How to Start a Bike Rental Business in Kenya

The bike rental business is becoming a new trend in Kenya. Riding is a hobby for many people. Many bikers want to avoid the cost of buying one, hence opting to hire one. The bicycle hiring business is a new trend in universities and along the coastal regions and especially the beach.

Starting a bike rental business is a profitable venture. You can also train people how to ride a bike at a fee. In this article, we are going to show you how to start a bike rental business in Kenya.

Write Bike Rental Business Plan

Before starting a bike rental business in Kenya, it is important that you first write a business plan. A business plan helps you plan ahead and prepare before launching your business. Some of the things you need to capture in your bicycle rental business plan include:

Startup costs
Business location
Competitor analysis of other bike rental companies
Where to source bicycles at lower prices
Bicycle prices in Kenya

Identify a Good Location for a Bike Rental Business

The bike rental business thrives well in areas with a young population. Some of the best places to start the bike rental business include near universities, colleges and near recreational areas like beaches. You can also start one in public places like near hotels or social places like gardens where people come to take a rest.

Cost of Starting a Bicycle Hiring Business in Kenya

The cost of starting a bike hiring business depends on the number of bikes you wish to start with. Bikes are not expensive to buy and maintain. A good mountain bike goes for around Ksh 15,000. You can start with two bicycles and buy more as the demand increases. This means you can start with two bike for Ksh 30,000.

You may want also to budget for the cost of maintaining the bikes. Bike repairs are very cheap and it would cost you less than Ksh 1,000 each a month.

Is Bike Rental Business Profitable in Kenya?

The bike rental business is a new business and its market is not saturated. It means when you start the business, you won’t face much competition. It means that you can set prices depending on the demand for bike services.

On average, it costs Ksh 100 to rent a bike per hour. If you have two bikes and each gets hired for 5 hours in a day, you will have made Ksh 1,000. It is a good business that you can combine with other businesses.

You can also offer other services like training services at a fee. This will help you boost your revenues and get more customers.

Challenges in the Bike Rental Business

The bike rental business is a lucrative venture, but it also has its challenges. Some of the challenges include the risk of losing your bikes to thieves. You need to come up with measures to mitigate such risks.

One of the ways to avoid such risks is to ensure that those who come to rent your bikes present an ID card. Cross-check that the person renting the bike is the person on the ID. Retain the ID card while they ride and return it to them when they return your bicycle.

Summary of How to Start a Bike Rental Business in Kenya

The bike rental business is a great way to make an extra income if you have a bike you are not using. You can also team up with a friend to launch a large bike rental business. To generate significant revenues from this business, you need to have a good number of bikes. Also, make sure to target the young population in densely populated areas.