How to Write a Business Plan in Kenya (+ Free PDFs)

Last updated on May 29th, 2023 at 06:24 am

There is a system you can use to write a business plan in Kenya that streamlines the entire process.

By using this system, not only makes the writing process faster and simpler but also way more useful in a really practical way.

If you want to organize your business and start strategically increasing your profits and growing towards your goals, then keep reading this guide.

This business plan has six main sections and I’d recommend that you start by scribbling your ideas for each on a separate blank piece of paper.

Once you get your ideas worked out, you can create one cohesive document.

How to Write a Business Plan in Kenya 

Now, the six pages of your business plan in Kenya are 

1. Overview
2. Message
3. Marketing
4. Product 
5. Production and Delivery 
6. Goals

Let’s look at each of these pages, shall we?

Page #1. Overview

The first page of your business plan will be an overview.

It is going to give a basic understanding of what your company does and the structure of your business.

Now, on that first overview page of your business plan, you want to include 

• Your business structure
• Location, that is where you do business and also
• A brief description of exactly what your company actually does.

The next piece of information for your company’s overview is your business’s mission, which is really important.

Here is why;

The business mission is the driving force behind your business plan in Kenya.

It is what all your plans are focused on achieving and if you don’t have a mission’s like trying to make plans to reach a goal without having the goal.

So make sure you don’t skip this step.

The final component of the overview page is your chart of accountability.

This chart describes who is accountable for which of the major tasks involved in running the business.

And the three main areas of accountability in most businesses are 

• Marketing
• Sales operations
• Finances 

Page #2. Message

The second page of your business plan in Kenya will focus on outlining your company’s message.

If you want your business to be successful, you MUST have a clear idea of;

• What message you are working to communicate to your customers, 
• Who are those customers
• How do you fit into their lives and 
• How can you help them solve a problem that they are facing and create a result that they are looking for.

Here are the questions that you will want to answer on this page of your business plan

• What problem does your company solve for your customers
• What result does your company create for those customers
• How does your company create those results
• Who does your company serve
• Why do you do what you do
• Why should your customers choose you over your competition 
• What is your company’s step by step plan for creating those results for the customer or what is your proprietary system

This both helps to answer the question of what sets you apart from your competition

It also shows your customers how you are going to create those results that you are promising.

By making this clear, you are instilling confidence in your ability to create the results.

Page #3. Marketing

Let’s talk about the third page of your business plan.

This page focuses on marketing and generating sales.

First, you will want to define your target market by their demography and psychographics.

Demographics are attributes such as their age, income, where they live.

On the other hand, psychographics has to do with their interests, desires, and fears.

Here, you will also want to include an estimated size of your target market.

More importantly, where you have identified that you can find groups of those target customers.

Here is a little big hint;

If you haven’t yet figured out where you can find groups of those customers be it online or off, you are probably going to have trouble successfully marketing your product or service.

So if you come to this part in the business plan and don’t know what to put here, stop and do some digging.

Make sure that YOU can find this customer you have defined here. 

If you can’t, you might want to consider redefining that target customer and pivoting your marketing position.

The final three pieces of information that you can include on this page of your business plan are

• Your visibility strategy. This explains how people will first learn about your brand and your products 
• Your lead generation strategy, which explains how you will establish contact with the people who have discovered your brand
• Your conversion strategy, which is essentially your sales strategy. Explain how you will turn those leads you’ve generated into paying customers.

Here is a quick heads up;

As you are working through this business plan, it’s more than likely that you won’t know the answers to all of these questions.

And you won’t have all these things figured out yet.

I just want to let you know that that is completely alright.

And actually, one of the main purposes of writing your business plan is to become aware of things you haven’t thought about yet or haven’t figured out.

Because only once you are aware of what you don’t know, you will be able to think through it. 

Don’t put off writing the business plan in Kenya just because you don’t know everything yet.

Rather, write the business plan so that you can get very clear on exactly what you know and need to figure out.

Page #4. Product

This page describes the product or products that you sell.

To clarify, a product could be a physical product or a digital product or service.

I highly recommend that you choose just one product as your business’s primary product.

You might be selling several different things, so determine what your main product is that you are going to center your business’s marketing message around.

Here is why;

Many different parts of your business development will be much easier if you do have one product that is the focus.

Now, on this page of the business plan, start by identifying 

• what that product is and then 
• describing the result that the product creates.

Here’s a little SECRET;

What your business sells is really the result your product creates not the product itself.

After describing the results, describe the impact the product creates.

This is different than the result itself.

It’s instead how the customers’ life is affected by the result of the product.

For example;

If your product is a vacuum cleaner, then the result the product creates is clean floors.

But the impact of the product is that your prospect feels better about the state of their house.

Now they have a cleaner, healthier living environment and perhaps feel more confident inviting some company.

Once you have described those three things for your main product, you can move on to other products that your company sells and do the same.

Page #5. Goals

The final page of your business success plan has to do with your goals.

If you have looked at any examples of business plans in the past or read a guide on how to write a business plan in Kenya, you might have seen a section that focused on projections.

