If you are a parent or if you’ve had an opportunity to raise a child in your life, I am sure you are familiar with the hassle of buying diapers. You go to the supermarket to buy one of those popularly advertised brands only to find that they are overpriced and of low quality.
You consider buying from a kiosk near you, only to realize that the price is double what you expected yet quality is still compromised.
It’s such a frustrating way of life that most parents (particularly those busy with office jobs and businesses) would like to do away with. And therein lies an opportunity for you to start a diaper delivery business. You will only need Sh5,000 minimum starting capital, marketing skills, an idea of where to find the best quality diapers at wholesale prices and the passion of an entrepreneur. Ready? Let’s go.
Step 1: Decide On Who Your Customer Will Be
Your ideal customer may not the necessarily be the typical mama mboga or mzee mambo from your village. So you need to find the right calibre of people in order to increase your chances of survival. For instance, you can focus on busy working mums or stay-at-home parents particularly those drawn from young families in the middle-class. Also, you can consider the option of supplying retail shops in the rural areas for bulk sales.
The way to woo customers into your fold is to offer them slightly cheaper prices combined with door to door delivery services for the same (or even better) quality of diapers. You get the idea?
Step 2: Find a Reliable Supplier
Basically you want to find the cheapest wholesale prices so that you can still make a profit even when you’ve marked up the price and given a discount to your loyal customers. This is where you need to do your homework.
For those in Nairobi area, a trip to the OTC area near the Murang’a bus stop where wholesalers like Moska Enterprises and Parit Enterprises are located would be well worth it.
There you will find quality diapers going for as cheap as Ksh10 per piece (Ksh1550 per carton). The same can be sold at Ksh30 per piece or Ksh3,000 per carton!
Other wholesalers who have an outstanding reputation are Kimfay located along Masai Road near Sameer Business Park and Sojpar Enterprises along Bypass Highway in Kisumu.
Step 3: Pick the Fast Moving Brands
Not all diaper brands will resonate with the needs of your target market. So pick your brand choices wisely, particularly focusing on quality, price and value.
Some customers will buy any brand as long as it is well priced. Some will only buy brands they are familiar with or ones they’ve seen being advertised on TV. Once again, know your market and get them the right products.
Here is a list of some popular brands.
*Phoenix Diapers
*Giggles
*Soft Care
*Mummy Poko
*Happy Kid
*Marvel Baby Diapers
*Pampers
*Bouncy Baby Diapers
Remember, you can also choose to import your own stock of diapers from countries such as China and Turkey through the port of Mombasa duty-free. (Related: How To Import Through Mombasa Port).
Step 4: Venture Out
With your stock of diapers handy you are ready to venture out. Be very aggressive in your marketing efforts and use the first few months to build your networks.
With time you will find that orders will start trickling in and you’ll not even have to walk door-to-door to sell. You can even proceed to open a fully-fledged baby shop selling things like nappy wipes, nappy rash creams, powders and bottle warmers among others.
Some Quick Marketing Tips You Can Use
*Invest in some nice-looking business cards, preferably ones made of art-board paper or ivory paper. A well designed business card will cost you about Sh3 per piece.
*Create a Facebook Page and have potential clients like it.
*If you have some money remaining, consider creating a simple website – it can go a long way in adding to your credibility.
*Lastly, use word of mouth to create connections with potential customers in your estate, church or village.
How Much To Invest
You can start with as little as Ksh5,000. Spend Sh3,000 in purchasing two cartons of diapers and the remaining amount for transport and some marketing. Alternatively if you have enough funds you can start buying in bulk and supplying to shops in the rural areas.
How Much To Expect
The more you sell, the more money you make. As a beginner even if you sell 2 cartons a day you’ll still be making good money – almost Ksh130,000 in sales revenues per month. Net profit is usually about 40% of total sales.
Final Word
There is no excuse you can give for not starting a business. The idea of founding a diaper delivery business in Kenya is still a soft target that you can take on provided you are willing to put a little more effort than everyone else. Remember, nothing good comes on a silver platter. Don’t just sit there and complain. Start small and dream big.
