1. Idea Intro: I came across an article on Medium written by a young Nigerian who has been footing his bills for up to two (2) years mainly from web development. The link to his article is appended to this post. In his article he highlighted the fact that Nigeria is highly populated with over 180 million people, with an estimated 60 million Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs); and with below 100,000 domain names, meaning very few businesses are on the internet.

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This points to the underlying opportunities for Web developers (Designers and web content management). Today, you can become a web designer with little or no coding required. There are also a loads of helpful materials on the internet (Google and Youtube). If you have a computer or Laptop and can afford Internet Data, seize the opportunity to make yourself relevant in the coming years by learning the skills required for web development.

Theme/Template based Websites
These are easier to setup and get running, compared to coding from scratch. Whilst it is more desirable to be able to code websites from scratch, you can actually start to make decent looking websites without writing much codes.

Using theme/template based sites for web designing makes it easier to upload and managing contents. CMS (content management systems) such as Wordpress (wordpress.org), joomla (joomla.org), Magento, Drupal etc are some of the more widely used ones. You can find helpful materials on getting started and going forward with these CMSs on the internet. There are limitations to using CMSs as they may not be very flexible especially to those who do not know much about coding (html, php, Javascript) and might be difficult to find a theme or template that will meet all the needs of most data driven sites. However, for the most of the Websites needs in Nigeria, CMSs can suffice if you can find the right themes/templates.

Here are some example sites I have done using CMS with little coding
www.xtrememediahq.com
www.agapedev.com.ng
www.streamcoco.com.ng


Idea Summary
• Choose your CMS (Wordpress)
• Get more materials on web development
• Build and host a sample site (Some costs – Domain name reg and Webhosting)
• Open for Business (Publicise you)





2. Business Model Canvas
Value Proposition: Web design and development Services.
Customer Segment: SMEs, Individuals, Charities (Churches)
Distribution Channel: Online (via your social media), Facebook/Instagram Ads, email, cold calling, word of mouth, etc.
Customer Relationship: Direct, Online, etc
Key Activities: Web designing, domain registration, web hosting, search engine optimisation, etc.
Key Resources: Dedicated phone line (need to be always reachable), accessible email, PC or laptop, internet subscription, power supply, Work base, etc.
Key Partners: The prospective clients, Webhosting and domain name registering companies, banks or other financial services providers, internet services providers, etc.
Cost Structure: PC or Laptop, Internet Data, Power supply, Office (Workbase) etc.
Revenue Stream: Payment for Web services delivered.

3. Competition: The competition has always been and would always be there even as more people join in on this technology space. Be sure to have good work ethics and quality customer service delivery so as to create a competitive advantage for yourself. Bear in mind, many more Businesses are in need of Web presence.

4. Risk: Most times you would have to rely solely on a third party for hosting your websites for your clients as getting your own dedicated server will be expensive. So whenever there is a down time from your host servers, it would directly affect your clients, therefore endeavour to choose reliable hosting companies.


5. Summary: There is opportunity for more web designers, make good use of your PC or Laptop and internet data to equip yourself with this skill that can make great difference if harnessed and utilised wisely.

6. Links

(https://theascent.biz/the-tale-of-a-hopeful-nigerian-graduate-48193b48b6fd)


Thanks for following this series.

Till next week, stay inspired.

For more information, comments questions or feedbacks, get in touch.
Twitter: @Mrebis
Email: mrebis1@gmail.com

A commenter on facebook:

Just to add wix (dot) Com does a great job as well. Great post bro

Then OP replies:

Thanks very much for ur addition, wix is very good too, although it might be more expensive for clients in Nigeria as one is mostly forced to host with them, whereas u could find a cheaper option if u host elsewhere....

Facebook commenter:

I agree with your point.
An easy hack I usually employ is
1)buying a domain name eg *company name* .com or .com.ng (relatively cheap)
2) designing your website with easy website builders (most of them nowadays are drag & drop) and free.
finally
3) redirecting that website name .com or .com.ng(which you bought) to you zero-cost designed website. (*Add masking, so when the website loads it's shows as the .com or .com.ngpage. The free website is your host in this case.
The only setback (which is still ok) is that it displays the free website's logo /ad top and bottom but at least the customer gets what he/she is looking for on the web.

