10 Businesses to start in Uganda with 500000 Ugx

10 Businesses to Start in Uganda with 500000 Ugx. Many people are starting up their own businesses in Uganda today more than a year back.

This is largely due to the high level of unemployment, increased rate of laying off (Firing workers or telling them they no longer have a job at a company) from big companies, and also lack the required skills to qualify for the available jobs.

If you are planning to start up your own business as well and are looking for startup ideas, you are in the right place.

Running your own business today is far more secure than waiting for a paycheck at the end of the month.

But before we look at the business ideas, you too can generate your own unique business idea that will perfectly suit your area of operation, skill, financial status, and your passion.

If you want to generate your own unique idea we have a guide about The Best Ways To Think Of Startup Ideas In Uganda which shows you how to come up with business ideas.

Business is all about solving a problem. If your business idea does not have any solution it offers to your customers, then you need to review your business idea and add a solution to it.

Enough of the talking! Let us now look at the 10 business ideas one can start up in Uganda with a startup capital of 10000 Ugx to 500000 Ugx.

Uganda is a raising business venturing country and many small businesses are thriving.

Fresh food stall

The number one on the list of the 10 Businesses to start in Uganda with 500000 Ugx is starting a Fresh Food Stall.

Uganda is well known as the pearl of Africa and one of the reasons it is called so is because of its farming backbone. Fresh food stall

The village side of the country do most of the farming while the urban side settles more on business than farming.

Starting up a fresh food stall can be a profitable business to start due to the little capital required to start.

All that is needed is looking for a busy place in an urban area preferably, a stall and fresh foods to sell. Fresh foods can be tomatoes, banana “Matooke“, eggplants, onions, and much more.

This is a lucrative business because everybody has to eat, so everyone walking down the street is potentially your customer.

You, however, need to position your stall very well to get maximum profits.

Starting up a fresh food stall is one of the businesses that require less than 500000 Ugx to start and it is easy to set up anywhere in the country.

The main challenge that affects Fresh Food stalls is the rotting of the fresh foods, however, if you store your fresh foods in a cool dry place, they are going to last longer than in hot and moist stores.

Phone Repair Shop

Are you skilled and passionate about repairing spoilt phones? here is one business idea for you. 80% of all Ugandans have phones.

These include smartphones and feature phones “katoochi”.

It does not require more to start a phone repair shop than a strategically positioned room, phone spare parts, repairing machinery and your physical presence.

Due to the availability of many phone users, there is a high availability of people who require phone repair services.

This business, however, requires some expertise in phone repair. You can readily get these skills by attending a course in a college or being another phone repair technician’s apprentice.

This business requires very little capacity and the more good work you do for your customers, the more they will come back and also refer other customers to you.

Mobile Money Service

Mobile money has greatly reduced the need to open an account in a bank today because it is directly linked to your cellphone line and you can access mobile money anytime, anywhere.

Starting up a mobile money service provision can be the most profitable business you may be waiting for all this time. With just 500000 Ugx you can start up a mobile money shop or work in a kiosk.

Mobile money service providers like MTN and Airtel are assisting their mobile money agents by providing kiosks to work in, branding the mobile money shops, and also giving signages “posters” to advertise their shops and kiosks.

Almost everyone has a mobile money service registered on his line, which means anyone in need of your mobile service can load Airtime, and Internet, Pay Bills, and send and withdraw money.

Many mobile money businesses are already operating in the country. They are all working and profitable.

You need to position your mobile money shop or kiosk in a busy place where people will likely find you.

Sell second-Hand Clothes “Kikade”

Ugandans are known for their dressing taste. 90% of all Ugandans have more than one pair of shirts and trousers.

This shows you how much Ugandans like clothes and if you can give them good clothes at a good price, you are in business.

You can decide to make a boutique out of second-hand clothes or you can work in daily markets “obutale” and sell your clothes there.

Either way, it works and it is super profitable. Any amount can readily start this type of business.

You just need to be passionate about this business and also get to know your customer locations.

A busy street works fine because as people pass by, they can readily see your merchandise.

Become a Hawker

A hawker is a salesperson who moves from place to place selling his merchandise. Hawkers do not have permanent addresses. They are mobile.

Hawkers sell almost everything in this world except guns! hahaha. You do not need much to start your hawking business. Start with 100000 Ugx to 200000 Ugx.

You can also change your way of selling your products from hawking to running a store or shop so do not feel bad about being a hawker.

It can be a step for you to raise enough capital to start up a big business.

If you are in need of startup Capital, we wrote a full guide on How To Raise Startup Capital for Your Business in Uganda.

You can hawk glass products, plastic products, food, clothes and so much more. Choosing what to hawk is all about your desire for what you are interested in and your business location.

Salad-making and delivery

Salads are fruits cut and packed together. They are normally eaten after meals but you can eat your salad at any time.

You can start this business with approximately 100000 Ugx. It would be best if you had fresh fruits, packages and salesmen. That is all that is needed.

If you are short on startup capital, you can start with your family members as your salesmen to sell your salads.

This business works in every place.

Baking Business

Are you a skilled baker? What are you waiting for? Employ your skills now to earn yourself a living today.

There has always been a high demand for baking services and it does not look to stop soon. Cakes are one of the highest demands in the baking business.

Supermarkets, ceremonies, and many more occasions and businesses require cakes today. After getting your baking skill, all that is needed is to turn your skill into a money generator.

You may use a cheap oven for baking as you plan to buy a good baking machine.

Software installation and Computer maintenance

Are you a computer technician skilled in installing software and maintaining a computer? this is for you. Software installation and computer maintenance are very lucrative businesses.

You need software and a location or centre where your clients will find you. You need to advertise your business as well so that your customers may know about you and your services.

Just like many other businesses, you can start this business in Uganda with 500000 Ugx and can increase your customers by doing good work for them so that they refer you to other people.

The capital needed here is to buy a computer, rent a place, and also download software. You may need other devices like flash disks, memory cards, and external hard drives.

Become a tailor

Tailoring is one of the businesses that one can start in Uganda with 500000 Ugx and it just needs your skills as fuel to operate.

Ugandans like fashion as we all know, and love locally made cultural fashion clothes.

As a tailor, you need to have your sewing machines, a workplace, and an advert to tell people about your presence and your location.

Tailoring is a very profitable business and it is cheap to start.

A typical sewing machine that is operated manually can cost a range of 300000 Ugx to 500000 Ugx. You need this plus your presence to make a living and put food on the table for you and your family.

Startup a Bar

Last but not least of the 10 Businesses to start in Uganda with 500000 Ugx is starting a bar. Ugandans like happiness and they will give you all you want in the form s of money if you give them the fun and entertainment they want.

Starting up a bar may go against some religious beliefs but giving credit where it is due, 80% of all bars are successful in Uganda.

Read our research on 10 Small Business Failure Factors in Uganda, to see what causes many small businesses to fail.

What does that tell you as a startup entrepreneur, you have an 80% chance of succeeding while operating a bar than any other business in Uganda.

Bars have their challenges, and one of them is harbouring criminals but if well managed, you are on your way to success land.

You need around 500000 Ugx to startup a standard bar that can go on to expand and become a great bar, you can later add on other services to your bars like lodges, recreation centres how to start a business in Uganda, and much more.

Your Turn…

Those are the 10 businesses to start in Uganda with 500000 Ugx, but if you have any more and you want them added to this list, put them down in the comments below and we will add them to this list immediately.