Category: DOING BUSINESS IN KENYA

Tips on doing business in Kenya.

Top 5 Kenyan Services You Can Access Online Today
Watch Video – Top 5 Kenyan Services You Can Access Online Today

Video Transcript

Many Kenyan Government services are now available online following the recent launch by President William Ruto. You can access them anywhere as long as you have a good internet connection.

In this video, I will show you my top 5 picks of government services you can access online. Stay tuned.
- Tax Services
You can access almost every tax service online from applying for a Tax PIN number to filling your tax returns. All tax services are accessible via the portal itax.kra.go.ke. To access this service, you must have a PIN number. You can access many features once you are logged in to the portal.

Aside downloading a copy of your PIN certificate, you can also make changes of your contact information and Tax address online. While some services are subject to approval, you are a rest assured that you will be served online without having to visit Tax offices for resolution. They have customer service hotline that you can call and get live assistance on your request.

Most of their communications are done via e-mail. So if you have penalties as a result of not filling returns, Your Tax account administrators will send you e-mails reminding of the same so that you can fix it before its too late.

When you login to your account, you can see everything regarding to your Tax account from past payments, your tax station, your tax obligations e.t.c.

It is important to mention that companies can check validity of a PIN number or TAX compliance on the portal. Some people submit forged documents and itax portal offers a solution to this problem.
- Business Registration Service
If you are planning to start a business in Kenya, its recommended that you register your business name to make it legal. This is where Business Registration service (BRS) comes in. Government is now striving to get everyone to register their business for the purposes of accountability and tax compliance.

Another reason why government is striving to register every business is for security purposes. They want to ensure that everyone is operating a legal business. You can access this service on www.brs.go.ke. To login, you will need to use your e-citizen login credentials.

Once you are logged, you can start registering your business. Anyone can register a business online from local Kenyan residents to foreigners who are looking to invest in the country.

The cost of registering a business varies starting from Ksh. 950 to 20,000. Visit BRS portal for details.

It is important to note that you can initiate the closing of a company online.
- Renewal of Driving license.
Has your driving license expired? You can apply for renewal online. This service is accessible on serviceportal.ntsa.go.ke via Ecitizen. Aside the driving license, you can apply for other services like Drivers PSV badge, endorsement PDL, instructor license, smart driving license, personalized plates as well view records of the vehicles you own.
- Apply for a Passport
You can apply for a passport online for the first time or renew your existing passport. This service is accessible via the portal dis.ecitizen.go.ke. Additionally, you can make interstate pass applications, temporary permit application, evisa application, work permits, endorsements, student pass and special pass.

Just sign up first on Ecitizen then login to the portal to access this service.
- Apply for your birth certificate.
Have you lost your birth certificate, or you don’t have one and you are required to provide one somewhere? Its now easy to apply for one online via dcrs.ecitizen.go.ke. To complete your application you will need to fill a form and then attach copies of;
- Birth notification
- National ID, passport
- Scanned copy of parents identification documents.
This service costs only 180 shillings. When your application is processed successfully, you will be notified via SMS.

And those are my top 5 picks of Kenyan government services you can access online. There are over 5000 more government services you can access online. Just visit eciziten.go.ke and search for the service you are looking for.

I hope you found this video helpful. Until next time, bye bye and take care.
October 22, 2023
How To Convert A Registered Business To A Limited Company in Kenya Online -Video

Video Tutorial – How To Convert A Registered Business To A Limited Company in Kenya Online

When a business grows, one is met with challenges of fully controlling it considering you have your own private life that you want to enjoy. It’s therefore important to separate your business and private life as it expands from sole proprietorship or partnership business to a limited company.

In this video tutorial, I will show you how to convert your registered business to a limited company online in kenya. Stay tuned.

And if you are looking for help to develop and produce video content for your business on budget, I can help you. You can reach out to me here.

Follow me on X @cheptiony.

Until next time, bye bye and take care. My name is Cheptiony Mutai.

