20 Small Businesses You can Start with Less Than 100k

Are you looking for a small business you can start with less than 100k? According to PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Nigeria’s SMEs contribute 48% of national GDP, account for 96% of businesses, and 84% of employment. The last business survey by the U.S Small Business Administration recorded 28.8 million small businesses in the U.S.A. These businesses were grouped into offline and online businesses. But the sad news is, not all of them make the 100k capital cut and not all of them can be held outside of the states. Therefore I have done the work to filter out the offline businesses you can start with 100k in Nigeria. Also, I have included top online businesses you can start with 100k. Let’s get around them in 10 minutes.

 

Top Offline Businesses to Start With 100k or Less

• Recharge Card Retail/data subscription

Recharge card printing is the best answer to the question; which business can I start with 50k or less in Nigeria? Most startups who owned a laptop reported a capital as low as 10k. By the way, all you need to start printing and selling recharge cards are; a laptop, a valid email ID, a printout machine, software for de-encrypting pin codes, and a recharge card printer. With these resources, you may also include data subscriptions in what you do.

• Animal feed retail

Almost anybody can learn how to start animal feed business. You don’t need special knowledge and it’s a lucrative business with high demand and less work. All you need is a profit-oriented mind, a space for your shop, and a connection with some of the best suppliers/distribution networks. Needless to say, this is the right model if you are in Lagos and looking for what business you can start with 100k in Lagos.

• Video Gaming Shop

A used Sony PlayStation that comes with two-player pads falls between the price of #48, 000 and #50, 000 on Jumia and you just need one. You may just spend the rest of your 100k capital on a power generator and a rental fee for a video gaming room. I believe you are already aware of how much time and money people spend playing games these days.

• Viewing center

There’s apparently no man on earth today with no favorite football club or a favorite sport. Except maybe you! The most obvious fact is that people prefer watching football matches in viewing centers with their club friends then leaves you with a lucrative business. Especially if you’re urban area-based. It will surprise you on finding out you don’t need to spend more than half your 100k capital to get started.

• Computer accessories/gadgets retail

Have a thing for gadgets? Your passion may get you rich if you could open a computer accessories retail store around the street. You can start small, reinvest your capital and profit and grow over time. Aside from being the best business for 100k capital, you may as well include phone recharging in your venture.

• Hairdressing and Barbing Saloon

Why I have put these two businesses together is the similarity between them. All things equal you may go for just any one of the two you’re convenient with. And you may equally go for the two even with no hairdressing or barbering skill in as much as there are people out there ready to work under you for a fee. All in all, they are two lucrative businesses with less than 100, 000 capital and you can always expect sales to be through the roof, especially in a city like Lagos/Aba/Anambra/Kano.

• Fashion/wears/accessories

Look around and see how constantly people including yourself are patronizing boutique shops. These shops are never going out of business not even when the country’s economy has a snag. Why? It is simply because people are never wanting to miss out on fashion trends. This business is one of the businesses to start during a recession.

• Video renting shops

Aside from the issue of pirating movies and the troubles you can run into out of carelessness, starting your own video renting shop may get you living comfortably in no time. And side note is, being a video film retailer has much more money than just renting movies out for a fee. But there’s nobody stopping you from managing the two. And you won’t spend more than 100k starting up with a small container shop.

• Laundry/Drycleaning Business

In cities like Lagos, Aba, Awka, Abuja, Kaduna, Abeokuta, Port-Harcourt, and Ibadan, people have busy lives. Time is always moving fast ahead that it gets so hard to create time for such things as laundry. As a business person, you should be seeing a good opportunity here.

• Smoothie/Fresh Fruits Juice Business

Everyone is trying to live healthily and it has always been said that fruits and vegetables are the best diets for living long and healthy. This has prompted the rise in the smoothie and fresh fruit business. You can find a location around your area or not but with enough human traffic and start this trade. But that must be after you have learned the skill of preparing smoothies and fresh fruits.

• Painting Business

This may be skill-demanding but it takes as much dedication as you may have to throw into any other business to be a skilled painter. And it doesn’t end there. For you to be a successful painter you may want to learn how to be persuasive, how to meet potential clients, and earn a lifetime working relationship with them. So here, much of your capital is invested in educating yourselves in these things.

• Foodstuff Retailing

Do you have a knack for selling stuff without burning through your capital? Foodstuff retailing is an easy-to-start offline business with 100k capital in Nigeria though demanding. Once you have a shop and a network of good foodstuff distributors around you, you will start multiplying your profit steadily though it takes time.

• Barbeque Business

You know how busy the barbeque shop down the street is especially at night. Gone are the days when selling steak is a thing of bars. Today, as long as you live in a city where people enjoy night outs eating roasted meats with friends, your barbeque business may just be a calling. Just learn how to prepare a special barbeque, get a corner kiosk and start making money daily.

• Fish and Snail Farming

Farming, whether planting high-demand crops or keeping livestock, is a thing of the hardworking. So it is advisable to think over it before venturing into it or you’ll find yourself out of business in the next few weeks. The work and time it takes aside, farming is a multimillionaire industry with a score of branches. Aliko Dangote is proof. However, the most lucrative agricultural business you can start with 100k capital in Nigeria today is fish and/or snail farming.

