KENYA · GUIDE 0589 · EDITION 4.2
Spreadsheet dashboard building in Kenya: Registration and Activity Checks
Define the activity that authorities need to assess
Build an explainable spreadsheet dashboard from defined business records.
Build the dashboard around decisions the owner makes, identifying approved data sources, metric definitions, refresh responsibilities, and how missing periods should appear.
Describe that exact operation when checking requirements. State where the work takes place, whether customers enter the premises, who performs technical tasks and whether you manufacture, resell, deliver or coordinate the service. Requirements can change with these facts; a broad business category is not a complete permit determination.
Sector questions to investigate
- Assess data-controller/processor duties and registration requirements for systems handling personal data.
- Obtain written authority for access, backups, testing and changes.
- Use properly licensed software and assets; document responsibility for third-party renewals and processor contracts.
Keep registration separate from permission to operate
A registered business name does not itself establish approval of premises, products or professional work. Use the Business Registration Service to check the appropriate registration route. Ask the relevant county office which premises and trading checks apply to the actual activity. Confirm tax and invoicing obligations with KRA for your circumstances rather than copying another trader's treatment.
Prepare a written enquiry
| Information to provide | Business-specific starting point |
|---|---|
| Proposed output | Build an explainable spreadsheet dashboard from defined business records. |
| Scope and exclusions | Build the dashboard around decisions the owner makes, identifying approved data sources, metric definitions, refresh responsibilities, and how missing periods should appear. |
| First operating step | Define each metric, unit and reporting period with the owner, then reconcile sample source data and approve a compact dashboard layout. |
| Quality and acceptance | Ask the owner to trace selected figures to source records and explain the chart, checking filters, date boundaries, duplicates, and missing-data signals. |
Add the county, location, premises arrangement, scale, equipment and responsible person's qualifications. Ask which authority handles an issue if it falls outside the first office's remit. Record the answer, reference link, date checked and any renewal or inspection condition. A guide's reference list is a route to verification, not an approval document.
Decide what must wait
Do not offer a regulated service or make a safety, accreditation or certification claim that you cannot substantiate. Resolve an unanswered prerequisite before accepting work that depends on it. A demand interview can often precede trading; a paid or physical trial still needs the appropriate permissions and safe arrangements.
A colourful dashboard fails when revenue means invoiced sales on one page and cash received elsewhere, leading the owner to compare incompatible figures.
No universal licence package, current fee or exemption is asserted here. The official links below support only their stated scope.
Prepare a precise activity enquiry
Describe this actual operating scope to the relevant authority or competent adviser: Fictional dashboard DSH-89 summarises an owner-approved sales table using four fixture rows: confirmed 500, confirmed 700, cancelled 300 and refund 200. The example definitions yield confirmed sales 1,200, refunds 200 and net 1,000; cancelled 300 is excluded. These are invented test values, not audited accounts. Output is source table, metric dictionary, three KPI cells, one monthly chart and refresh instructions. Forecasting, tax reporting, accounting assurance and live-system integration are excluded.
Use these operating details to make the enquiry specific:
| Detail to disclose | Why it can affect the answer |
|---|---|
| Approved source table - Stable columns and status dictionary. | Explain the actual premises, scale, use and who will perform the task. Ask which current rule applies to these facts. |
| Client spreadsheet version - SUMIFS/table/chart support and correct locale. | Explain the actual premises, scale, use and who will perform the task. Ask which current rule applies to these facts. |
| Fixture sheet - Four base rows plus new-row/empty-period/duplicate tests. | Explain the actual premises, scale, use and who will perform the task. Ask which current rule applies to these facts. |
Keep the reply date, official source, exact activity facts and any conditions together. This is an enquiry preparation method, not a determination that a licence, exemption or fee applies. The earlier source dates do not mean legal requirements were rechecked today. Resolve these outstanding checks before relying on a broad business description:
- Real source quality and metric definitions unverified.
- No financial assurance, dashboard execution or performance result claimed.