August 29, 2023
How to Apply for A CDS Account Now Called CSD Online And Begin Trading in Government Securities in Kenya

VIDEO TUTORIAL

Video Tutorial – How to Apply for A CDS Account Online And Begin Trading in Government Securities

Unlike in the past where it would take one 14 days to get a CDS account ready after making an application, the process now takes 2-5 days, and one can do it at the comfort of their phone or a computer with internet connection.

This is all made possible with DhowCSD, a new product from the central bank of Kenya. When you have a CDS account, you can start investing in government treasury bills and bonds.

In this video tutorial, I will take you through the process of applying for a CDS account now called CSD with dhowCSD online.

I hope you will find this video helpful. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

And if you are looking for help to develop and produce video content for your business on budget, I can help you. You can reach out to me on my business website here.

Follow me on X @cheptiony.

August 25, 2023
Ecitizen Portal Review- The Home of Kenyan Government Services

At the end of the month of June 2023, the government of Kenya under the leadership of His Excellency the president of the republic of Kenya Dr. William Ruto officially launched Ecitizen portal making over 5,000 government services readily accessible to its citizens.

In this blogpost, I will review the New Ecitizen portal.

Landing Page

Generally, the landing page looks clean and neatly done. The information is well organized starting with the most requested services like application for a driving license, showing on top of the page. Before you can signup or sign in, you are able to check if the service you are looking for here is available.

You can do this by typing the name of the service, ministry, department or agency on the search bar on top and hit enter on your Keyboard to search. This will display the service if available.

Website loading speed is fast and seamless compared to how it was in the past. With clean landing page design, its easy to locate the sign in and register links on top of the site once you are here.

Here, services are classified in two categories namely National and County. Aside using the search bar to find the service you are looking for, you can access them using the menu links on top and below the website.

Logging In, Registration and Security

If you are new to Ecitizen, you will need to register in order to access the services here. Click on register to get started.

You will taken to a page to confirm the account type that you would like to create. Depending on your background, you can choose either citizen, resident, diplomat or foreigner.

For Citizens, you are required to provide your ID number, contact, password and profile photo. Some of the things needed today on the platform was not required in the past. E.g The profile photo.

For those who already have an account on Ecitizen, you just simply login with either your e-mail or national ID number as username and enter your password. One thing that you will notice when logging in is that 2Factor authentication has been introduced, something that was not there in the past. This is a good move to a more secure digital future for Kenyans.

One Time password Verification can be done via e-mail or phone. This is the phone number and email you signed up with.

Account Dashboard

Once you are logged in to your account, you will taken to the dashboard that looks like the image below. On top, you can see summary of your personal details. Also on top you can find menu links to manage your profile and account.

From here you can start searching for the service you want.

Profile & Account Management

When you click on profile, you can view your identity documents like your national ID and driving license. As it looks, the details on the previews available here are not complete. However, there is a note below the preview to notify users that its only for illustrative purposes.

There are other new menu tabs under your profile which I believe it will be active once population of data from relevant organizations is complete. As it looks, in future, the government will have all your data including your health, income, taxes, family and more. When that time comes, no one will be excluded from government activities.

Under the Account Management menu tab, make changes on your account critical data like phone number, e-mail and password. Also, you can choose to disable the 2 factor authentication here.

There are other additional menu items that are not active yet like biometrics and electronic signature which I think it will be active in future.

With all this information, what else will the government need in order to control it’s citizens? absolutely nothing. I am just saying.

Help & Support

If you encounter problems while accessing services on the portal, there is a dedicated team ready to assist you with your problem. Click on help and support menu on top and you will be taken to this page here.

Here you can choose which way you would like to get help and support. There is a phone number and e-mail address that you can use to contact support team. Alternatively, you can visit Huduma Center to get the help you need.

But before you reach out, its always wise to go through all the Frequently asked questions (FAQs) and see if the answer you are looking for is there. I have reached out several times to the support team on Ecitizen in the past and I got the assistance I needed. So, good news is that the contacts you find here are working.

Downsides

While ‘recent applications‘ tab is visible on the dashboard, it’s no yet active. Same thing with notifications. The only way to see the request you have made in the past is going to the site that you requested service in and you will be able to view your request. E.g BRS portal if you had applied to register a business or company.