Hope this helps

Just an example www.niickii.com
Niickii | Music Producer | Creative
Welcome to Niickii's World! Experience the new wave of Afrobeats
niickii.com

1. Idea Intro: One of the most pressing challenge facing a majority of Nigerians is insufficient power supply.

@MarkEssien (founder, Hotels.ng) recently asked a question on twitter, if it was illegal for someone to get a generator and supply power to interested homes using privately owned cables.

Most estates in Nigeria already run their own power generating sets connected using change-over switches that can switch between the public power supply and that of the generating set.

It appears to be very legal as long as it is below 10MW, which if exceeded, the operator would need to be licensed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission.

So imagine in a densely populated neighbourhood, you could invest in a generator that can conveniently power some homes in the neighbourhood (10 homes) and they could pay depending on usage that would be measured using a smart energy management system (electricity monitors).

Most of those low income settlements may not have enough resources to buy their own generator, and instead of each having theirs and having to fuel and maintain theirs, including noise from loads of generators, One company can have one generator (or a second standby), and agree to provide the alternative power supply for all those interested when the public one is out.

Idea Summary
• Buy a power generator (could be gas powered)
• Agree with the homes on pricing and operating times
• Run your private cables (could be underground)
• Get electricity meters (ensure they are not bypassable)
• Supply the electricity




2. Business Model Canvas
Value Proposition: Alternative power supply for lower and middle income homes.
Customer Segment: Home owners, low income households.
Distribution Channel: word of mouth, Sales team, customer service centre/ dedicated phone line etc.
Customer Relationship: Direct, phone, emails etc
Key Activities: Power generation, power distribution, monitoring, financial accounting, marketing and sales, customer service delivery, etc.
Key Resources: Dedicated phone line (need to be always reachable), accessible email, startup funds for initial equipment (generating set, cables, etc) and registration, etc.
Key Partners: The prospective customers (home & business owners), NERC, PHCN, suppliers of electrical cables and other necessary appliance & tools, banks for payments, etc.
Cost Structure: Salary and wage bill (Technical and commercial), power generating set, cables, meters, office space, stationeries and phone lines, registration, licensing and other relevant documentation, etc.
Revenue Stream: Electricity supply bill paid by users.

3. Competition: If this is possible and one person starts and seems to be profitably operating, there would definitely be followers (copies) who would seek to enter to get a piece of the pie. Good customer service delivery would ensure continued loyalty from satisfied customers.

4. Risk: Highly regulated sectors can have changes in Government policies that can have adverse effect on the Business. A lot of health and other safety measures must be taken as dealing with electricity power supply comes with risk of electric shocks, and as such, proper education needs to be given to all in the supply chain, from workers at the generating phases, distributing and overall maintenance.

5. Summary: Just as most estates have their own electricity generating sets, you can provide such to low income neighbourhoods who likely have lesser electricity usage, generating and distributing to them for a fee.

I would love to know your thoughts on this one, how feasible, what are some challenges people might face and best ways to tackle such. One of such example would be people illegally connecting without paying.

Thanks for following this series.

Till next week, stay inspired.

For more information, comments questions or feedbacks, get in touch.
Twitter: @Mrebis
Email: mrebis1@gmail.com

Very nice of this poster! Well done sir

hothead:
Very nice of this poster! Well done sir

Thanks for reading...

Idea 27 of 52: Write a Book

1. Idea Intro:
I saw somewhere recently that copying from one source is plagiarism while copying from various sources is called Research.

For some people who know me, this week’s article speaks directly to me and many out there like me.

One way to generate some revenue for yourself is by writing a book that delivers value and which people (the target audience) can perceive this value and be willing to purchase. The internet is a rich source of materials to help you with your book project.

