I'm relocating to london after my wedding,and I want advise on business ideas, I really don't want to depend on a paid job, want to do something craetive but people keep saying I need to wait to get to london first and study how the system works, but I think getting ideas before leaving will help me draw up a skeletal business plan, and do proper surveys especially since I'm thinking of something that might be beneficial to the nigerian community in london.
So I'm open to ideas no matter how small - who knows we might start a conglomerate from nairaland.

So calling all nigerians in london - ideas (no 419 deals please, I appreciate creative & legal businesses)

The UK may not be the best place for a Nigerian to do business. There are many more regulations you have to observe, many more taxes you have to pay, and many more permits you have to get to run your business.

Me-Sharon,

Scaring people because of regulations and taxes is crazy. In my opinion, Taxes and regulation help businesses to be good moral citizens and actually encourage more business at least in the USA. Seun has not been to the UK, and should not be discouraging you. I think one area you should look to when you get there is somekind of Childcare/Day care business. You will have free time and can put it to good use. If there are any certificates you can get in Nigeria or any courses you can do when you get to the UK, it is something that can bring you extra money in the west, and something you can do with very little capital.

Good Luck!!

I think u need to decide what business you want to get into. Asking for business ideas is like asking for free money. What is your area expertise?
Forget what Seun said about regulations. He obviously never been in the UK. If u have a great idea, then you will be fine. Doing business here is easy.

You could consider shipping computer parts ie hardware, laptops etc. Thats assuming you have ready buyers in Nigeria.

You have to at least have an idea of what interests you and what you would like to do. Then you would need to determine who your potential clients/customers are and see how things are in UK. So, you would at least have to get there to see the best way to approach it.

Well, I think Seun is right, it is a high tax high turnover environment, so to profit your business must be clear before you arrive! Don't even fall for i will check it out when i get there or you will find yourself working and leaving on odd jobs only, for a very long time.

Have your plan now! !

It is a major hindrance for a lot of u.k small businesses tax and bills, paying very high bills (travel/phone/gas/elect/rent and morgages), you see this word "BILL" don' t take it for granted. Ask U.K people and they will preach the gospel to you.

Now lets consider the opportunities, cafeteria/restaurant is one good suggestion, mechanic workshop is another and a very good one @Me-Sharon said, Childcare/Day care business, you will be veted for this one "sha". Okay these are mainly high street businesses, other non high street business could be broking i.e selling nigerian commodities to international parties with U.K as your base. You have to be genuine and also have your correct contacts in nigeria very important.

Your own T.V station/website/newspaper and magazine (media) targeting the niger, market.

If all these are too difficult(not work) you can just join the "IT boys" in SAP, Software testing e.t.c please come qualified to save you time. Okay all the best, Please make sure you have your honey-moon before you arrive ohh. Na war here!

SHARON,try to map out ur plans very well, or else, you will REGRET RELOCATING!!!

If you are looking for a big business, I might not be able to advice you. But like Seun said earlier, there are so many rules and regulations guiding business there especially for someone coming from an environment like Nigeria.
I have a friend that actually had to move his family back to naija 'cos he couldn't get the permit to open his business (bakery/confectionary) on time.
I also have two people that are making money without having to face so much regulatory matters. One is into bead making and the other weaves hair for naija ladies. You can check out similar ventures.

Have a corner shop in locations where u can hardly find one. you will make it. have a salon. sell Nigerian food etc. ( good qualities tho)

Look at all these ppl spitting 'tax', 'recovery', 'business environment' etc at sharon.
Sharon wan do small buy-and-sell like she dey do for naija. LOL.

My suggestions

1 .A convience store in peckham or woolwich or any other place with a large concentration of immigrants .Especially east london
2.Get a stall in upton park market and sell african foodstuffs
3. Start a cleaning company and collect contracts from small companies.

All of you should stop having a go at Seun. He is correct. You don't have to live in a country in order to know a lot about it. I lived in the UK and it is highly regulated and is not friendly to businesspeople.

All of these business ideas talked about (African foodstores, cleaning jobs, security jobs, plaiting hair etc) are the typical Nigerian businesses that people go into. There is an over representation of Nigerians in these areas.

