“I wrote this post in 2016, just as I was graduating. Looking back, some of the grammar is rough and some of the tech (like IMEI tweaking!) is outdated, but the mindset remains the same: solve problems to create value. I’m leaving this here in its original form to show my journey and to remind every new graduate that you have to start somewhere.”
15 Businesses You Can Start In Nigeria With Very Little Or No Capital
The prominent fact that Nigeria is faced with a very high rate of unemployment should influence her citizens (especially the young ones) to begin thinking outside the box. In terms of bringing money into one’s pocket, one just needs to be smart and find ways to make a living, amidst the numerous challenges that are visible in the country.
What business can i do in Nigeria with little capital? Many people already realized that the solution to solving the problem of staying jobless and having nothing to do, is to start their own business. Nevertheless, they are faced with another problem: CAPITAL! They strive passing over the hurdles by approaching options like borrowing money from banks and family members. But alas! The banks are asking for ridiculous things, and family members claimed they don’t have money!
Thus, here’s a list of 15 business ideas to start in Nigeria that require no buoyant start-up funds. In fact, they can be launched in less than one week. These businesses can be approach by anyone with the required skills. It doesn’t even matter whether one is a graduate or an undergraduate.
Here are 15 small business to start in Nigeria with little capital.
1. Teaching People Importation Business: you can make money, teaching people how to buy products at dead cheap price online and sell it here in Nigeria with an higher profit margin. Depending on what you will be teaching them, you can charge minimum of ₦2000/person. You can also take it in another dimension by helping people to buy goods online from china or Uk, at a cheaper price than what is sold in Nigeria. The money you make using this method now depends on the commission you add on the product or the amount you collect for buying the goods for them at a cheaper price, you can charge commission of about ₦2000/product.
2. Selling Used Products on Classified Ads(OLX): You can make recurrent cash helping people to sell there used or unwanted materials on Classified ads(OLX, JIJI, MOBOFREE). I personally employ this method about 5 times every month, and am proud to say, i back home nothing less than ₦8000 per month. I charge an average of ₦1500 for each product that i’m helping people to sell and sometimes, i’m been giving extra ₦500 for the kind did.
3. Tweaking Phone IMEI And Selling Tweaked Imei Data: I know my fellow FUTA students will understand this business better. With little money for buying SIM cards, you can tweak imei and get mtn, etisalat and aitel gigabyte. which you can sell at the rate of 2g for ₦1000.
4. Fixing Phone issues and Software Installation: Though this business require no money, its one of the easiest business you can start today without no prior experience.
The main reason why i added this is because, i’m already getting some naira notes into my accounts, just by helping people to root there android phones, set their mobile network connection settings and also changing the imei of android phones to blackberry so that Blackberry subscription will work on their devices.
What i simply do, is to print out advertisement on A4 size paper about phone rooting and imei tweaking. When i have a customer, I then send the applications required for the work to their phones and then perform the rooting with king root. I charge minimum of ₦500 for each phone I root and ₦1000 for both rooting and tweaking.
5. Fixing Computers/Software Installation: When talking about great businesses ideas in Nigeria that one can do with little or no capital, fixing computers should never be underestimated.
We are in the computer age, and Nigerians are embracing technology more and more. Talking about computers, it seems, for every new computer manufactured, ten crash and a hundred more need repairs. One can limit one’s expertise to software installation and routine maintenance services like formatting. One can even concentrate on repairing and changing of components alone as this is one cool business you can do in Nigeria with little capital.
You can learn the skill, and depending on how fast you can learn, begin repairing computers for people, within a very short period of time. In fact, you can even learn on your own via the internet. On YouTube, there are lots of videos available for this.
6. Home Lesson Tutor: As Nigerians, we all know that exams like JAMB, WAEC, GCE and others, are always around the corner. And guess what, no student want to fail!!!
Everyone of us should know one or two secondary school students living around our streets, or that attend our places of worship. It’s as simple as identifying the subjects one can teach, talk to their parents and offer to teach their children for some hours every weekend or after school depending on one’s availability.
One can charge as much as ₦1000/hour depending on the subject, child’s age and location. All you need do is to get better on the subject(s), present yourself well (you can tell the parents about your own WAEC/JAMB score or university GPA) and get as many students as possible. Trust me, this ideas is one hot small scale business in Nigeria with little capital.
7. Baby Sitting: Do you need a small business in Nigeria with low capital? Nowadays, It’s very common to find women who work far from home and have to leave home early. They most likely keep their children at a day-care centre where they are one of many. Smart people can see a need begging to be filled here.
