentary committee wanted to confirm whether the logistics involved in purchasing maize from Mexico were involved.

For the past two months there has been a shortage of maize in the country. The government under the directive of the President Uhuru Kenyatta, last month ordered Parliament to converge and pass a motion to for importation of maize.

Last week Parliament met and passed the motion. But that did not end well. In less than a week maize arrived in Mombasa port. The question that came to most Kenyans minds how could maize take less than two weeks to arrive at the port of Mombasa from Mexico.

CS Willy Betty was put into to the task. But what amazed most of Committee members is when the CS claimed that the government did not import maize instead it only opened a channel for importation of maize for private sector.

The Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett went on to urge farmers hoarding maize in their stores to release the maize. Willy Better claimed that the government is ready to buy maize from farmers locally at Ksh.3600 per 90 kg bag.

But Mr. Willy Better also stated that they government didn’t notice any number of bags needed instead they put a mechanism with Kenya Revenue Authority.

Somewhere in the meeting tempers flare over some members of the committee on whether it was the consumer or the milers who enjoyed the subsidy. Why should tax payers money be used to assist millers when it should be used for consumers? Those were the questions going round the committee.

Nandi Hills Mp Hon. Keter went ahead to tell the CS that it was wrong to protect the Millers.

When the CS Willy Bett was put on task what did he go to do in Mombasa, he claimed that he only went to confirm whether the quality received was fit for consumers consumption. He went ahead to claim that maize shortage is a global issue. That even the white maize is not in any store in global market.

In the parliamentary committee which didn’t end in agreement with what the CS Willy Better was saying, ordered a writted report to be tabled before them before the end of tomorrow.

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Why Brick Making Industry is Most Preferably the Best Idea for Most Kenyans

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Kenya being an upcoming economy most of the citizens are building their houses at this moment. With a population of over 41 million citizen I will tell how you why brick making is most preferably the best business idea.

Brick making doesn’t entail a lot of logistics and a large capital. To start the business you need to have the following:
1) Brick making machine or even use a rectangular box made by carpenter:- It will depend on his/her budget. A box made by a carpenter goes for Ksh.150-200.


2) Labor:- You can’t do this business with any labor. I repeat, depending on your capital you can either recruit one person or up to 5 people to work for you.


3) Land:- It’s a factor of utility and you can’t do without it. If you live in semi-arid parts of Kenya you can look for some money hire some land in fertile parts of the country.


4) “Housing”:- It is not the correct word but I am referring to a small shade that you can make to keep bricks. In this shade it’s where you will use to make bricks and even store them there to dry.


5) Firewood and Water: In any case you get some land near a river it is would be okay bug if you wouldn’t then you can hire some people to transport for you water. And for firewood it’s for burning bricks once they dry.


The reason I stated that its probably the best business idea for most of the Kenyans, more especially those who live in rural areas is because. 

First of all it doesn’t involve a lot of capital to start. It will depend on where you are, you can start with even 10,000 if you have land.


Secondly, Kenya being a developing nation most people depend on bricks to build their houses in rural areas unlike in Cities that use more complicated technology.


Thirdly, there is a ready market. Most people prefer bricks to Mortals and other technology in rural areas. In Kenya most of the Citizen reside in rural areas.


Finally, With brick making you don’t lose anything if you don’t get a ready customer. Your bricks can stay and wait.
To add to that the price of a brick goes for Ksh.10 when you sell to individuals but when you to the government it can go for Ksh.15.


Keep in mind also that Youth Fund gives out loans to Brick making business and even Local Commercial banks do. Just give it a try and you can give us your opinions below.

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ODM Expected to hold A Rally in Gusii Stadium Today

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The opposition flag bearer, Raila Odinga his expected to hold a campaign in Gusii stadium. The campaign will will involve the Incumbent Governor James Ongwae and other aspiring aspirants in the area. As we clock clicks down we are seeing political turnmoils in the nation.

Today politics in Gusii Stadium is expected to welcome back the deputy governor Joash Maangi who had ditched the ODM for Jubilee early last year. Joash Maangi has been the jubilee political campaigner for a long time.

Words have it that Joash Maangi was the pioneer of Jubilee politics in Kisii and Nyamira Counties. Kisii County is regarded as a stronghold of ODM for a longtime since the 2007 elections that saw the fall of Kisii Kingpin. Raila  has been receiving overwhelmingly support from Gusii Region.

However, analysts say politics its a game and anything can happen at any given time. That is why ODM his not taking anything by chance as a this a stronghold.

Rails Odinga his expected to arrive at Sukena Airstrip at around 12:00 p.m and make his entrouage to Gusii stadium from Kisumu-Kisii highway along Daraja Moja market. The rally is expected to start at around 1:00 p.m. In attendance will be Prof Sam Ongeri who his seeking the Senator seat.

In last elections ODM managed to ganner over seventy five percent of votes from Kisii County. In last elections we had no one except Sam Ongeri campaigning for Jubilee Coalition in Kisii County. In this elections we have dome defectors from ODM led by Senator Chris Obure who is seeking to unsit the incumbent.

Gusii consisting two counties which neighbours the Luo basin has a registered voters of 579,000 votes as per 2007 elections. Although the region which is seen as one of most populated areas in the country has more of unregistered voters than registered.

Were aren’t sure whether in accompany will be any NASA principal. We are keeping an eye and we will keep you updated.