Over 60 hot small businesses you can start with less than N50, 000(naira)/about $320(dollars)

start a small business today

1.   

   CHIN-CHIN MAKING

This is a home based business you can start with less than 20,000 naira, aside the cost of packaging. The first step is to learn how to make tasty chin-chin from a professional and then you can start from your home. Potential market includes schools, buses, traffic hold-ups, churches, stadium, supermarkets etc. of course, you don’t necessarily have to sell it yourself.

2.       SMALL CUP CAKES

This is a big treat at events and supermarkets and with as little as 25,000naira you can be in business. But you do need know how to prepare very good ones first.

3.       PLANTIAN CHIPS

This has a very high market potential as the sales of chips especially in traffics is very lucrative. Some people sell as much as 5,000 packets of plantain chips daily at 100naira each. Now even if you were gaining just one naira per pack which is not really possible, that’s five thousand naira a day.  How many graduates earn that high?

4.       BANANA CHIPS

Almost the same as plantain chips

5.       POPCORN BUSINESS

Now this is one lucrative business a lot of people are already harnessing, the major equipment you need is a pop-corn machine which you can even move to event locations.

When well packaged, you can even use the same methods as “3”

6.       ICE CREAM BUSINESS

Yes, you can actually start this business with less than 50,000naira and work your way up

7.       COOKIE PRODUCTION

8.       CAKE MAKING BUSINESS

Now this is no child’s play, cake decorations come with a lot of business opportunities and rewards but you have to be really good in the profession. If you have good passion for it, you might even become a millionaire. Getting good training for this is where the pain lies.

9.       SMACK MAKING BUSINESS

The business is very easy to start and can be lucrative

10.   BREAD MAKING BUSINESS

Same as 8

11.   SOAP MAKING BUSINESS

Soap is an essential commodity in every home and as such, people will pay you good money if your saop is very good. Get the necessary training required and you are on your way.

Click here to see how

12.   LIQUID SOAP PRODUCTION

Same as 11

13.   DETERGENT PRODUCTION

Same as 11

14.   CHALK MAKING BUSINESS

This has been greatly neglected, despite its high demand and usage. You don’t even require too much technical know-how. With a simple chalk mould and a couple of additional equipments, you can get started in the business

15.   CANDLE MAKING BUSINESS

Did you know that every year over 200million candles sticks are used in Nigeria alone, let alone the bigger picture, Africa? I must also inform you that more than 70% of that is imported from China. Unbelievably with just 50,000naira you can start your own candle stick business that can grow to great heights using good marketing skills.

16.   RODENT KILLERS BUSINESS

This also has good market potentials

17.   INSECTICIDE PRODUCTION

Same as 16

18.   PAINT-MAKING BUSINESS

There is no major difference between the home made paints and the ones sold in the market, and the startup capital is very low. With a good practical paint making training, you are on your way.

19.   POLISH PRODUCTION

This is another business you can start with little capital, the raw materials are in abundance and you can get the packaging needs from manufacturing companies.

20.   GUM PRODUCTION

This has a wide variety of uses, making it highly needed. The world over, a need equals opportunity, but you need to get the training first.

21.   COLD WATER STARCH PRODUCTION

This is still new in the African market and the demand is high.

22.   CAR WASH LIQUID PRODUCTION

Same as “21”

23.   AIR FRESHENER PRODUCTION

This is another good money making business that can be started from home and the startup cost is also very little.

24.   PRODUCTION OF CARBON BLACK

Carbon black is made from used tires and is used in most breweries and water filter companies.

25.   SHAVING POWDER PRODUCTION

This does not even require an expensive machine, but you need good training.

26.   CHOCOLATE DRINK MAKING

Same as “30”

27.   YOGURT MAKING

Same as “30”

28.   SOYA MILK DRINK

Same as “30”

29.   FRIUT JUICE

Same as “30”

30.   ZOBO DRINK

(Zobo is a popular drink originating from northern Nigeria)

This is one business that even your neighbor can be your customers and it’s highly lucrative. It does not cost much to produce and believe it or not, many people have actually become rich from this business.

You just have to be really good at it and apply good packaging, the rest is marketing.

31.   CUSTARD POWDER

There are many brands of custard today in the market and many of them started as a home based business. You can even teach yourself the process of making it from manuals or the internet and startup with very little.

Your small business can get you rich

32.   MAKING KUNU DRINK

Same as “30”

33.   SNAIL REARING MANAGEMENT

With as little as 40,000naira you can start this business in your very own backyard and grow from there. Snails eat non-chlorine foods we throw away from the kitchen. They can also feed on certain leaves like the pawpaw leaf, fruits, pineapple peels etc. making them very cheap to rear and if properly managed, can generate a lot of revenue.

34.   POULTRY KEEPING

People call this the double edged profit business, as you can make money by selling both the chickens and the eggs they produce. Even the chicken dung can be sold to farmers as fertilizers, but to get started and succeed in this business you need detailed training.

