book shop business plan in kenya

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10 Fascinating Facts About Kenya

Located right along the equator in East Africa is one of the continent’s better-known countries: Kenya. The beautiful country is a popular travel destination. Here are some fascinating facts to learn about Kenya, Africa before heading there on vacation.

Kenya Has Two Official Languages

The two official languages of Kenya are Swahili and English. However, the 43 million people living in the country speak a variety of other languages. Many speak one or more of a dozen indigenous languages in addition to or instead of the two primary languages.

Kenya Is the Birthplace of Humans

Although it’s hard to tell definitively, scientific evidence points to the theory that the area of Northern Kenya and Tanzania is the original birthplace of humans. To date, the earliest bones of humans have been discovered here.

Tourism Is Big Business in Kenya

Tourism is a big income generator in Kenya. Though not the largest contributor to the nation’s GDP, tourism attracts millions of people from all over the world. Many tourists visit to check out the elephants, lions, leopards and other wildlife native to the area.

Kenyans Drink Beverages at Room Temperature

While grabbing a drink from the refrigerator or adding ice to a beverage might be common practice in the United States, it’s not so common in Kenya. Many Kenyans do not own a refrigerator. That means they typically drink beverages and store their food at room temperature.

Many Children Don’t Go to School

Like the United States, Kenya has a public school system that’s open to all children. However, school isn’t compulsory, and many children don’t even have time to go. Instead, they must help their families by tending to cattle, farming, transporting water and cooking.

Kenyans Don’t Drink Coffee

If you’re a coffee drinker, there’s a good chance that you’ve tasted coffee beans from Kenya. It’s one of the biggest crops and moneymakers in the nation, but the people there don’t drink it often or at all. It’s a huge product to export, and Kenyans believe it should all be exported. They prefer to drink tea and beer instead — both at room temperature.

Kenya Gained Its Independence in 1963

Like many other African countries, Kenya has had a tumultuous history when it comes to government. It only gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1963. In 2010, it went through another shift when the country’s new constitution split the nation into 47 separate counties.

Kenyan Men Can Have Multiple Wives

It’s not uncommon for Kenyan men to have multiple wives. Unlike the United States where people can only have one spouse, men in Kenya can have as many as they wish. However, it comes at a price. Dowries are common practice in Kenya. Men must pay a dowry to their brides’ families before they can wed. Dowries start at 10 cows.

Kenya Is Home to the Big Five

The Big Five refers to five animals that early game hunters identified as the most dangerous and hardest to hunt. Many are endangered, and it is illegal to hunt them. However, people who visit Kenya for a safari hope to capture a glimpse and a photograph of these majestic creatures. The Big Five are lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhinoceros.

Kenya Has Diverse Ecosystems

When many people visualize Kenya, they picture the dry, grassy savannas or desert ecosystems. While these are both present in Kenya, it’s landscape also includes swamps, mountains and forests with a wide range of plant and wildlife.

How to Start a Bookshop Business in Kenya

A bookshop is a good business if you identify a good business location. Bookshop business in Kenya thrives well in towns with education institutions like Nairobi , Thika, Eldoret and Mombasa. You need to identify your target customers so that you can stock the right education materials. If you are targeting primary schools, then you need to stock books relevant to primary school students.

In this article, I will take you through the process of starting a profitable bookshop business in Kenya.

Prepare a Bookshop Business Plan

A business plan will guide you on how to start and run your bookshop business. Things to include in the business plan include startup capital , how to raise the capital, target market, pricing, projected business revenues and marketing strategy. Talk to people in the bookshop business. They will help you understand the risks in the business and how to overcome them.

Acquire the Necessary Skills to Run your Bookshop

If you want to run a bookshop successfully, it is important you learn some business skills. Among them, how to find customers, books to stock and where to source books at cheaper prices.

You may also need to know how to get orders from institutions and how they pay once books are delivered. Without this knowledge, it is easy to get conned.

Identify your Target Market

Every business owner starting a business must have a market that he or she is targeting. The bookshop business is not different. You need to identify who your target customers are.

