2012 - GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PRINTING

Sample Campaign Poster

An election year presents great opportunities for graphic design and printing business. Political parties and candidates are all over the place seeking all means of publicity and branding. Politicians love to be noticed and this leads them to use different mediums of advertising to reach their audiences.
The main items that can be designed and printed for an election campaign include:

• T shirts
• Posters
• Banners
• Flyers
• Caps
• Calendars
• Billboards

 You don't have to own a graphic design and printing business to take advantage of these opportunities. You can subcontract the work once you get a client. There are many outlets that can do the design and printing of these items. Take your time to sample potential partners and look out for the best price which can allow you to make a profit. Your job now is to secure yourself a client and you are good to go.The best thing about it is that quality does not matter very much in campaign materials. It's mainly the message that the client is interested in.

Market Size

This election is going to be the biggest ever in Kenyan history. The number of candidates involved is going to be high due to the increased number of elective positions.At the polling station, voters will be electing a total of six leaders.

• The president
• Senator
• Governor 
• Member of parliament
• County representative
• Woman M.P

For each of this position excluding the presidency, there will be a good number of candidates. In most constituencies, there will be about ten candidates per position. The number of parliamentary seats has been increased by 80. There will be 290 elected MPs.Assume there are about 10 candidates for each seat and that brings the number to 2,900. Now do the same for other positions and you'll see that there is a demand for design and printing services this year.

Skills Needed:
Networking - you need to find out who is contesting where and get to them with your business proposal. Give them a good deal and they will respond positively. The good thing is that politicians are very friendly during election year and reaching them is not very difficult.

Challenges:

• Many politicians like to give such jobs to their cronies or relatives. You might also encounter some resistance from those who are close to the politicians. 

• Politicians are known to be cunning. Don't accept promises without getting the cash. Ensure you get paid possibly you get an advance payment before you begin the job.

Advantages:

• Politicians are ready to spend during the campaign period.  

• You can set up this business without having any initial capital. You just need to know a candidate, convince him/her to give you the job and that's it.

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MAKING MILLIONS WITH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS - Lorna Ruto's Story

Lorna Ruto's story is a true testament to the power of creative thinking and bold decision making. She is well known now but in case you've never heard of her she is the brains behind Eco Post - a company that manufactures fencing posts using plastic waste that has become such a menace in urban as well as in rural areas in Kenya. An alumni of African Nazarene University, Ms Ruto came up with the idea while she was working at the bank. Later she decide to quit her job and to concentrate full time on her business which has earned her millions as well as recognition. She was the winner of the Green and Ecological sector of the Chase Enablis business Launch Pad 2010 competition bagging herself Ksh. 500,000 prize.
The manufacturing process starts with collection of plastic wastes then the plastic are grinded into small pieces before being processed into various products.

These products include:

• Fencing Posts

• Floor Tiles

• Roofing Materials

• Outdoor Furniture among others

She says that she is passionate about the environment and her business is her way of helping preserve it. I believe that this is an encouraging entrepreneur story that should help you in your quest to make millions.It is a true case of beauty meeting with brains.

Watch her interview on Road To Success program on KBC TV

Feel free to leave any comments, suggestions and any other positive messages on the comment box. Thanks for your time.

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COURIER BUSINESS:

Courier business involves transportation of documents, small and large packages. With the collapse of postal services in Kenya, an opportunity opened up for entrepreneurs to fill the gap. Currently the big players in the market include multinationals such as G4S, DHL alongside bus companies such as Akamba Bus Services and Easy Coach.
There are other small players in the industry most notably Data Rush Courier Services located in Upper Hill. These smaller companies tend to do same day deliveries around town. They do also have long distance deliveries that take a day. Delivery is done on motor bikes as well as bicycles for the town services and Lorries and vans for long distance delivery services.

