Ecommerce has huge potential in Kenya. Companies like Paypal would not come into the market if they did not see the potential - and these companies are very thorough in their research.

The problem with most people is that they think ecommerce means quick money. NO, this is not the case. Ecommerce needs patience. We have to understand that Kenyans are not going to suddenly embrace ecommerce whole heartedly. There are bound to be suspicions. This is true for any new model. Food delivery for instance...when it started in Kenya, Debonairs and co. can guarantee you that it was very slow. Patience is key. Kenyan startups should not just give up easily.

Another thing is that in Kenya, we are looking at just copying clones which have worked in US etc. Look at the groupon clones out there! We see a new one almost every other week. That is not how ecommerce works. It's not bad to copy : it's bad to copy blindly. Look at a website that is moderately successful in other countries, and see how you can make it work in Kenya. Understand your demographics. Don't expect Kenyans to pay you thousands to get their Iphone. What you can do is , ask them to pay a small deposit when placing an order, and pay the balance upon delivery. That is just one example. Creativity is very important. Understand your targets.

And once again, I repeat, patience!

I have a been a bit hesitant to comment on e-commerce and on any topic related to online business until now.

May be the main reason was that though I now have an online business, I did not really consider myself as an authority on this area and especially because I have no class training on anything website.

I guess with time, I am gaining more and more confidence in this area. In fact I have a lot to share on this topic but would want not to go into much details on this. If this generates some interest, I will provide more information.

The truth is I have lost a lot of money trying online business. But I have no regrets. Now, If you mention anything online, I am most likely to tell what might work and what will not work, what is genuine and a scam.

There are many opportunities for Kenyans only if they have the right information. I should also add that e-business is really not a preserve of the tech guys form college only. Anyone can have a successful e-business.

I am saying this because I am a trained accountant but now running an online business complete with a website which I put up.

To succeed in an e-business, you must first know what people are looking for. This must be through research and not just what you think people are looking for.

Once you know that your idea can sell, get all the relevant information you need to have a working website. You must make a search engine friendly website. You must be found in google search if you want to succeed and significantly cut down on advertising costs. In fact if you have an offline business, a website should be a marketing tool for your business.

Please let me know if I should discuss more on this topic.

I have quite some ideas and examples of websites that are doing well some owned by Kenyan's and competing globally on their themes.