Competitive strategies adopted by small Scale enterprises in exhibition halls In Nairobi

Paper first presented at International Conference on African Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (ICAESB) by Dr. Juliana Namada, an Assistant Professor of Strategic Management at the Chandaria School of Business in USIU - AfricaSmall-Scale enterprises within Nairobi have witnessed dramatic change as a result of Business Clustering. This study sought to establish the various competitive strategies adapted and to establish relationships among factors determining their competitiveness. The firms were sole trade firms, partnerships and family business units. Analysis of activities of 30 small-scale enterprises revealed various strategies and relationships among the determinants of competition. The findings indicate that the enterprises use relatively similar competitive strategies. The strategies adopted were related in pricing and cost management, product and marketing. This study shaded light on competitive strategies adopted and highlighted the factors that managers in this sector have to give strong attention to for survival. We recommend extension and replication to test the results in other location contexts in Kenya and other East African countries where the small scale sector is becoming a key government policy issue