KENYA · GUIDE 0781 · EDITION 4.2
Paper bag production in Kenya: Marketing and Finding Buyers
Reach a buyer who can accept the offer
Retailers packaging suitable dry goods.
Show physical samples to local retailers before seeking bulk orders.
Begin with the problem and specification rather than promising a return on investment you cannot establish. The proposed output is: Produce paper bags to a specified size, load and finish using traceable materials.
Make the first message specific
Explain what you will deliver, what is excluded and what the prospect needs to confirm before a quotation. Use this scope when preparing a sample, demonstration or introduction:
Produce paper bags for agreed dry goods, defining dimensions, folds and closure around actual contents, with direct food contact offered only where material specifications support it.
Ask who approves purchases, who accepts the output and how payment is arranged. These can be different people. An informal recommendation is useful for an introduction but does not replace the buyer's approval.
Use proof that matches the promise
Pack the buyer’s representative products into trial bags and inspect seams, base shape and handling, checking usefulness rather than judging appearance alone.
Keep approved examples, inspection records or handover evidence that demonstrate this result. Obtain permission before using a customer's name, photograph, premises or work. Do not invent reviews, imply an endorsement or display private contact details as marketing proof.
Follow the lead through to collection
| Stage | What to record |
|---|---|
| Contact | Source of the introduction and permission to follow up. |
| Qualified enquiry | Required specification, buying authority and timing. |
| Quotation | Scope, exclusions, price, delivery and payment stages. |
| Accepted result | Pack the buyer’s representative products into trial bags and inspect seams, base shape and handling, checking usefulness rather than judging appearance alone. |
| Repeat decision | Keep the approved sample, sheet yield, seam rejects, assembly time and buyer packing feedback to refine dimensions before accepting a repeat order. |
Make a small sample batch and test it with the buyer's actual product weight.
Review what it cost to obtain and fulfil a paying order, including travel and follow-up. High enquiry counts do not compensate for a route or delivery arrangement that loses money. Keep cancellations, complaints and refusals visible when evaluating a channel.
A neat paper bag fails when its base opens under ordinary contents or the chosen dimensions force the shop to double-bag every sale.
Expand outreach only when the promised scope can be delivered reliably. Use permission-based follow-up and an achievable response time instead of bulk unsolicited messages.
A scope-led outreach draft
The supplied draft below is ready to adapt, not a message already sent:
I can produce 100 bags to your approved 18 × 8 × 25 cm finished sample. We will test your actual stationery bundle before production. The quote includes handle-free bags, counted in 25s; printing and food-contact use are separate enquiries.
Replace claims with proof of this offer
| Sales claim to substantiate | Evidence before repeating the promise |
|---|---|
| Required result | Reject split seams, skewed folds and print contamination; buyer confirms usable size at receipt. |
| Input suitability | Confirm grammage and usable sheet dimensions on supplier document. |
| Failure to address honestly | Bottom opens |
Remove placeholders and replace assumed prices with an approved scope and actual cost estimate. Do not advertise technical certification, current stock, guaranteed income or results you cannot substantiate. Record enquiries, accepted quotes, declined quotes, delivered orders and collected balances separately; a sent message is not a sale.