Your target customers can be kindergarten kids, primary or secondary school students, or even campus students . Knowing your target customers helps you stock books that are relevant to them. If you choose to operate a large scale bookshop business, you can target institutions.

Choose a Strategic Location for your Bookshop

Your bookshop should be in a strategic location that is easily accessible and visible from a distance. It will be best if you locate your bookshop in an area without other bookshops to minimize competition.

Locating your business around learning institutions will help draw customers to your bookshop. Besides, you can set up your bookshop in a neighborhood with school-going children.

When you decide the location to set up your bookshop business, you also need to rent business premises. The size of your operating space will depend on the size of your bookshop business. Rental spaces are expensive in urban centers.

Also read: How to start a computer training business.

How Much Capital Do I Need to Start a Bookshop Business in Kenya?

This should be among the first things to ask yourself when you think of starting a bookshop business. If your funds are not enough to start the business, you can look for alternative sources of capital like:

You can start a small bookshop with Ksh 100,000 and expand it as your customers and revenues increase. The following is capital breakdown for a small bookshop:

Acquire Business Licenses and Permits

You need to register your business name through the eCitizen portal. It costs around Ksh 1,000 to register a business name. After registering your bookshop business name, you will need to acquire the following business permits and licenses :

Find Reliable Suppliers

You will need to find suppliers for your bookshop. These can be book publishers or authors. You also need to be a member of the Kenya Booksellers and Stationers Association to buy from publishers. Also, ensure you are conversant with the supplier's terms and conditions.

Market your Bookshop Business

Business marketing is important to attract customers to your business. There are different methods you can use to reach your customers, like social media or visiting institutions.

You can also decide to use posters, newsletters, pamphlets, referrals, sponsored adverts on social media, or giving discounts.

Is Bookshop Business Profitable in Kenya?

Bookshop business is a profitable venture especially if you sell books directly to institutions. However, you can still make good business revenues if you target the right customers.

You just need to determine the market segmentation in the area you want to start your business. Then stock books that are relevant to your target customers.

Summary of How to Start a Bookshop in Kenya

A bookshop business can earn huge profits. All you need is to offer exceptional customer service, have excellent managerial skills, a good business location, and a clear vision. Having a good marketing strategy also plays a critical role in the success of your bookshop business.

Sample Bookshop Business Plan in Kenya

Institution: College

Course: Diploma in Information Communication Technology

Posted By: GONYJEAN

Document Type: PDF

Number of Pages: 37

This is a simple, clear and easy to understand business plan sample about a bookshop. Contains all the necessary information needed. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BUSINESS DESCRIPTION The business owner will be Oduor Mutende Charles. He is 24 years old undertaking certificate in Diploma in social work and community development The business name will be Mutende bookshop supply and it will be located in Kakamega county Mumias town .The business will operate 2020The major business actually will be selling of all stationaries like books, pencils, pens and rubber. JUSTIFICATION OF THE BUSINESS The owner of the business will be a sole proprietorship which deals with production of quality products

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Bookshop Business Plan in Kenya

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Sample Bookshop Business Plan in Kenya

Institution: College

Course: Diploma in Information Communication Technology

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How to Start a Profitable Bookshop Business in Kenya

When the Narc government took over in Kenya in 2003, free primary education in public primary schools was launched all over the country. This increased the number of pupils attending schools countrywide. As a result of this, and in addition to the increasing number of private schools, adult readers, secondary and college students, the demand for books dramatically increased in the country. Though electronic books, audio books and digital magazines have come into use, many people still enjoy buying and reading traditional, printed books.

It is estimated that the government pays fees for more than 10 million pupils in primary schools and about 2.1 million students in secondary schools. A total of Sh.670 is budgeted for each primary school pupil to cater for textbooks, instructional materials and facilitation of internal examinations.

The demand for exercise books, text books and other stationery materials will therefore keep rising. This tells you that bookshops will remain viable businesses for many years to come. An entrepreneur can therefore greatly benefit by investing in a bookshop business. You can identify a niche market or stock a mixture of school books and other types.