• sales projections or
• new customer acquisition projections, or 
• market share projections 

And if you’ve tried to write a business plan in Kenya in the past and you tried to write this section, you may have found it very difficult.

Chances are that is because you are running a small business in Kenya or maybe you have just started your business.

Truth is, it is really difficult to make accurate projections or projections at all for that matter if you don’t have any data to base them on.

And that is why I’d recommend that instead of trying to create projections, you simply set goals if you are just starting your company or have only been in business for a couple of years.

You can decide exactly how long you want to make your goals for.

But a good place to start would be to set some one-year goals and also some five-year goals.

This way you know what you need to work on right now but you also know where you are aiming long term.

For each time frame, you can set whatever goals you’d like.

However, some that I might recommend;

• number of sales total revenue 
• Profit 
• impact in terms of the number of customers who you help or how wide you spread your message and
• Development, could be the extent to which you have advanced the product that you create and offer or to what extent you have built your company.

And of course, when setting goals, it is always important to set specific, measurable goals and a deadline for when you plan to reach them.

Free Business Plans in Kenya & Guides (+Pdf)

Coming soon…

The following business plans and guides will be uploaded here soon. Sign Up for notifications.

• Bank Agency Business Guide
• Real Estate Business Guide
• Bakery Business Guide
• Road Rescue Business Guide
• Pleasure Business Guide
• Medical Imaging Business Guide
• Auto Garage Business Guide
• Dry Cleaning Business Guide
• Animal feeds Business Guide
• Cleaning Services Business Guide
• Car Tracking Business Guide
• Digital Taxi Business Guide
• E-commerce Website Business
• Concrete Mixer Business Guide
• Concrete Blocks Business Guide
• Private Primary School Business
• Juice processing and packaging
• Stationery Importation Business Guide
• Vehicle Importation Business Guide
• Mobile Phone Selling Business Guide
• Refurbished computers Business Guide
• Perfume reselling Business Guide
• Matatu Business Guide
• Boutique Business Guide
• Security Company Business Guide
• Oil Transportation Business Guide
• Cereals Business Guide
• Milk processing and packaging
• Biscuit bakery Business Guide
• Sweets manufacturing Business
• Baby diapers importation Business
• Baby diaper contract manufacturing
• Hotel Business Guide
• Travel Agency Business Guide
• Garbage Collection Business
• Lab equipment selling Business
• Peanut butter packaging Business
• Cooking Oil Processing Business
• Land brokerage Business Guide
• Youghurt Production Business
• Tissue paper packaging Business
• Clearing and Logistics Business
• Construction company Business

Final thoughts on creating a business plan in Kenya

All right, that is everything you need to include in your business plan in Kenya.

As you can see, they are simple pages and you probably already know most of the information that will be going into this business plan.

There are many other pieces of information that you may want to include in your business plan 

You are more than welcome to include any relevant information that describes how you successfully run you and how you plan to reach your goals.

Here is my final piece of advice for you;

Make sure that you don’t overcomplicate things.

More words are not better.

In fact, your business plan in Kenya will be the most useful if you keep it short and relatively simple.

If you write a document that’s 20 40 or more pages long, chances are high that nobody will ever go back and read it again.

A business plan is a written document that describes your business, its objectives and strategies, and how you will achieve them. It outlines your marketing plan, financial projections, and operational procedures.

A business plan is important because it helps potential investors or lenders understand your business concept, objectives, and strategies. It also gives an overview of the financial viability of the business and helps you analyze potential risks.

A business plan should include a summary of your business concept, products and services, market segment, target consumers, marketing plan, financial plan, including cash flow statement, balance sheet, profit and loss statement, and sales forecast, operational procedures, personnel, infrastructure, and ownership.

The cost of writing a business plan varies depending on the complexity of the business and the depth of the analysis required. On average, it can range from KES 10,000 to KES 50,000.

Every business owner, whether an established entrepreneur or a startup, should write a business plan. It is a crucial document required to give potential investors an overview of the business and its financial viability.

To attract an investor with your business plan, you need to clearly define your business concept, market segment, target consumers, and marketing plan. You should also provide financial projections, including the required investment and the expected return on investment.

The purpose of a financial plan in a business plan is to provide an overview of the business’s financial viability. It includes cash flow statement, balance sheet, profit and loss statement, and sales forecast.

To write a marketing plan for your business, you’ll need to analyze your market segment, determine your target consumers, and define your promotional, advertising, and sales strategies to attract and retain them. You should also set objectives and strict budgets for your promotion and advertising activities.

You should update your business plan constantly to reflect changes in your business environment, like increased competition, new regulations, or changes in your products or services. You should review and update it at least once a year, or whenever significant changes occur.

A profit and loss statement is a financial statement that shows the revenues, expenses, and net income or loss of a business for a specific period, usually monthly or annually. It helps business owners analyze their profit margins and identify areas where they can cut costs and increase revenue.

Yes, every business needs insurance to protect its assets, employees, and customers. You should consider insurance options, like liability insurance, property insurance, or workers’ compensation insurance, depending on your business operations and risks.