What you need to know:
You will need a business name and license. When you are considering location you’ll find that urban areas are more in need of courier services. Most rural areas may not need a courier service at all. In this business it is not uncommon to work on odd hours to ensure that the delivery is done on time. The key to success in this business is trust which you attain by on time deliveries and careful handling of packages.
Your vehicles whether cars, motorcycles or bicycles must be well maintained. You need find out information in advance and determine the quickest, cheapest way to get there.

Staff:
If you are serious about starting this business you will need to employ people to run the business some of the positions that you will have to fill include;

• Drivers

• Dispatchers

• Accountants

• Receptionists

If you employ couriers keep in contact with them, and make sure they’re on time and that the customers are happy with the service they give.

Recurring Monthly Expenditure:
Some of the monthly expenses include;

• Fuel

• Vehicle insurance premium

• Vehicle maintenance

• Rent

• Utilities

• Wages

• Office Supplies

Market:
The target market for courier business includes individuals, institutions and businesses that require timely and cost effective delivery of materials. If you can get business clients who have a regular schedule of deliveries, it will be to your advantage. You will have to prove yourself as reliable and trustworthy for you to get business.

Advertising/Marketing:
One of the most effective ways of getting new clients is prospecting. This involves knocking on doors, making phone calls and building your network of contacts. Think of businesses that might be needing courier services and go over and talk to them. Prospecting is the fastest way to get new clients. In marketing your business you’ll find that it is a game of numbers. Each client you sign up is a future source of repeat business and referrals. A positive and friendly attitude and approach is useful in building a client list. You need to find out how much you will charge for your service

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BAKERY BUSINESS

Running a Bakery business entails production and sale of baked products such as cakes, biscuits, bread, scones, doughnuts etc. For the finished products, you will need to have a distribution channel - direct delivery to customers, through retail stores and restaurants.
Obviously you need to know how to bake in case you are running the business yourself. You will need to know the right ingredients and baking technique for the various products to ensure they are of the highest quality. If baking is your passion and you want to be directly involved in production, you can get relevant training from several institutions.

Staff requirements:

The alternative is for you to employ people who will do the baking while you handle the business side of it. In this case you will need to employ bakers, waiters, delivery people and cleaners.

Start-Up Costs:

• Rent

• Purchasing ovens and mixers, Cooling racks, Utensils

Oven

• Tables and chairs (if you intend to set up a café)

• Packaging Materials for delivery or service

• Display counter

• Microwave

• Fridge

• Business Licenses

Recurring Expenses:

• Ingredients (flour, eggs, sugar, yeast, etc.)

• Utilities (electric, gas, water)

• Advertising/Marketing

• Salaries

• Rent

Advertising

To get customers, you’ll need to make them aware of your existence and what products you offer. This can be done by word of mouth, flyers, posters, adverts in print media and online. Go straight to the local retailers and talk them into taking your products. You’ll need to give them a good offer either on price or quality to convince them to take your products.  When you open your bakery you can offer free samples to potential clients to hook them onto your products.

Niche Market

You can take advantage of the increased health awareness of consumers by offering them healthy products by adding nutritionally valuable ingredients. Products such as brown bread, millet and sorghum based products are in vogue. For those who are watching their weight or have qualms about wheat product, these alternatives will be welcome.

Market

You need to decide how you are going to sell the products. There are two models for marketing. You can set up a café with tables and chairs where you can serve the products directly to the customers or alternatively, you can deliver the products to supermarkets, and retail shops. Local retail shops and kiosks are a good source of market for your products. You can also combine the two models comfortably.

Growth potential

Revenue is dependent on several factors including location, cost of supplies, and style of baking. If you get a good location in town, with high traffic, then you will not have problems marketing. You can also ensure that your baked products are uniquely flavored and of very high quality and this will earn you loyal customers who will do the marketing for you through word of mouth.

If you set up a café or you decide to sell the product directly at your bakery, you can also offer complementary products such as soft drinks, tea, and coffee to increase your income levels.

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