Book business has serious competition. Your location should therefore be in a place that is not already saturated with bookshops. Choose a place that has high human foot traffic. Make your bookshop business highly visible and accessible. Such places are mostly found in established busy shopping malls, busy residential shopping centers and areas with high economic activities

In a city like Nairobi, busy areas like River road, Tom Mboya Street, Accra Road, Latema Road, Commercial, and Tea Room are some of the strategic areas to locate a bookshop business in Kenya. In residential areas, it is better to operate from busy shopping malls since these areas are frequented by large numbers of people all the time.

Other towns in Kenya also have busy sections that are suitable for a bookshop business in Kenya.

The size of your operating space will depend on your expected volume of business. It is more expensive to rent a big space therefore, clearly map out your demand and expected turnover before deciding on the size of room/premises to rent for your bookshop business. It will also depend on whether you may want to stock other stationery items such as office supplies.

Requirements

We have already talked about the space to operate your bookshop business. Other requirements will be the stock of books and shelves to stock them. Bookshelves should cost you roughly Sh.10,000. You will need a well-designed stocking system fully labelled to enable you easily find the books. You will also need an assistant who understands the books very well. You may need to make a catalogue of your stocks, divided into different categories, and complete with retail prices. This will help you and/or your assistant to easily locate any book that you need to sell.

Other requirements will be a single business permit from the county to legally operate your business.

Before you buy from publishers, you will need to be a member of Kenya Booksellers and Stationers Association, therefore it is advisable to join this association. To join this association, visit their offices at Shankardass House on Moi Avenue with copies of your business license, ID and PIN. Annual fee is Sh.12,500 renewable at Sh.5,000 annually. Their year runs from October to October. Note this very carefully.

Primary and secondary school textbooks may form a big portion of your sales. It is therefore advisable to stock these books as a priority. With the numerous changes in our education syllabuses, as a bookshop owner, it will be in your interest to keep in close touch with the happenings in the Ministry of Education and the policies.

You should identify the fast moving books in the area where your bookshop is located. These should be the books to give priority as you stock. Apart from text books, other stationery items such as exercise books, pens, note books, geometrical sets and dictionaries also move fast.

Buying stock of books in bulk from these suppliers attracts good discounts. To minimize your costs and increase your profit margins, consider buying school textbooks books in bulk from the publishers. You should also buy exercise books and other supplies in bulk directly from the printers and other major stationery suppliers. If you are well established, publishers will be fighting over each other to deliver books to you, mostly on credit, which is payable once the books are sold.

Competition

As already mentioned, bookshop business has stiff competition. Apart from locating in a busy and accessible point, your bookshop business setup should also differentiate itself from competitors. Aggressive marketing will be crucial for survival. You will be competing with major established players such as Book Point on Moi Avenue, Text Book Center on Kijabe Street, Sarit Center and other major malls, Svanis on Latema and many others in supermarkets and all over town.

You may need to reach out to clients instead of waiting for them to come to your bookshop. They may just go to your competitors since most books are standard; there is no recommended text book that can be said to be more superior. You may also stock a section for second hand books, both textbooks and novels. These have a higher margin than new books.

Try to lobby head teachers and school principals in the area and also use creative and innovative promotional efforts to draw attention to your bookshop. Branding and careful pricing will also help you in keeping ahead of competition in this business. Stocking most recommended text books will also create loyalty among your clients and they will keep coming to you knowing that they will get the books or items they require. It will be your responsibility to attract and retain as many clients as possible.

Remember you will also be competing with many street vendors who sell text books on the pavements in major towns. These vendors may undercut you since some of them have low overheads, e.g they do not pay rent, electricity etc.

Complete Budget

Below is an estimated budget of what your cost structure may look like as you start. These are only estimates and are based on a medium bookshop so use them as a guide only. Stocking the bookshop will take majority of the money. Exact amounts will depend on the size of your bookshop, quantity and variety of your stocks, location and projected demand.

A bookshop business can be quite profitable especially on school opening season of January and February. Some bookshops claim that they make almost 50% more during this time. You can target to make most of your profits for the year on these dates. Some of the street book vendors surveyed claimed to sell about 10 text books and 15 novels each day. Small and medium bookshops sell minimum of 35 books per day on average. Margins of 15% and 35% are recorded if you purchase your stock in bulk directly from publishers.