Secondly, there used to be a live chat feature which only a bot responded to in the past. That was a clever idea. With more and more government services being linked to Ecitizen, its important to also reintroduce live chat so that users can get help via chat in real time.

Finally, the portal is sometimes down. I guess it is due to the amount of traffic/visitors to the portal. It notifies the user that their internet network is down yet in reality, the internet connection is ok.

At the time of doing this review, the site was down for almost a whole week and I had to hold the review until it was back. The government through the ICT cabinet secretary later responded to the downtime saying there was a cyber attack which was not successful. He said that the technical team was able to block the attackers IP address on time.

Conclusion

Unless the service you are looking for requires you to be there physically, there is no need of paying a visit to the government office issuing the service. First check if they have the service on Ecitizen portal. If they do, well and good, make your application online.

Technology is here to simplify work and make everything convenient. Take advantage of it because you can. Moreover it’s cheaper that way.

And that’s it from me.

Have you made any applications on Ecitizen portal? How was your experience like? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

And if you need help to create and produce professional video tutorials or any other video production service, reach out to me here.

Until next time, bye bye and take care. Please follow me on twitter @cheptiony and also check out my YouTube channel here.

July 28, 2023
3 Ways To Reinforce Your Creativity During Difficult Times

People in the creative economy depend on their original ideas and knowledge to thrive. During hard economic times, one can easily get discouraged from continuing to do what they love. If you enjoy doing what you do, then you have no reason to give up.

Hard times should be a time to reinforce your creativity and move it to a new level. Spend your time creating more as better times are always ahead.

In this blogpost, I will share with you 3 ways to reinforce your creativity during difficult times.

Invest Your Time in Writing A Journal/Blog

Look at your current life state and draw your inspiration from it on what to write on. For example, I am writing this blogpost at a time when I have less work that pays. What I am writing here is what I am practicing right now. Writing anything useful that comes to my mind on my blog is what I have been doing for as long as I can remember.

It is important to dwell on positive things as opposed to negative ones. Every person who has succeeded in life confess that they found success the moment they dwelled on the positive things in life.

Focus on ways to create abundance and internalize it for your own benefit. When you do so, you will surely be preparing yourself for abundance and at the right time, you will receive it.

Try New Creative Things in Your Business or Freelancing

Every day ideas for your business or freelance career comes to mind. The hard part is introducing the ‘new’ ideas to your business and trying them out.

Take advantage of difficult times to experiment on those Ideas and see if they work. You never know, the ideas you have had in your mind for a long time might turn out to be the beginning of your success in business.

Think of Partnering With Established Individuals/Companies

During difficult times, money is scarce. Many at times, entrepreneurs and freelancers run out of money. On the other hand, many may have good ideas but lack financing to push the ideas forward.

How about reaching out to an established company in your field and seeking their help to push your idea forward to fruition? Does it sound difficult for you to pursue? Everything is worth trying in life. Make sure you are well prepared when approaching these partners.

If you pitch your idea well and it resonates well with their policy, then, they may consider working with you.

Conclusion

Don’t let difficult times kill your creativity or talent. Keep it alive by finding a way out for yourself. Identify best avenues that you can use to connect with the world. When you do so without ceasing, you will be enhancing your creativity in preparation for your next big break.

And that is it from me here.

Did you find this post helpful? let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

And if you need help with content creation do not hesitate to reach out to me here. I might be of big help.

Until next time, bye bye and take care.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.

March 1, 2023
5 Important Things That Clients Look At In A Video Production Consultancy Proposal
The requirements needed in order to submit a video production consultancy proposal varies. Some requests for Proposals (RFP) are simple and straight forward while others are detailed and a bit complicated.
Irrespective of the demands that the client is requiring; one thing remains clear, the client wants a video in a certain format delivered to them. E.g Documentary.

