Businesses you can start with 100k or less in Nigeria

On my way to an Owambe one Saturday morning, I stopped to exchange pleasantries with my neighbor. What started out as mere banter quickly became something more serious as I asked about his job. He’d recently lost his job at the time and had no backup plan. I asked if he could do business and how much he’ll need to start this business. His response had me in shock, apparently he had saved up to about 150k and didn’t know what business to start with the money. According to him, “there’s no business you can start with 100k in Nigeria.”

He felt it was too small and was preparing to splash it on his girlfriend’s upcoming birthday. I’m glad we had that conversation because my neighbor is now a businessman. It also dawned on me that a lot of people are in this fix, where they think you need a lot of money to start a business.

Fortunately, there are loads of businesses that aren’t so capital intensive and you can start with just N100,000 and scale up after. Yes, you read right! 100k can start a business if you use it right and I’m here to tell you how.

Here are some businesses you can start with as little as 100k or less in Nigeria.

Point Of Sale (POS) AGENT

 With a chair and table at a strategic spot, you can become a point of sale (POS) agent anywhere in Nigeria.. The 100k includes registration with a fintech or bank(once they consider you credible they would give you a POS machine for free), a chair and table and a small shade over your head. 

I know you have a lot of POS agents around but you can be strategic with your choice of location. Then take the rest of the N100k to your favorite bank and ask for mint. Yes, mint! Nigerians like the crispy feel and would leave their regular POS agent and come to you at the sight of mint, even if this isn’t going to be for long, as you can not keep having mint notes, you can keep the customers with a good heart and a broad smile.

Bed Sheet/ Undergarments Maker

Do you know how to sew? If yes then this business is for you. It involves the choice of the right materials and a good sense of color combination to make the right wear or bedspread. Once you sew right with the colors you’ve creatively selected, then you go for packaging, make sure you package it in a way that customers will want one when they see it. You don’t necessarily have to have a shop, you can promote your products online.

Skit Makers/ Content Creators

Creativity fuels entertainment and entertainers get paid. So if you want to invest your 100k in something, social media content creation should be one of them. All you need to do is make your videos funny and you can start with an android phone which you can get for less than 100k, just like how the Ikorodu boys started. You can also create Memes and get paid for this. To be a great content creator, you must be able to anticipate trends and create content around these trends.

Selling Food/Snacks

Do you have baking/cooking skills, or do you know someone who can do both very well? Then all you need to do is up your marketing skills and search for places ( like schools and churches)/ people that would need snacks/food  and sell to them. If you can get more customers, you should be able to double your 100k NGN in no time.

Drop Shipping

This is another easy way to make money. All you need to do is be tech savvy and to find household items on demand. Go to Alibaba and find that item, get all the details and go to another shopping site like Amazon. List the product there and if anyone makes an order, just go to Alibaba and direct to the recipient address. This is a bit technical but with 100k you can do it.

Sales Of Phones Accessories/Gadgets

You don’t need a shop for this as you can market your products online. You only need to be able to identify the good quality of specific accessories(like chargers, phone batteries, earbuds/pieces, smart watches, selfie sticks, phone pouches, etc) that are in demand, and ensure your prices aren’t exorbitant. Your customers would just keep recommending you to their friends and before you know it, you might be the next big deal in the world of gadgets.

Thrift Store

You can open an online thrift store where people who can’t afford to buy brand new items can reach out to you and get stuff from you at very affordable prices. All you need for this business is a keen eye for quality and a sure supply plug. You can even up your game, by dry cleaning the clothes and repackaging those items properly before selling.

Ice-Block Selling Business

This might be out of fashion but it’s still very lucrative. If you have a freezer that’s functioning like crazy, a steady supply of water and electricity in your area/generator, then you’ve got everything it takes to be in this business. With your 100k, you can pay for publicity materials and disposable nylon bags, the rest of your capital can be kept aside for fuel when power supply isn’t steady.

With 100k, you can start a data bundle reselling business, acquire a new skill or take a certified course online and become a freelancer, graphics designer, social media sensation, copywriter, DJ, even a tech bro(lol).

I know that doing business is very demanding and challenging but If you consistently keep at it with passion, commitment, an unrelenting quest for learning/growth and  continuous adaptation to market needs, the sky will be your starting point. Cheers to becoming a billionaire from 100k!

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