Making money and being the boss in charge is the average Nigerian citizen’s dream, due to the bad economy we have in Nigeria, getting a job is very difficult and most don’t even pay well which is why people go into Businesses in Nigeria.
Today am going to exposing you to 20 Small Scale Business to Start in Nigeria, But before that, I’d like to explain a few concepts that we often ignore while starting a business which is vital to its success.
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What Most People Don’t Know About Starting Small Scale Business
the business opportunities in Nigeria are almost endless but only 1 factor determines those who venture into it and that is “SKILL”.
Skill is one big factor that scares a lot of Nigerians from starting Small Scale Business in Nigeria because many see it as a requirement but that is not true.
I’ll give you a good scenario, let’s say you wanted to start a tailoring business in Nigeria but you don’t know to tailor clothes.
The steps you would need to follow are simple, first find another tailor shop around your area and screen for an apprentice that has learned and is about to leave, strike a deal with him/her in terms of salary or percentage cut per contract.
After doing this you rent a shop. Congratulations, you just started a tailoring Small Scale Business in Nigeria without any skills, all you need to do now is find clients and market your business.
If you want Additional staff for absolutely free ( You will even be paid) then offer apprenticeship services for aspiring tailors.
Now note that this can be applied to all other Small Scale Businesses in Nigeria, you just have to come up with a good plan.
20 Small Scale Business to Start in Nigeria
- Drop Shipping
- Affiliate Marketing
- Mini Importation Business
- Blogging
- Vlogging
- Content Creator
- Computer Training Center
- Office Supply
- Cyber Cafe
- Digital Marketing
- Unisex Hair Salon
- Tutoring Service
- Data Reseller
- Recharge Card Printing
- Okrika Bale Business
- Music Promoter
- Home-Based Bakery
- Soap Making Business
- Car Wash
- Consultant Firm
1. DropShipping
Drop shipping is all about creating an online E-commerce Store where people buy things at your own price and you in turn, buy and send it to them.
You act as Middleman between big companies that sell these products and Customers willing to buy.
It is very Eeasyto start and it doesn’t require much capital to start this business in Nigeria.
I know someone that started this business with a WhatsApp Group and is now making a lot now.
To start this Dropshipping in Nigeria, you can either PAY US to build you a Professional Dropshipping Website for you or create one yourself using platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce
2. Affiliate Marketing
Just like Drop Shipping, Affiliate Marketing is one of the Best Small Scale Business to Start in Nigeria that requires absolutely no Capital.
Affiliate Marketing is about driving sales for E-commerce Stores online i.e Jumia, Amazon, Konga, etc.
After you register in one of these E-commerce platforms offering Affiliate Marketing you’ll be given an affiliate link or a way to Generate Affiliate Links. If any customer buys a product via your link a small percentage (Some platforms offer up to 10% Commission) of the price will be paid to you.
Imagine selling a laptop worth N200,000, you could earn as high as 20K per sale. You can easily start Affiliate Marketing in Nigeria By
Reading this Article: Jumia Jforce: How it works
3. Mini Importation
Have you ever wondered why these businessmen and women in Nigeria normally say things like “Am Expecting my Goods to arrive” and some similar statements? Well, it’s called Importation business.
This kind of business requires a lot of patience and is risky at first but if you can pass through the process and learn all it entails then get ready to make millions from home as it’s among the best businesses in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s economy is bad at the moment but that is not true for other countries like China and the rest, things are cheaper there which is why Importation Business in Nigeria is quite profitable.
With websites like ALIEXPRESS, you can order for any kind of product from home in bulk and receive it 2 – 3 weeks later then sell it at the Nigerian cost price.
4. Blogging
Blogging is the number 1 source of income in Nigeria for those who are gifted with knowledge in writing articles and is one of the easiest Small Scale Business in Nigeria to start up.
With as little as N10,000, you can set up a standard blog for a specific niche (Entertainment, E-commerce, Jobs, etc.) and make serious cash over the years.