Video – 5 Important Things That Clients Look At In A Video Production Consultancy Proposal

Always have the ‘end product‘ in your mind. Irrespective of the qualifications the client is demanding, ask yourself;
- Can I deliver what the client is requesting?
- Do you have access to the tools needed or knowledge to do the work?
- Can your experience replace the academic qualification you don’t have?
With this in mind, what carries weight in a video production consultancy proposal, is your experience. On this blogpost, I will share with you 5 things to focus on in your proposal in order to stand out.

Understanding TOR

First, the client is interested in knowing your understanding of their Terms Of Reference. Terms of reference in this case is a description of what the client is looking for. e.g A 15 Minutes documentary. This must be demonstrated in your cover letter. Take time to summarize this in one paragraph.

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

After telling your client that you understand the assignment, explain your approach to solving your clients problem which is providing video production services.

Read and re-read the Terms Of Reference while preparing your proposal to ensure you don’t miss a thing. If you find something that is not clear, request for clarification via e-mail. Its easy to prepare a proposal when you understand what client is looking for from you.

Your Resume/Company Profile

Your individual, business or company resume is what follows next after the cover letter. The ‘work experience‘ section of your resume is what the client will focus on.

Does your work experience match with the type of video production skills the client is looking for? If it does, then you will be the lucky person to be invited to the next phase of this process which is the interview.

When writing your resume or curriculum vitae, put as much detail as you can about your work experience so that you can stand a chance for the position the client is calling for.

Also, ensure that the reference persons you have listed in your resume is up to to date.

Links to Samples of Your Work

Photo by Amar Preciado on Pexels.com

In the creative industry, samples of your past projects have a lot of weight. After the client is done looking at your paper work, they will now proceed and look at links to works you have successfully completed in the past. It can be linked to your work experience. e.g Link to a documentary you produced for a client.

Always keep record of every job you complete for your clients. In this case, if its photography, videography or graphics designs; have them saved somewhere in the cloud where you can easily share when requested.

Note: It’s always good practice to seek consent from your client to use the content you produced for them in your website as part of your portfolio. Many clients are more willing to give you consent especially when you are sharing a link originating from them as it benefits both of you.

Preliminary Plan and Timelines

In many occasions, the client gives their expected start date and end date for the project in their Terms of Reference. Based on this, you are therefore required to propose your plan and timeline for the project as you foresee.

Use details like the locations the client has indicated for filming and the subject of the shoot, stages of production you will be involved in(preproduction, production and post production) and review and revisions stage.

Some companies indicate dates in which the contract will start and end while others don’t. Make sure the duration you have proposed does not exceed their time in days unless you have a valid reason.

Financial Proposal

You can only provide an accurate quote when you have a plan and set timelines in place. The plan and time will guide you to prepare your quotation.

For instance, if you are expected to travel to 10 locations, you can evaluate the distance and allocate time as needed. Use the time to come up with the cost based on your daily or hourly rates.

After all is said and done, Financial Proposal is what will determine who gets the contract. It’s important to mention that organizations vary. Some are operating under a budget while others don’t.

Don’t underquote because you really want the work. Quote what you are worth because you have the skills and experience to complete the job.

And that is it.

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments section below.

And if you need Videography and Photography services, request a quote for free on Techtube Video Studio by clicking here.

And until next time, bye and take care.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.
September 9, 2022
6 Types of Content To Market A Business Online Today
Search engines like Google and Bing rank business online based on several factors. Biggest among them is content. If you are able to share your message in different content formats, then you rank higher.

So, what type of content do you need in order to achieve high ranking?

Well, it depends on the ‘keyword density‘ in the content you share as that is what search engines use to rank business websites.

On this blogpost, I will share with you, 6 types of content that you need to consider when planning to market your business online for a long term.

#1 Themed Blogposts

Photo by Jess Bailey Designs on Pexels.com

Themed blogposts is among the biggest contributor to high rankings on search through keywords. To get started, buy a domain name and start a blog. The best platform to run a blog is WordPress owing to its popularity. Your journey will begin once you publish your first blogpost. With your own blog, you have the freedom to write articles in a style that you want.

What I have learnt from experience blogging is; writing consistently and sticking to one theme will compound in time in terms of “keywords‘ and give you the best results you are looking for. Repeatedly writing content using the keywords around your business will contribute to high keyword density hence high ranking on the search engines.

