How to Start a Butchery Business in Kenya – Guidelines
Looking for a profitable business opportunity in Kenya? A butchery can be an extremely lucrative venture with relatively low startup costs. With just Ksh120,000 in initial capital, you can launch your successful butchery and quickly generate daily profits of Ksh2,500, translating to Ksh62,500 per month. The butcher shop industry enjoys stable demand as meat remains an essential grocery item, providing entrepreneurs with a reliable source of income.
If you want to join the thriving business of meat vending in Kenya, this comprehensive guide will walk you through all the steps of establishing and operating a first-rate butchery.
You’ll learn insider tips on securing the necessary licenses, finding a strategic location, equipping your shop, sourcing quality meat supplies, managing operations, and marketing your butchery. With the right knowledge and preparation, you can start and scale a butcher business that delivers the rewards of satisfied customers and maximized profits each day.
Below are the requirements you must fulfil to kickstart and run your business;
1. Choose a good location for your butchery business in Kenya
Location is paramount in any business. Regarding the butchery enterprise, a good market is usually found in either urban centres or places close to residential areas. At a Ksh.120,000 capital point, starting your butchery in the city is out of topic. You will have to locate your business near residential areas as rent and other tenant fees are quite affordable.
Make sure that your location has a lot of people. The location should be situated adjacent to a road so that people walking by can easily see your set-up.
Over 90% of Kenyans consume meat and therefore, maximizing on location will ensure you attract the right number of customers daily.
Are you struggling with finances? Learn how to save money even within a low salary budget here
2. Identify favourable rent
After choosing a good location, the next thing is to look for a suitable building where you will rent and establish your business. In this case, you will be looking for a rent margin between Ksh.5,000 to Ksh.8,000. Any more than this will mean that you will struggle to start your business because of the limited capital.
Make sure you occupy ground-floor rooms that are easily visible from afar. Customers rarely follow butcheries that are above the first floor.
Remember to clarify to your landlord that you want to start a butchery on his property. Misinformation may lead to you being kicked out of the building.
For rent, you will need to pay 3 months in advance, giving a total of Ksh.24,000. This will prevent your business from being closed down if profits fail to stream in as fast as anticipated.
3. Build your butchery counter and display
Building an attractive counter and display for your butchery can be very expensive if you don’t plan your finances well. You should only invest up to 30% of your capital into building a nice counter and display. In this case, Ksh.26,000 to Ksh.36,000 will suffice.
Having a good display will enable your customers to see what you are selling. The counter on the other hand will enable you to place weighing machines, and cashboxes, alongside giving you a suitable place to serve your customers.
4. Paint and brand the place
In case the room you just rented isn’t properly designed or painted, you will need to repaint it. Customers value hygiene and therefore, removing any stains from the walls is really important. No one wants to see charcoal stains from the previous business on a butchery wall.
For branding, you will need to come up with a suitable name for your business. Consequently, you will need an attractive design and good images of the products you will be selling i.e. meat.
An appealing visual outlook goes a long way toward attracting customers. Branding makes customers trust you and in no time, you may beat the competition.
Stickers that help you with branding cost around Ksh.1,800.
5. Buy all important equipment
For a butchery, you will need cutlery, weighing scales, wrapping papers etc. Below is a list of the materials you may need and the average prices.
Equipment/Material | Price |
Cutting board | Ksh.600 |
Panga | Ksh.270-Ksh.400 |
Knives | Ksh.500 each |
Butcher knife | Ksh.700- Ksh.1,000 |
Hand saw | Ksh.500- Ksh.1,000 |
Scales (Digital) | Ksh.3,000- Ksh.5,000 |
Cling films | Ksh.700 |
Whetstone | Ksh.200- Ksh.500 |
Hooks | Ksh.500- Ksh.650 |
Where can you get a bone-saw machine in Kenya?
If you are looking forward to purchasing a bone saw instead of using a hand saw, you may opt to visit a Jiji for an online purchase. However, if you don’t trust online products, you can find them in local supermarkets such as Naivas, Walmart, etc.
A bone saw is usually priced at Ksh.25,000. You may choose a more expensive device if your funds allow it.
6. Purchase licenses for your butchery operation in Kenya
Before setting up the butchery, you’ll need to acquire the appropriate licenses and permits for operating a butchery in Kenya. Depending on your local government, you may need to obtain a business permit, food establishment license, health department inspection clearance, or other necessary documents before selling meat in the country. Additionally, you may also be required to register with any applicable industry organizations such as the Butchers Association of Kenya.
The fees for the above licenses vary from place to place. You should visit the nearest huduma centre for any direction you need in matters of obtaining licenses.
7. Purchase stock from certified suppliers
Purchasing meat can be hectic if you don’t find the right suppliers. Knowing the location of your local abattoir (slaughterhouse) may prove beneficial to you. From here, it is easy to know which meat supplier you should talk to.
You may opt to ask other butchery owners where they purchase their stock. More often than not, these owners will lie to you because you are trying to compete with them.
Make sure you buy meat from certified and reliable suppliers who offer the best prices. In Nairobi, suppliers are located in Nairobi City market, Kajiado or Dagoretti slaughterhouses.
Have a variety of stock to attract different customers. You can also opt to sell chicken meat.
Where do you store meat at the end of the day?
Meat is a very perishable commodity and therefore, many butchers purchase just enough meat to meet sale requirements (no pun intended).
However, there is no perfect formula for knowing how much meat you can sell per day. Therefore, you may opt for refrigeration, to keep the meat fresh.
8. Research prices and sell meat WITHIN that range
After purchasing your stock, you need to set prices that are favourable to both your customers and your competitors. Setting prices that are too low may aggravate your competitors and this may impact your business security.
Conclusion
Starting a butchery is a great way of gaining financial stability. With the right strategy, you will expand and in the long haul, end up a millionaire. All you have to do is follow the guidelines listed in this article and you will be in the right direction.