The election season is here and with it comes opportunities to make money through channels which are not associated with electoral malpractices like voter bribery.
Besigye addressing a political rally
From the highest office in the country, the presidency, to lowest political office, the local council one chairperson, politicians will be requiring goods and services to sustain their campaigns. In this article we look at business opportunities which you can take up and make some money during this political season.
Catering services
Catering is the business of providing food and drinks. Political campaigns consist of people gathering in one place to be address by their candidate. This means that people must eat and drink.
These candidates most times cannot prepare a meal for hundreds of people gathered yet they have to feed them. And there lies the opportunity to make money.
You need to do your research to indentify the real weight of the opportunity, the numbers, type of food required and the monies you will need. This makes your planning and operations easy.
Then you can make a proposal which you can present to the candidates to supply them with ready to eat food, beverages and alcohol.You have to convince them that what you are giving them is the best alternative and that they need it.
In this instance what is required are simple snacks like cakes, sodas and sometimes beers. Sometimes the client might require that you provide him with buffets consisting or local foods. You must be prepared to meet their demands.
With a simple capital of about Shs2m you hit it off especially in rural areas. The capital to start in urban centers might be higher though.
Graphic Design and Printing
This is a recruitive deal at this time of the year. Candidates are printing posters, t-shirts, and other campaigning materials. People in this business at Nasser and Nkrumah Road in Kampala are busy minting money.
This business encompasses artists, graphic designers, stationary suppliers, fabric distributors, tailors and transporters.
Millions of posters are going to be printed for distribution as it is a norm. So are t-shirts, hats, hankies, bandanas, shirts and sorts of fabric materials.
These materials are commonly used for publicity during election campaigns. Aspirants for public offices have their pictures and names boldly printed on custom T-shirts and then distribute them to people free of charge.
Currently, to get a good graphic designer, one has to come to Kampala, where he can also get good printers.
While candidates are winding up with party elections it is time for you to pack your computer, printer, ink, pencils and all that a clothing or graphic designer needs and pitch camp where there is demand for such services.
This is quite an expensive adventure for an ordinary person who is just starting as procuring computers and printers can be capital tasking. If you are into printing, you might need more than Shs5m.
Car hire/transport services
This is one other good opportunity to earn money from these ambitious politicians. If you have a bus or other big vehicle that can convey a decent number of people, then consider approaching an election candidate.
They will need vehicles to transport their supporters from point A to point B. They will also need vehicles to run errands as they come. Some of these politicians don’t have decent cars yet they will want to look presentable with an executive SUV. This they hire.
And transport is certainly one of the factors that can help their cause. So, yours could be one of the vehicles that will help them convey their supporters to rallies and campaign grounds.
Courier services
This is a service you can do at a small-scale level. Politicians will need to distributor letters, parcels, and campaign materials to different parts of their constituency.
Remember the big courier companies don’t serve in all parts of the country and are quite expensive. How about you assemble a number of your trusted boda boda guys, get the deals and they do the job for you.
This can be done at a village level and once you execute it perfectly then you can take it to a sub county level and end up creating a network of courier distributors. Think about it.
Entertainment
Election campaigns and partying are synonymous. Campaign trails are characterized by loud music, dance and drama and booze.
This time presents you an opportunity to provide sound systems, public address systems, DJs, supply music equipment among others. If you have an MDD group then you are literally in things. Same for performing artists like musicians.
This is a time to compose songs for any candidate who can pay. Performing at their rallies is a bread winner. Just make the right connections before someone else snaps them up and get rich.
Citizen journalism/blogging
This needs some levels of professionalism and passion. Let us start with photography. People want to keep memories.
With about Shs500, 000 you can get a good camera and become your village’s chief photographers. You can take 50 photos a day at Shs2000 per photo, do the math.
As a photographer, you can also share newsworthy photos to newspapers that in turn can make you their correspondent.
Alternatively you can start a blog, a website or a platform like a notice board where you can place people’s campaign adverts.
Bloggers can provide advertising spaces in their blogs for the candidates. Moreover, you can write about them and hopefully get visitors from those searching for candidate information.
And depending on your personal beliefs, you can also allow paid write-ups on your site.
Consultancy services
It is a wise decision for a candidate to hire a consultant or a consultancy firm to do things he cannot do.
This helps candidate to get ideas from professionals instead of relying on family, friends and well wishers or might not really be well wishers.
Consultants come to deliver therefore they give you what they think is the best. From campaign planning budgets, schedules, campaign approach, speeches and all that you need consultants are a good call.
Therefore if you know a thing or two that can propel a candidate then the wise idea is to contact a candidate who you think needs your services.
Volunteering
This is not exactly a business but it can keep you occupied and earn you some allowances. This is especially good for students who will be in their vacation and long holidays.
You can volunteers with the electoral commission, district authorities handling elections, civil society organizations or candidates to offer community services at rallies and in other areas.
While this cannot guarantee a notable pay, it can bring experience and exposure. It’s a time well spent.
Offer professional services
Professional services come in different types. For example some people are good talkers, orators, writers, researchers, planners and posses organizational skills which can add value to a particular candidate.
These are services people are willing to pay for. Many candidates are not good with writing speeches, right there is a problem to solve and get paid. Public relations is another service to a candidate.
Remember this is a time of character assassination and mud sliding, as a candidate you need someone to fix this mess.
A profession PR person can handle this as you worry about other pressing matters during the campaign trail.
If you can add value to a particular candidate vying for a political office, present it to him or her and explain the benefits, if they are good then you will get paid for it. This requires no much monetary capital to start.
Events management
The most important part of the campaigns for a candidate is rally where he communicates to people who are going to vote. Most times that is when the voters make a decision on who to vote.
[related_posts]Therefore a poorly organized rally says a lot about the candidate. This is why a candidate must hire a professional events manager.
This somehow guarantees not many shortcomings and contributes to the ranking of the candidate.
If you have a skill in events management then now is the time to sell yourself to political aspirants and stand a chance to make money.
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