Note: You don’t have to setup a separate blog aside your business website. You can have a blog page on your business website where you share informative content with your audience around your business.

Photos

Photos play a big role in content ecosystem. It can be used in graphic designs for flyers, digital cards or on your blogposts as featured image. Also, if you are sharing your content on social media, you can use photos to make it trustworthy.

Videos

Not everyone is a good reader. Some people prefer to watch videos. That is why its important to consider creating videos to complement your blogposts and post them on YouTube or any other social media platform. It is not a must that you write blogposts, but I recommend you do if you are serious about growing your business.

Videos will generate results if your story is well grafted. You build trust with customers through videos as they will be able to see your face and know the owner of the business they are interested in.

Graphics Designs

Photo by Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels.com

You will need different graphics designs for marketing your business on social media. The graphic designs can be in form of posters or images with text in it. You only come up with different designs that suit your current needs.

Among the common graphics you will need in this process include;
- Blog featured image
- Social media poster
- Digital flyers
- YouTube video thumbnail and more.
Podcast Content

Having podcasts as part of your marketing content will help popularize your business. Though it is not common, it contributes largely in boosting your search online.

For instance if you are hosting a video interview with someone online for sharing as video content, you can repurpose the same to podcast. The only thing you will need to change is the intro to suite podcasts standards.

If you have time and budget, consider creating podcasts around your business.

Sales letters

People use sales letters subconsciously every day. Lets start with your business website landing page. It’s a sales copy. Every e-mail that you send to prospects has the power to either build and bring down your business. That qualifies it to be called a sales letter. Before you write one, ask yourself, what story/narrative style will turn a prospect to a customer?

A well grafted e-mail copy with a call to action at the end should be your aim. Use case studies, stories, testimonials e.t.c. Take your time to write and have the customer in mind.

When writing a sales letter leverage on other business content like a blogpost on a case study, a video, audio, graphics e.t.c. to drive the message home.

And these are the 6 type of content you need to start considering to market your business online.

Conclusion

There is no right time to start marketing your business online. The right time is now. Start where you are and build your resilience from there. Before sharing anything, brainstorm first. If you like writing, you can start sharing your content by signing up for WordPress free blog or any other blogging platform that has the free offer for starters.

If video blogging is the easy way for you, you can start by recording it on your phone and sharing it on social media.

You are the only best marketer of your business. No one does it better than you.

If you need help to develop content for your business from blogging, photography, video creation, graphics designs, podcasts and sales letters, do not hesitate to reach out to me here. I can help you.

And for those people looking for help to produce video specific content, do not hesitate to request a quote on www.techtubestudio.com.

And until next time, bye bye and take care.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.
August 31, 2022
Examples of Technical Video Production Services You Can Provide Online

There is a growing demand for technical video production services online. Both small and big organizations are now seeing the value of Technical Video Production Services and are seeking services of experienced contractors. This is a sign of hope to many freelancers in the gig economy who can plug in to these opportunities.

Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

So what does technical video production entail? Well, it’s a broad subject. In a layman’s language, it’s more of the provision of ‘technical‘ services and production of ‘tech‘ related videos.

Before I go further on this blogpost, I will like you to keep in mind that the kind of technical video production services I will be discussing here is online based.

#1 Providing Technical Video Services

Small and big organizations with many employees today carry out most of their trainings online in order to save on costs. On the other hand, event organizers are now exploring the option of ‘paid livestreams’ to the events they organize.

Technical Video Services

In order to achieve the best results in these trainings and live events or perhaps in premiering pre-recorded webinars; proper planning is needed to ensure everything goes on well as planned.

This is where the services of a contractor or persons well versed with live video streaming technology is needed.

#2 Offering Overall Design And Look Services

For an event/training to look professional and be effective, it’s overall look and design has to stand out. As a service provider, you are required to consult and provide designs for the overall look of the event.

Here you will be working closely with a professional graphic designer and the client team. In this case, skills of an interior designer may be needed if the event is being live streamed.