I suggest you make a list of things you are interested in? There are so many opportunities at the moment. Self employed plumbers in the UK are making minimun 50000 pounds with some making as much as 1million pounds so be original.

Look at affiliate marketing. It's just taking off in the UK. You can also dropship or sell on ebay. This is a great time to be self employed. There is a UK program called Dragon's Den every week that showcases entrepreneurs and their business ideas. Keep abreast of trends in the marketplace. The UK is keen on mobile services, be very observant. You don't have to concentrate on the Nigerian community, widen your market otherwise you will get the same results as every one else.

I'm in the States and I can suggest lots of businesses you can do in the UK and I don't live there. I keep abreast daily of everything so if you that you'll see opportunities everywhere

@me-sharon,

The best advice i can give to you is get here first and get a job to get into the system, after your first year, you will be in a better position to consider the choices available to you.

Your future is bright and opportunities are plenty in the UK if you are ready to work hard. You can build a career in whatever field you like and become a professional earning substantial income if you have a plan.

I've mentored several nigerians who have re-located and can give guidance to you but, you must realised that self improvement is required at all levels.

A university degree is handy, as it prepares you for managing your expectations and you can re-train to a more relevant profession if you choose.

Remember, the sky is the limit and hard work is the key. After you have "aclimatised" business ventures can become achievable by investing you savings in a venture of your choice or combing efforts with others. If you have savings already, then you might want to consider seeking advice from a qualified/regulated/licensed financial advisor.

Others have mentioned setting up a small business, I suggest you widen your options by seeking opportunities AFTER you've considered all options; and this may take a year to eighteen months.

enjoy.

the most profitable business are the ones listed above

Salon
Nigerian supermarket aka afro-caribean stores
Internet cafe/ video rentals/ money transfer shop( u can combine this with the others)

plumbing is big business but i like Childcare you will have to join the association or get some U.K recognised qualification/training.

_{make sure you have your capital ready though, to get a loan or support from uk banks your plan has to be as solid as the british empire}

U guys make me laugh. So only environment were u don't pay tax is conducive for business? Please there is nothing hard about doing business in the UK.
No wonder naija is still in the dark ages.

U guys make me laugh. So only environment were u don't pay tax is conducive for business? Please there is nothing hard about doing business in the UK.
No wonder naija is still in the dark ages.

Exactly, and without tax the government have no reason to explain where all the countries money is going. When the government lives off businesses (and not resources in the ground) they will endeavour to make the economy more "start up business" friendly and make the process for start up alot quicker - which, is not the case in Nigeria.

What you need to do is come to the UK get educated, get experience and go back to Nigeria, they are many businesses as there are people in the UK already, if you can't think of what you want to do I highly doubt whatever you venture into will be of any use to the growth of the UK economy. Meanwhile have you looked at the requirements for starting a business in the UK; you need at least £200,000, you would have to hire at least two people and meet a very comprehensive criterium. The world is flattening and as a result alot of businesses are taking business processes outside the UK and there is a growing number of redundant workers.

You could consider shipping computer parts ie hardware, laptops etc. Thats assuming you have ready buyers in Nigeria.

Erm rather than encourage more exporting to Nigeria (and for depreciating the Naira), lets try to get HP, Compaq etc to come and setup a distribution channel in Nigeria. That will only happen when Nigeria becomes investor friendly and when theres a good enough labour force.

Every smart Nigerian person I know has plans for returning to Nigeria to start one business or the other, and the opposite of smart ones never plan on returning.

@gleyo

I completely disagree with everything you just said. It is completely untrue that you need at least 200,000 pounds to start a business in the UK. There are so many businesses that are started with virtually no capital. It all depends on the kind of business you want to start. And also there are still so many opportunities in the UK because the environment changes very quickly and solutions are always required to problems. Those solutions can then be sold and money made. So I don't believe that one.

After all there are Nigerians that are millionaires in Britain. And no they didn't steal it. One guy I know has a large property empire and is a professional landlord; another has a software company which turns over millions of pounds a year and they all started with very little money.
So it can definitely be done.