This is a Business that am into my self and have earned a lot from, the general way of earning with this is via Google Adsense Advertising program which shows Adverts on your Blog and in return pays you money monthly.
The more people reading your articles the more money you’ll make from ads.
You can either Pay US to build you one or you build it yourself using existing platforms out there like WordPress and Blogger.
5. Vlogging
Just like Blogging, Vlogging is another Passive income business in Nigeria which once you put in some time into, you continue to earn for years and years to come.
Starting Vlogging Requires no Capital per Se, but it has certain things required to start like:
- A Camera or Phone with Good Camera
- A Laptop To Upload and Edit Videos
- Stable Internet Access
If you have all these requirements then the next step would be to head over to a video Network like YOUTUBE and create your own channel, you can make via Youtube Adsense
6. Content Creator
Are you good at writing stories? or you’re a comedian with a lot of ideas, when it comes to Content Creation it actually depends on what your good at and what people might find interesting.
Content creating just as it sounds like is about creating content that is really engaging and getting paid to do it.
A good example of notable content creators in Nigeria include LASISI ELENU, INSTABLOG9JA, BRO SHAGGI.
All these Content creators above I mentioned are just normal people who create funny and informative videos and info-graphics daily and earn millions in the process.
To start this, all you need to do is choose a social network to focus on. Instagram and Twitter are the two best choices as of 2019.
7. Computer Training Center Business In Nigeria
If you’re more of a real-life person but you’re still passionate about computers then opening a Computer Training center might just be the best option for you.
Even if you don’t know anything about Computers you can hire someone to teach and run the business for you.
With as little as N150,000 you can start up a standard Smale scale Computer training center Business.
8. Office Supply
One of the best Small Scale Business to start in Nigeria is Office Supplying, it’s actually a very good source of income if you really know what you’re doing.
What an office supplier does is provide easy access to common things office workers normally consume daily, these could include Dishes, Snacks, Water and Drinks, Ordering Service, Car Wash, and Maintenance, etc.
The best thing about this business model is that you can start it without any capital and later expand it into a Full-time Ordering Service that provides the same service for different companies.
9. Cyber Cafe Business In Nigeria
Starting a Smale Scale cybercafe business is a certified way of making legit cash & is considered a lucrative business in Nigeria.
The number of customers to expect daily can range from 400 – 500 or more depending on your location and the time of the year.
JAMB registration, WAEC registration, NECO registration, Air force and Prison Service registration, etc. are among the countless services you can render.
In fact, many Cyber Cafes suffer from long lines when registration for certain events or jobs starts.
Unlike some other Nigerian Small Scale Businesses on this list, this one requires a large amount of capital to start and maintain because of the countless requirements you are going to be needing.
It’s always best to start small and slowly expand.
10. Digital Marketing
Currently, Digital Marketing is a skill that a lot of companies are currently in need of and are willing to pay for and can easily be converted into a full-time Small Scale Business in Nigeria.
Digital marketing is when you’re able to advertise products online using various digital marketing methods and platforms.
As of 2019, Facebook Ads remains the most effective way to promote goods and service and a good starting point for new digital marketers.
It’s easy to learn and has a good ROI.
11. UNISEX Hair Salon
When it comes to hair salon business in Nigeria, the first thing that comes to mind is “But I don’t know how to make hair” but don’t forget what I told you at the introductory part of this Article:
[blockquote align=”none” author=””]You don’t need to have the skill before opening one[/blockquote]
There are many Secondary school graduates, mostly females that have the skill and are not working yet.
Just rent a spacious shop and separate it into two sections, a men’s section and another for women.
Next step would be to search for young Skilled hairdressers and agree on a salary with them, that’s all their is to it.
After you set it up all that’s left is managing the business.
12. Tutoring Service
An average tutor in Abuja earns at least N40,000 – N60,000 a month depending on the subjects He/she teaches.
Starting a tutor placement agency is not only profitable, but it’s also smart.
You don’t need to be able to teach, all you need are business skills as you’ll only be doing hiring and placement.