#3 Production Of Tech Related Videos

Owing to competition in the online market place and the requirement for software developers to be certified by authorities, it’s recommended for any software or hardware tech product to have a written instructional manual on how to use it. Having such instructions is good for marketing purposes. Here are some of the services you can provide as a Tech video producer.

Photo by Athena on Pexels.com

#3.1 Instructional Video Production

You can find work in a software development company to produce Instructional Videos or How to Screencast Videos. You job will be to translate written instructional manual into videos with the help of a voice over narration.

This can be done using existing written instructional manuals or software documentations. Depending on the complexity of the product, some may need that you rewrite the scripts using simple language and produce the videos in 2D or 3D modelled designs.

Additionally, instructional video production may require you to seek services of a script writer, voice over artist and a screencast video editor.

#3.2 Tech Products/Website Video Reviews

This is basically reviewing different tech products like phone, computers, laptops, USB’s, earphones e.t.c. In this, you review a product and share your view on what you think of the product after using it. Mostly, companies use this for marketing purposes as well as research and development.

On the other hand, you may be asked to review web services like web hosting, VPN‘s and more.

This are just few among the many opportunities that the online marketplace presents.

Conclusion

There is growing demand for Technical video production services online. It’s therefore up to you as a freelancer or an entrepreneur to spot and pursue them. I suggest that you build a nice portfolio that you can showcase to your potential clients online. Having a website that people can visit and see your work will be great.

With this said, I will like to urge you to press on and be on the lookout for these opportunities.

I hope you found this blogpost helpful, scroll down and share your feedback. I will be happy to read.

And if you are looking for Technical Video Production Services, you can request a quote on our studio here. We will get right back to you as soon as we can.

Until next time, bye bye and take care.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.

August 10, 2022
4 Ways To Identify a Good Online Business Idea with Traction

While most people already know the kind of business they want to run online, many entrepreneurs don’t know which lucrative market niche to venture into. There are many ways to decide on this. Here are some ideas on how you can find a niche online.

Build An Authority Via Social Media

Most of the successful personal brands online was built on social media and blogging. First, they chose a niche around what they loved. They then built a following by sharing relatable content with their followers on the niche.

This meant that whoever followed them on social media and blog loved what they shared. And due to overwhelming support, they proceeded to sell their products and services to their followers. Most of them get opportunities to endorse brands from what they do.

It doesn’t stop here, one has to use this opportunity to up their game and build a legitimate business.

4 Ways To Identify A Good Online Business Idea Without Chasing Clout

Offering Freelancing Services

While I started my business online way earlier before I joined the freelancing platforms, what inspired me to take my business online is the online freelancing platforms. I offered my services as a freelance video producer. My experience thought me that there was a demand for screencast video production services.

If I had not offered my services as a freelancer, I could not have learnt how to niche down.

Experimenting With Your Passion

What do you love doing? Can you do it even without getting any pay? For any idea to become a business, it has to be adding value and impacting people positively. E.g writing about farming, drinking or creating videos about you cooking, doing exercise every morning e.t.c.

Start a free blog on WordPress or blogger and share your lessons. Alternatively, you can share it with your followers on social media and get feedback.

With the feedback, you will be motivated to build a business around your idea.

Taking An Existing Business Online

In Kenya, many of the big successful businesses are offline. This is because it was founded and built that way. They are directly in contact with their customers. They employ the traditional networks in operating their business.

Having a successful business offline is good. It’s sustainable so long as one offers good customers service. With this said, there is more advantage to being in both offline and online marketplace. People across Kenya and across the world can find your business and buy from you.

The only way to join the online marketplace, is by setting up your business online presence. Do you have an offline business with products that can be sold online and shipped? Think about it and take advantage of the online marketplace opportunity.

Once you have you have your idea ready, you can now start your online business.

Read more on How to Start An Online Business In Kenya

And if you need professional video production services, you can request a quote here.

And until next time, bye bye and take care.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.

August 10, 2022
How to Start An Online Business In Kenya and Its Cost

There are several approaches to setting up a successful online business in Kenya. It all depends on the what one is aiming to achieve at the end. Its therefore important to ask yourself; what is my online business goal?