Somewhere in Delta State, Nigeria, some man walked up to me with a book he had written, a small book, and asked that I supported him by buying. He sells it for 500 naira. I bought one, quickly checked through to see its just 30 pages, I was not so sure if it was value for my money, however the deal has been done, one book sold, the man seemed happy, I had supported someone genuinely trying to make ends meet, win-win it seems.

There are platforms and channels through which you can sell your book today, whether hard copies or eBooks. What are you doing with all that knowledge.

There are a various reasons why most people who set out to write a book end up not finishing it or not even starting in the first place. These are some of the reasons or excuses.
- Not knowing how to start or where to start from
- Feeling inadequate or like you do not know enough
- Questioning your own authority or having doubts you will be taken seriously
- Not ready to deal with the changes in daily routines required to get the book ready (daily writing, time management, getting rid of distractions, focus on one thing for a period of time, etc.)

It is important to note that you can write a book to share what you know on a certain subject area, it could also be fiction, however you should be careful not to make spurious claims or make unverifiable assertions, instead, approach your knowledge sharing with some humility, knowing that nobody knows it all, and you are sharing because the little you know, can be very helpful to another person somewhere.

For those who went to University in Nigeria, where your lecturers really authorities on the subjects they taught? Feel free to share what you know and be ready to admit in areas where you lack sufficient knowledge. The goal is learning, sharing and relearning, not compete, outshine and oppress.

You may feel like you may not be making much sense, well, let the readers decide or those you give draft copies to read and give you feedback. Aiming for the perfect draft as you write along may slow you down and delay your completing the book.

This link provides 10 Ridiculously Simple Steps for Writing a Book by Jeff Goins
https://goinswriter.com/tips-writing-book/ the 10 points are highlighted below.
1. Decide what the book is about
2. Set a daily word count goal
3. Have a set time to work on your book every day
4. Write in the same place every time
Phase 2: Do the work
5. Set a total word count
6. Give yourself weekly deadlines
7. Get early feedback
Phase 3: Finishing
8. Commit to shipping
9. Embrace failure
10. Write another book

2. Business Model Canvas
Value Proposition: Knowledge/Entertainment
Customer Segment: Depending on your target audience.
Distribution Channel: word of mouth, Social media paid ads, emails, online bookstores, bookshops etc.
Customer Relationship: Direct and mass, emails, online etc
Key Activities: Book writing, editing (proofreading), sales and marketing, distribution (logistics), quality control, customer service, etc.
Key Resources: Dedicated phone line (need to be always reachable), accessible email, ISBN registration, Computer (workstation), Internet access, etc.
Key Partners: Offline and online book stores, Banks (payment facilitating companies), Registering agencies, writers union or associations, Libraries (resources bank), etc.
Cost Structure: Work related equipment and stationeries, Internet subscription, sales and advertising campaigns registration fees, sellers cut, publishing cost, etc.
Revenue Stream: Revenue from book sales

3. Competition:
It is important to know that there are a lot of things that are presently competing for the attention of your target audience. You should also know who your target or ideal audience (customer segment) is in order to tailor marketing and advertising efficiently and effectively.

4. Risk:
From the points above, even if your first book project fails, you should learn to embrace failure, and pick yourself up, taking all the lessons learnt and using it for a better next book. You are not a failure, it is your project that failed, not you. – Isaiah Olumati.

5. Summary:
The little or much you know or have experienced can be scripted and published, both to be of benefit to others and a source of revenue for you.


Thanks for following this series.

Till next week, stay inspired.

For more information, comments questions or feedbacks, get in touch.
Twitter: @Mrebis
Email: mrebis1@gmail.com

Still following...... Nice job OP.

fourfunmi:
Still following...... Nice job OP.

Been having challenges in posting, Dont know if I contravene any rules, and I do not know how i would ever know.

When I make a post, it gets deleted.

Mods help me...

Try posting without links....

Sibe007:


Been having challenges in posting, Dont know if I contravene any rules, and I do not know how i would ever know.

When I make a post, it gets deleted.

Mods help me...