If you know one of those ‘very busy’ parents, you can walk up to them and offer to watch their children after school for them, till they get back home. This business is perfect as you can run another project/business/job during regular hours.
N.B: Due to the rate at which children are being maltreated and kidnapped by those their parents put in their care, you need to be a trustworthy person. You need to convince them as to why they should trust you.
8. Website/Blog Design: This is one profitable business in Nigeria with little capital. New blogs and websites are put up on the internet hourly and many of them look crappy. With a good eye for colours and design and with some researches and practices, you can begin to design websites and blogs for people.The internet provides numerous business to start with low capital in Nigeria. All you need do is dig.
The good news is that you don’t need to be a ‘guru’ in coding before you can take up this money making idea. There are many pre-made blogging and website platforms such as WordPress, Blogger, Wix etc. that come with themes you can easily edit and personalize to taste. You can take a free design course on free online resource sites like Alison or Coursera, and begin practicing in a free time.
Advertise your services on your social networks, start with your friends and you are in business.
9. Managing A Company’s Social Media Accounts And Blogs: You know, in today’s computerized world, ‘little things’ could be opportunities that could fetch one lots of money. One of such ‘little things’ is ‘wasting your time surfing the net’
Among the numerous opportunities the internet has to offer is managing social media accounts for companies. Many big companies employ high prolific social media managers they pay thousands of Naira per month. But what about small companies?
Many small companies have redundant social media accounts and blogs and are failing to engage their customers. They can’t afford to employ a social media manager or use digital marketing software. All you need is to love social media, know the tricks for establishing brand presence on social media and be willing to learn something new. The company provides their content (or you create for them) and you help them post, share, engage their customers and establish a strong brand presence.
10. Promotions: As I said earlier, ‘little things’ can now fetch one money in this global village of ours. Do you know some individual are making money with Facebook and twitter by simply promoting and advertising something for people?
If you have over 4,000 Facebook friends, 100,000 twitter followers, 1000 BBM/WhatsApp contacts, you can help promote events, businesses, trainings etc and charge at least ₦500 per post/broadcast on each social network.
11. Online Sales: Bill Gates once prophesied that in a short while from now, all business would be online or completely out of business.
Talking about selling online, you don’t need to start your own unique online store. There are several online ‘marketplaces’ you could sell your stuff either for a small fee or completely free. The advantage of using an online marketplace is that these ‘markets’ usually have the much desired publicity that would ensure your products reach your customers faster than you could ever do it yourself.
Simply look around for things that are scarce in the ordinary ‘offline’ markets. It might even be products in the trader’s shop next door. Take a snapshot of the product and advertise it on the online marketplace (whichever you choose). When an order is placed for if, simply ship it from your neighbor’s store! This type of business is obviously one business you can do without money!
12. Deliveries/Driving: No one is saying you must be hooked with a ‘big man’ you will be driving around, who is the one that will determine how much you take home per month. This is what we are saying.
You or your family may have a car currently that is a liability to you guys. Now, why not volunteer to drop off the kids in your estate? Or, those small schools in your vicinity that can’t presently afford a school bus, why not go and talk business with them? You can even approach a company tight on budget and offer to be an independent delivery man for them at a fee.
13. Blogging: I want to believe you already know what a blog is. And I want to believe you already know the ways it can be used to make money.
Though this is a business one can do with little or no capital, but when it is brought up as a money making venture, the first image that first comes up is Google Adsense. Well, for your information, that’s just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to making money at home without cash. You could sell adspace directly to advertisers, sell a service, advertise banners of local businesses etc. The opportunities are basically limitless.
But I don’t have a laptop yet? You can start with an Android phone!!!! Yes, just set aside some little money for data subscriptions.
14. Laundry: Many people don’t have time to wash their clothes, and they won’t mind paying others to do it for them. Instead of not having something to do, why not consider this? Between, many things we think are ‘degrading’ are actually profitable. Just have the right thoughts!!!!
Are you looking for businesses that can be done in Nigeria with little capital? Here you are. Do more researches. Pray to God to help you. And, do something!!!!!!
Conclusion
For you to be very successful in this businesses, You must do one at a time, when you are successful in one, you can them move to another one.
Now is your turn to tell me your thoughts. Subscribe your email below to get our newest post about businesses in Nigeria.
You can also call or whats-app Lalkay on 08101850909 for more info about starting any of the above business.