35.   CATFISH REARING

Point and kill restaurants can tell you better. Mr Moses Osawe, Md/CEO of Dynamo Catfish Farms in Egbeda, Lagos Nigeria is a typical case of small business turn mega million. With just about 40,000naira, you can start this business and grow from there.

36.   FISH FEED PRODUCTION

People in the fish farming business must feed their fish and remember, where there is a need, there is money to be made.

37.   POULTRY FEED PRODUCTION

Same as 36

38.   CATFISH FINGERLINGS PRODUCTION

An average fingering cost between 15-25 naira each and a pair of good brood stock catfish can product as much as 10,000 pieces of fingering per time. Do the maths

39.   BEE KEEPING

Now when you talk about a five star money making, stress free business, bee keeping is your answer, little or no work needed as they care for their selves, every product of a bee is valuable and cost money. All you need to do is learn the trade and find a good quite, flowering environment, your startup capital cannot exceed 30,000naira for one hive (but it can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing)

40.   HONEY THERAPY BUSINESS

This is like learning to be a doctor, but easier and really lucrative.

41.   WORM PRODUCTION

Not very pleasing to the ears but very pleasing to the pocket

42.   SHEEP FARMING AND MANAGEMENT

In the northern parts of many African countries, this is an already well known trade and can be both demanding and lucrative.

43.   GOAT FARMING

I smile and think of my village when I see this, but I can also think of how much one goat cost.

44.   PIG FARMING

Same as 43

45.   EDIBLE MUSHROOM CULTIVATION

5 star hotels do not joke with this and demands are very high, but you need proper training and product packaging which may cost money in the long run

46.   RECRUITMENT AGENCY

This is the one of the cheapest business in the world, and also one of the oldest. Just find the right field that suits your interest and be a middle man between clients and workers. All you may need in this modern world is a reachable contact address which can be online.

47.   MOBILE BARBING BUSINESS

If you know how to give good haircuts then nothing stops you from starting this home based business. People hate to queue up at saloons and with an added touch of professionalism; they will prefer to come to their homes to cut their hair. Build a good working relationship and you are on your way up. They will even pay you more than they pay at saloon because it is a special treatment. Now imagine you get just 30 people you cut the hair and they pay 500naira each (some generous people will even pay more) that 15,000naira and we all know people cut their hair weekly or at least once in two weeks.

48.   PHOTOGRPHY BUSINESS

With a digital camera and a lot of creativity, you are on your way up, here are some ways you can make money from photography – quick passport photograph, events coverage, photo journalism, wildlife photography, life match coverage etc

49.   VIDEO COVERAGE USINESS

Same as 48

50.   CALL CENTRE BUSINESS

I need not say much about this, but we know everybody buys recharge card

51.   RECHARGE CARD PRINTING BUSINESS

Same as 50

52.   CONSULTING BUSINESS

Your biggest assets are your knowledge and people are willing to pay you to share that knowledge, you just need to package yourself well.

53.   E-BOOK PUBLISHING

Fasting income means on the internet, although not necessarily the easiest, it’s almost the same concept as 52 above or writing and printing a book, but here you need not make so much expenses. Thank God for the internet. If I had decided to sell this write-up, I would have simply put in more details and training processes and people will pay as much as 15,000naira for a copy. I would have spent almost nothing on production and just a token for publicity, which is all I really need.

54.   DELIVERY SERVICE BUSINESS

Our delivery and postal system here in many African countries is failing and this can be an opportunity for you. Even in a small region, there is money to be made.

55.   AFFILIATE MARKETING

This is like you been a freelance marketer for a product based on commission

56.   REFERRAL SERVICE

Another form of marketing, that works a lot online, referring people to a product, company or service sites and if transactions are made, then you will be compensated. But you need reach an agreement and work out a monitoring and follow up plan.

57.   PRIVATE TRAINING SESSIONS

If you are really good at something, anything at all. Why not offer to train others in the comfort of your/their home for money.

58.   BLOG/WEB DESIGNING

Get trained and help people, organizations and business develop their websites. There is a lot of people to be made here.

59.   MAKE UP ARTIST

One of the fastest growing industries in Africa today and a real five star lucrative business, get trained and the opportunities are limitless. At a stage, if you are very good at it, you may never have a week end to yourself again and each job can pay as much as 20,000naira or even 200,000naira depending on your reputation and environment

60.   EVENT MANAGEMENT

Same as 59

61.   REGIONAL NEWS PRINT

If you have a flare for journalism, then you can start up a small few pages newspaper in you regional community, be it church community, estate community or just your environment.

Covering local news in print.

start small and grow big

Now I do not promise you heaven on earth, neither do I promise you millions like magic, I have only opened your eyes to opportunities around you and in truth, developing each of these businesses may take time, experience and creativity, some of them may even require more money before you can get to certain height. But the fact is they can truly get you to those heights, all in a matter of time.

Best of Luck.

You can ask question about any particular one of the above and we I will do my best to provide answers, I can also refer you to professional trainer in any of the above if you need more information.