Mods help us ooo

Idea 29 of 52: Monetise your Skills (Skillshare.com)

1. Idea Intro: Are you skilled and looking for ways to make extra revenue? Do you know you could prepare a class, record a video of the class and put it on skillshare.com; this would allow you earn revenue as people watch your class.
You do not have to do any publicity as skillshare.com is a community of ready members from all over the world willing to learn if what you are offering is something of valuable interest.

What skills can you share?
Dance, Disc-Jockeying (DJ), vocal lessons, Nigerian languages, Cooking skills, How-To tips and tricks (e.g How to use your phone to do this and that), piano or guitar lessons (with a Nigerian or African twist), Hair plaiting or weaving, make-up classes, and the list goes on.

Real Life Example
John Obidi of SmartBcamp recently said he received payments monthly from skillshare for a class he put up (On how to use an app on your phone to make text on image posts for instagram). Something he said seemed so easy and not too complex, but well, people, majority not Nigerians are taking his class and he gets paid in dollars.

So, somebody somewhere in the world might be interested in learning how to dance some Nigerian dances (etighi and the rest). If you can prepare, package and present the dance class in a great way (detailed step by step video), you can get some good revenue as people take your class on skillshare.

Your skill can make you money on Skillshare.com, and yes foreign currency too.

3. Competition: While there are a loads of classes on Skillshare, yours can standout by you just tweaking it to add some African uniqueness, which could make it more appealing to some non-Africans. Also do not feel like people already know what it is you are offering to teach, just do it, you will be amazed at how many people would love to learn what it is you are teaching.

5. Summary: Take advantage of the skillshare.com platform to share your skills with the world. Just prepare your class in a well presentable and structured manner, and start getting paid as people take your classes from all over the world.

Your posts are getting deleted because of the links in your write up...I suggest you post your piece without links, whoever finds your post helpful should contact you for assistance...all the same...nice job here since the first week of january

topsam1:
Your posts are getting deleted because of the links in your write up...I suggest you post your piece without links, whoever finds your post helpful should contact you for assistance...all the same...nice job here since the first week of january

Thank you very much....

Idea Intro: You can start your own Tee Shirt business. All year round, there would always be need for customised tee shirts for different occasions. For burials, church events, student weeks at higher institutions, corporate organisations outings, outreaches and campaigns, the list goes on. The demand will always be there, and so is the supply. You can try to have your own share of the Tee shirt business industry in your city with prospects of teaming up with other logistics companies to deliver nationally or even globally.

How to go about it
To go into this, as with other businesses, you will need to be very committed and focused as much as you can in order to be able to lookout for and seize opportunities to provide supply for Tee shirt demand even before the demand arises.

If you cannot afford your own Heat press machine which is used in printing on the Tees, you can do a google search or ask around to find the ones in your city. If you leave in Southern Nigeria, and want to keep margins down, you could consider going to Aba or Onitsha where you can get the Tees for cheap and have more options for printing on them.





Create the Demand, get the demand, the make the supply

Be sure you have the market before you make the prints on the Tee shirts, so that you do not waste one of the most important resource in this business (The Tee shirt).

There are websites where you can create Tee shirt samples online, save the picture or screenshot it, then you advertise maybe on your facebook or Instagram, just to arouse interest and create the demand. As they place their orders, you will go to work on fulfilling them.

Real Life Application

Nigerians are very religious people, and so you can take advantage of this to cash in. Recently there was a midnight praise (halleluyah) challenge organised by a Nigerian Gospel singer named Nathaniel Bassey which saw online attendance of over 60 thousand participating. A word trended from this exercise, Olowogbogboro (roughly translated as, the mighty outstretched arm).

Below are some Tees that were made, and the maker would only have to just make a sample (softcopy), share on social media, and arouse demand from excited prospective buyers, then cash out when order is fulfilled.

You could also pick any religious sounding text, print on a sample shirt, and share the design on your social media, and wait for the demand.

You can also be proactive to meet with event organisers, or student association leaders, hopefully with actual physical samples you would have done, then establish the network so that when they have need to print bulk shirts, you would be considered. You can also offer them kickbacks for each job they bring as an incentive.