As you have seen, a bookshop business in Kenya is simple to start although may need a higher amount of capital to fully stock.

BUSINESS PLAN FABULOUS BOOKSHOP

This is the sample of business plan published with the intention of helping students and researchers who are interested to get some potential hints from the business plan. The business plan has been written and designed by Victor A Byemelwa.

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Starting a Bookshop in Kenya

Starting a bookshop in Kenya, to supplement your other sources of income shouldn’t be difficult as it doesn’t require much in terms of licences or permits. With free primary and secondary education, the rise in the number of public and private universities and their campuses and constituent colleges, there’s a growing need for reference material in form of books.

Licence and Business Name Registration

To start off the bookshop, you’ll only be required to acquire the standard business permit as per the county you’re in. This can range from three thousand (KShs. 3,000) to fifteen thousand shillings (KShs. 15,000).

To better gain an advantage over other bookshops, if supplying books through tendering to schools, register with the Kenya Booksellers and Stationers Association. This needs you to have a business name registered at Attorney General offices.

Getting the Books

The books to be stocked are mainly targeted at schools, parents and students. General and motivational books for general population, like novels and how-to books are not considered much by those new to operating a bookshop. These are mostly sold by street vendors who also sell imported, secondhand/used textbooks and general readership books.

To know which books have been recommended to schools for each level of education, mainly, ECDE, primary, secondary and colleges, the government publishes a list of all needed books. This list can be accessed from the education ministry website at www.education.go.ke .

It is advisable to stock fast moving books like literary set books, revision, instructional and reference books (dictionaries, kamusi, and the Bible). Additionally, include a variety of stationery to accompany these books. Include exercise books, pens and pencils, erasers and sharpeners too.

Tendering Books to Schools

Tendering books to schools can be tricky, with most, if not all school administrators flouting government procurement rules. They give winning tenders to cronies, charging non-refundable tender fees separately for textbooks and stationery, disregarding all guidelines. Some unscrupulous booksellers use kickbacks are in form of price, discounts, additions, cut to head teachers to win tenders.

Its advisable to lobby schools than waiting for them to come to you, as you can offer prices than they currently are having. It should be noted that the education ministry through the Orange Book sets the maximum price that a school should buy a book for.

Have patience with payment from schools as they are dependent on government disbursement of the same. Sometimes, red tape and bureaucracy makes payment delays, sometimes lasting more than half a year.

How to go About Starting Your Bookshop

Considerations When Starting

Premises: you’ll need shelves but can also stack books, chair, display desk and/or receipt book or point of sale.

Premise costing/rent ; take into consideration that breaking even may take more than a year hence, plan well for such an eventuality.

Suppliers would be wholesalers or the book publishers. Start with wholesalers as they can allow for smaller quantities but this eats into your profit margin. When established, publishers will naturally. Some well known book suppliers are Laxmi Booksellers and Stationers Ltd, Text Book Center Ltd, Sai Office Supplies, Books First, Gabby Books Ltd and many more.

The minimal required capital for starting a bookshop with a premise is about KShs. 80,000 but for a better range of reading material and stationery, KShs. 400,000 can suffice.

Average returns can vary depending on whom you get your books from with publishers enabling a margin of about 20% considering discounts on quantities bought. Books distributors will give you a bare minimum margin of about 10%.

Return also can be dictated by the season with the January/February, May and September being more profitable as these are opening months for most school calendars.

A bookshop owner can set their own prices according to how much they deem enough profit on certain books. Publishers often give books at between a 60% and 75% of the cover price to resellers. Remember, the government dictates the pricing for schools, hence the bookshop owner has to know how to price accordingly. Hence, when selling to individuals, a higher price quote is set.

Bookshop Profit/Success Influencing Factors

NB: These came factors also dictate the competition

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This is a well organized business plan project about bookshop mutende bookshop supply box 81 mumias telephone number 0792595971 email: name: institution:
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