You are what you think; glass half full or glass half empty

Hi nairaland members,
I saw all the replies, thanks alot atleast I can diversify and think broader now. Forgot to mention I am a computer science graduate but I'm planning to do my masters in Project management later when I settle done & hopefully not get pregnant immediately. But I've always had flair for developing & executing projects,but on a small scale. Thanks for all the replies I really don't want to get lost in london crowd.

sharon, u know what.it is usually good u get 2 a place and study the environment b4 going into any business.i will advice u get there 1st and see what is lacking inthe place and try work on hw u can provide or make that thing available.i will not throw anybody's advice outbe i will suggest u read thur and pick out the best of them all.best of luck.

Me-Sharon,

Do An MBA if in the UK. Then do something like PRINCE 2 for your project management. Prince 2 is a 2 stage course which covers all areas of project methodology.

Hi,

You have been given the best advice here i.e. wait until you get to UK. look for opportunities, gaps, study the system (taxes, finances, type of business, cost of running business etc) and depending on your skills, experience and determination, finances you can start your own business. Do you have finances in place to start your business immediately or urgent need to cater for family?
UK system is much more complicated, so you need to think of profits from day one, with all your expenses deducted i.e. tax, BILLS etc.

Do not be discouraged, Go 4 it!

onyek

I lived in the UK and it is highly regulated and is not friendly to businesspeople.

then,

It is completely untrue that you need at least 200,000 pounds to start a business in the UK. There are so many businesses that are started with virtually no capital. It all depends on the kind of business you want to start. And also there are still so many opportunities in the UK because the environment changes very quickly and solutions are always required to problems. Those solutions can then be sold and money made. So I don't believe that one.

You are what you think; glass half full or glass half empty

I can't believe some people are on this forum to kill ideas, she only asked for opinion and not tax jargon. When i got to this country 1yr and 7months ago, i stayed with a Nigerian and all she told me are exactly what a lot of people are saying here(thank God i met some forward looking individuals who are positive no matter where on earth they found themselves). Agreed there are regulation,taxes e.t.c but this is one of the best places on earth to do business(if u know what  are doing and prepared to compete).

I run a cleaning business and a small investment company under two years and i am going stronger. My first year i was able to save 5000 pounds and with a help from a UK BANK i started a cleaning business.

I will advise that before you come to UK, get like 5 or as many ideas as you can,(don't think you can make it fast but getting idea is the first step).

I can help you but only if you are coming to UK legally.

me-sharon, live and breath these quotes:

1 "People are always blaming thier circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them"

2."Genius is the ability to simplify those things we perceive as complicated"

3."Things make come to those who wait,but only those things left by those who hustle"

NOTE: these are not my quote but ifu live with them the sky is the begging.

I meant sky is the beginning*

i heard street-walking is very profitable

This is the first time I am hearing of an entire masters devoted to project management(PM). At least I have not heard of it in the states. I would suggest you do your masters in Business (MBA), then you can specialize in PM, or do the project management professional certification. A highly recognized certification here.

As already suggested, get to UK first, then study the environment to see how what you have in mind will fit in, Who your potential clients/competitors are, what other market forces can have an impact, etc. But, it's you that will have to make that decision regarding what you want to and ca do. You know what your strengths and weaknesses are and what you may want to do. You have an IT background (educationally only I think) and there are many opportunities in that area, good luck!

Hi nairaland members,
Really need to say a big thank you to you guys I'm getting a clearer picture, really needed the insight so i could prepare for the change atleast to some extent.
cool4ny - You just been in england for a year & 7months,and you've practically started your company . Congrats.You 've given me hope. I'm coming to england legally,getting married in three weeks, so I would be joining my husband after the wedding.
Meanwhile i sent a previous post asking if anyone knew the format for questions asked at the high commission, so that I have an idea of what to expect.

NaijaCutee's 2cents sounds like a sound plan to me. ME-Sharon have you been to the UK before? I am not sure why you would want to relocate there. I personally would rather stay in Nigeria. But if you must marry and must go to dreadful UK, then learn skills like Childcare, Braiding, Facials, Pedi and Manicure ETC and when you get to Boring UK you can appply those skills at an affordable price to your clients.

Good Luck
NB: Just tell the truth at your interview, you will be fine.