• Event Planning And Management

Here’s the last on my list of the top offline businesses you can start with 100k in Nigeria. Event planning is a bit wide and one of the hottest businesses today globally but how do you get started? First off, choose your scope, learn how things are done in your chosen area, draw a business plan, establish partnerships, get registered, create your brand and market yourself.

Note these business ideas are also applicable in some of the neighboring African countries like Ghana, Niger, Benin, Cameroon, and South Africa.

 

Online Business You Can Start With 100k

• Programming And Software Development

Everything in life is speeding along through the course of technological advancement and so are businesses. That is why businesses are paying much attention to internet marketing and creating a massive budget to beat competitors online. The internet activities around the entire thing, however, are largely vested on programmers, web developers, and software creators alike. Isn’t it about time you enroll for one of those online courses that bring out the programmer in you? Most courses cost as much as 50, 000 to 80, 000 but it’s worth it. However, you may also opt for agile software development certifications program that will help in regulating the performance and workflow within the working space.

• Trading

Aware of the buzz around the cryptocurrency business of late? Well, it’s dying down now as people are paying more attention to forex trading. Does this mean cryptocurrency trading is dying soon? That I cannot say but to be on the safer side, I’d turn my bitcoins, and whatever cryptocurrencies I have into cold hard cash and start trading in forex with it. Your 100k is a good amount to start with. Be sure to learn forex trading very well before venturing. Look for good traders and learn from them. Learn more about forex trading.

• Online Bookstore

Soon enough, there will be no more felling of trees for bookmaking with the rate at which people are sourcing the internet for information today. In fact, 90% of newspapers, magazines, and other publishers now publish on the net than on book pages. This is enough reason for anyone to open an online bookstore and retail store to start selling books. You can also start a book review blog.

• Graphic Design

Just as with programming where much of your capital is going is in education. The rest goes to getting yourself equipped with such tools as laptops and other gadgets. And once you get your own professional graphic design website on the net, you can start designing online for even fortune 500 companies and make your money.

•  Domain selling (Flipping)

As I mentioned earlier, businesses are getting on the net where a massive percentage of potential customers are. This is only possible with a powerful website. And the good rule of thumb is, the older a site is the more it is likely to get the attention of its desired audience. This has opened a new lucrative business of domain selling for every smart entrepreneur including yourself. The business is simple. You look out for powerful domains, buy them before anyone does, and sell them at your own price. Learn more about domain flipping.

The online business list is not exhaustive. You can find other top lucrative online business for your consideration.

 

5 Bonus Profitable Online and Offline Businesses to Start with a Hundred Thousand Naira

• Content writing

If you are a good writer, then you can make good money writing for blogs and eCommerce sites. You can also sign up on Fiverr, freelancer, Upwork, etc. You need just your computer and writing skill to start.

• Digital Marketing

Are you an experienced marketer? You can acquire the skills of digital marketing and start working for brands online. You can also promote other people’s products through affiliate marketing and get rewarded for every sale. All you need is your phone/computer and the internet.

• POS Business

These days, Nigerians prefer using Agent Mobile Banking (POS) which can easily be found in the streets than going to the bank or ATM to withdraw money or make a transfer. This is faster and more convenient. All you need to do is register with a bank and apply for the Point of Sales machine for your business. Then find a strategic location, get a seat and table with an umbrella or construct a small kiosk and you’re good to go. The good part, aside from the money transfer/withdrawal, you can also offer the following services; airtime sales, cable recharging (DSTV, GOTV, Star Times, TSTV, etc), electricity bill payment, or any other utility payment.

• Bed Sheets/Duvet Cover Sets

Health is wealth. Like clothes, we change our bedspreads and duvets often these days. Also, hotels and guest houses are springing up fast and so is the need for this stuff. You can start selling bed sheets, pillowcases and duvet cover sets to your family and friends, and tell them to help you reach out to their friends that might be needing them too. You should also reach out to Hotels and reach an agreement to be supplying them with good quality bed sheets at an affordable rate.

• Shawarma Business

This is another fast-selling business you can look into. While the shawarma business might cost you above a hundred thousand to start, I decided to mention this here because of how lucrative this business is. If you can learn very well how to prepare sweet shawarma, I can bet you, there won’t be a need for you to look for a job ever again. That is to tell you how profitable this business is. But, of course, your shawarma must be very rich and sweet to bring in and retain customers. You should also look at working with logistics companies (bike) so you can be offering home/office delivery. Meanwhile, I LOVE SHAWARMA and I know you do too.

 

Conclusion

Nobody wants to stay idle. We all desire to work and earn.  The shortage of jobs shouldn’t deter you. That’s exactly why I have made this list of small businesses you can start with 100k or less today. And I hope you find just the one for you among them. Nevertheless, should you have a question as to more details on any of these businesses, use the comment box.

I have also included an Infographic of the 20 Small Businesses to Start with 100k. You can download for easy access to these business suggestions anytime using your mobile without coming back to this site.

You may also wish to check out businesses you can start with less than 200k.