Are you trying to build a personal brand?

Do you want to take your existing offline business to the online marketplace?

Are you into building a digital service business from scratch?

Whichever your goal is, it has to start from somewhere. In this blogpost, I will share with you the fundamental approach to starting and running a successful online business in Kenya.

The Process

At this point, you have niched down your business idea and is now ready to setup an online business in Kenya.

If you haven’t, read 4 Ways To Identify a Good Online Business Idea with Traction.

Here are the steps I suggest you follow to setup a legitimate online business.

Video- How to start an online Business in Kenya

Step #1 Register Your Business Name With BRS

Identify a name to call your business and register it. Here is a blogpost I wrote about factors to consider when deciding on the business name to register. Also, I have a created a step by step video on how to register your business here.

BRS Portal

By doing this, your business will become legal. With a registered business, you can charge tax on the goods and services you offer. Also, you will be in a position to benefit from tax exemptions on the goods and services you offer.

Business registration in Kenya is undertaken by Business Registration Services online.

Step #2 Purchase A Business Domain Name

A domain name is the address where people will find you online. For example www.cheptiony.com is the domain name for this blog. In Kenya, you can purchase a domain from Kenic.

Take time to settle on an easy to remember domain name. This is important. Also, choose a popular domain extension like .com or .co.ke for Kenyan websites.

The cost for this starts from $9/year.

Step #3 Get Hosting Service

This is where your website will be hosted. All files and content you share on your website will be stored in the cloud by your hosting service provider. You will purchase hosting based on the amount of information you will be sharing.

Most hosting providers charges are based on the web space you will get, number of websites you intend to host on the platform and more. Please check plans and pricing on the hosting service provider of your choice.

Carefully do you research and consult before purchasing your hosting. Where you will host your website is critical. Their servers must be reliable. You will not want to wake up to find out that your website is down and not loading.

If you are looking for pocket friendly hosting service, you can get it here starting from $20 a year.

Step #4 Website Builders And Content Management Systems (CMS)

This can cannot go without mentioning. You can get a domain and hosting directly from the popular website builders and Content Management Systems (CMS) like wordpress.com and wix.com. While building a website using website builders is easy for anyone with basic computer knowledge, the cost per year for the service is quite high.

Both options does the job well so choose carefully.

Step #5 Design Your Website or Hire Someone to Design it For You

Both options above (using CMS and Web Builders & Purchasing hosting) will require your input in designing a website for your business. First, write down the content describing the services you offer. If you have images and videos that you will want to share alongside your services, sort them and save them in one folder.

When done, design your website using the content.

If you are not good at designing websites and prefer someone else to do it for you, you can hire a professional website designer for as low as $50.

Here is a blogpost I wrote detailing how I hire a WordPress website designer from the popular freelancing platforms.

Step #6 Link Your Business To Your TAX Pin on ITAX

This is mandatory when you are transacting business with government. Therefore, its important to do this at the early stages of your business. Please consult with your tax accountant for assistance to do this. Alternatively, you can do this yourself by contacting KRA on ITax portal.

Step #7 Market Your Business Once Its Live

Once you have followed all these steps above successfully and your business is live online, start marketing it. When you have a well detailed website, its easy to market it. Take time to make changes on the site based on customer feedback. You will have more command and authority over your audience when you have functional website in place.

Summary of the cost

Service Type Cost in (Ksh)
Business registration 950
Domain Name registration 1,000
Web Hosting Service 2,000
Website design 6,000
Total 9,950
Summary of the cost of starting an online business in Kenya

That’s not all. Incorporating videos in your marketing plan will take your business to the next level. Apart from enabling users to see what your business is all about, you will able to build a lasting trust with them. For help with any video services, you can contact us on our production website on www.techtubestudio.com.

And that’s it. You have successfully set up a legitimate business online in Kenya.

Conclusion

There are of-course other more requirements you will need going forward in your business as you grow. Those ones, I suggest you get them as needed. What is most important is registering your business first and making it legal.

I hope you found this blogpost helpful. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

And until next time, bye bye and take care.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.

July 7, 2022