Starting this business does requires a passion for teaching though.
13. Data Reselling
Data reselling is a very popular Small Scale Business in Nigeria right now, the daily income is very liquid and can be quite high depending on your customer base.
The key to succeeding in this Small Scale Business is having a good customer base that depends on you. You can easily start this business in Nigeria with low capital and grow with time.
Most internet service providers in Nigeria offer Bulk data purchase from N5,000 and above.
After payment, you will be given a good amount of data that you can resell at your own set price.
It is best to start this Small Scale Business alongside another business since it’s so easy to manage.
14. Recharge Card Printing
Ever since buying airtime via Banks and online apps became normal in Nigeria many people have pulled out of the recharge card printing business.
Unknowingly to them, the customer base is still as robust as before.
Starting this Small Scale Business requires you to have capital upfront because of machine cost and some maintenance costs.
After you get regular retail customers, all the expenses will be covered by your income.
15. Selling Okrika (Fairly Used Clothing)
Selling Okrika has always been classified as a petty Small Scale Business in Nigeria.
In major countries like the USA, this is a very lucrative business (Thrift Shop).
With as low as N10,000, you can get a bale worth of clothes or shoes depending on what you want to sell.
The Small Scale Business is lucrative because you can always set your prices and many people will still buy from you.
Making money with this Small Scale Business requires no staff and little capital.
This is one of the best Small Scale Businesses in Nigeria as of 2019 as it’s very profitable.
16. Music Promotion
This business is more associated with those who already have digital marketing skills.
Music promotion is a service sort out daily by countless of Nigerian musicians who want their songs to go viral.
To start music promotion, all you need is a social account with huge following members i.e Facebook page.
You can also network with other music promoters and give them a share of each payment to promote on your behalf.
There are a couple of online blogs that offer such promotions including; Naijaloaded, CorrectGbedu and many more.
17. Home Based Bakery Business
Many people think starting a Small Scale bakery business requires a huge building and a giant oven. No, it doesn’t need all that when you’re starting up.
A simple kitchen with a normal-sized oven will work just the same only that you have to do more work.
Starting a Small Scale Home-based Bakery is very lucrative right now as the Maintenance cost is minimal & you don’t even need to pay for rent.
You can bake birthday cakes, donuts, meat pie etc. and supply to several schools around your area or create a local product that you can sell in shops around.
All you’d need to consider is Time and packaging cost but its a really profitable business in Nigeria if you plan well.
18. Soap Making Business
Just like other Small Scale Businesses in Nigeria, you don’t need to know how to make soap to start this business.
You can always employ skilled labor and train additional people for free to increase your staff number at no cost.
Generally, this business isn’t capital intensive. Once you purchase the chemicals and the simple inexpensive equipment all that’s left is production and packaging.
You can easily scale the business and match production rate with demand as well as make more affordable versions to drive more sales.
19. Car Wash Business
When it comes to common Small Scale Business, this would be among the top 10 on the list.
Starting a car wash requires some capital (Buying or renting Land) but after setting it up, very little is required to keep it running.
Most of the time you only buy more washing materials which are generally cheap (Detergent and cleaning agents), you don’t even need to pay a salary as the workers you have normally prefer a percentage cut payment per service.
So if a customer visits your car wash for car cleaning services, from the payment you receive a small percentage will go to the worker as agreed before employment.
You can hire a manager to help manage the business while you find other Business models to indulge in.
20. Consulting Firm Business In Nigeria
Are you extremely good at your field? Do you have a lot of experience in your field? Then this is for you.
A consultant is someone who provides business insights and top-notch advice on a particular field of business.
You get paid to give advice to people starting businesses. You can either create an office or just make your house the address itself, starting this business in Nigeria is very easy and doesn’t require any capital, just your knowledge.
Thanks for reading this post, I hope it helped you decide what business you would like to start in Nigeria this 2019.
What are your thoughts on Small Scale Business to Start in Nigeria? Don’t forget to share out to friends and family.
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