Competition:
The suppliers are already there, the competition is alive, the ocean is red, therefore you will need to differentiate yourself very well or the ocean will consume you. You should choose good quality suppliers for your Tees, buy samples, wash them to see if the colours fade. Test the quality before committing to that Tees supplier. Having great designs can also be of good competitive advantage.



Risk
Making sure there is a demand before printing on the Tees can help mitigate the risk of storing up inventory that may not sell. Also testing for quality as well can help build trust with the customer and can eliminate the risk of dissatisfying the customer.

Bad customer service can be very detrimental to this business as with others too. Have good and clear return or refunds policies.



Summary:
There is money to be made in the Tee shirt making business. You can jump in on this, rather than staying idle. Ensure you learn as much as you can about this, before starting.



Thanks for following this series.

Till next week, stay inspired.

For more information, comments, questions or feedbacks, get in touch.
Twitter: Follow @Mrebis
Email: mrebis1@gmail.com

Idea 31 of 52: Cattle Ranch

Idea 31 of 52: Cattle Ranch

1. Idea Intro: It is a common sight around Nigeria, seeing herdsmen with their herds grazing as they travel around Nigeria. This practice has led to a number of issues which has resulted in loss of lives and properties arising from the ensuing conflicts. One of these issues are the menace of cattle rustlers (armed thieves) who attack these herdsmen and cart away their cattle. Another issue is the destruction of farms by the cattle in situations where the cows graze on farms, costing communities and farmers a lot. This has generated bad blood and badly affected the way many communities in the south of Nigeria perceive and relates with the herders. There have been fatal clashes as a result of this.


There have been sightings of wandering cows in city centres across Nigeria, at the federal capital territory, at Airports, in Schools (classrooms).

At some point in the very near future, Nigeria would pass legislation to ban open grazing nationwide. Some states have begun considering and even adopting the ban. This would create an opportunity for individuals, private firms and even the government to either make provisions for lands for grazing or leave it open to private investors to create their own ranches.

A cattle ranch does not need to have a lot of cows as you can start yours with just a few. You can go to the Northern part of Nigeria and buy some calves (baby cows), I learnt they are way cheaper in the North. You will incur some cost (the men on the highway) in taking them down to your ranch location in the South of Nigeria where you will have more access to pastures.

There will also be need for veterinary care in order to have healthy and well-nourished Cattles.
When they are fully grown, they are worth hundreds of percent more than the buying cost, though not forgetting the overall cost of feeding and veterinary care.

These can offer a lot,
Meat, Leather – from their skin, Milk, another cow (off springs), their blood can be dried and used as fish feeds because it is rich in proteins, their bones can be dried and grinded which is used in the make-up cosmetics industry.

[b]2. Competition: [/b]Cows and their numerous by-products are always in demand and so creates vast opportunity for more players to compete in this trade. There are elites who invest in Cattle and entrust them in the care of the herdsmen who faithfully raises and leads them in grazing. Soon, before or after an outright law bans open grazing across Nigeria or limits them to certain grazing reserves, some of these elites would most likely start up their own ranches and with more funds and government support they could become very strong competitors. However, nothing directly stops a small cattle ranch operator from being in business as the demand will always be there.

[b]3. Risk: [/b]If there be a time where the small cattle ranch operator finds it difficult getting grass or food for the cattle, maybe due to restrictions or government legislations; that can be risky to business survival. Unstable government policy remains a risk to any business in Nigeria.

[b]4. Summary: [/b]There is an opportunity which one can seize now or wait till legislation is made to give more juice and backing for the easier and more profitable establishment of such cattle ranches.

Thanks for following this series.

Till next week, stay inspired.

For more information, comments, questions or feedbacks, get in touch.
Twitter: Follow @Mrebis
Email: mrebis1@gmail.com

Idea 32 of 52: Tyres Upcycle

1. Idea Intro: In some parts of Nigeria, people do burn used tyres. There are studies, which shows that such practice does have harmful effects on general public health. There is a better way to put these used tyres to more productive uses. Here lies this week’s Business start-up article for Nigeria.

Tyres Upcycle
There are a lot of awesome examples on Google, just a search away that can inspire you on what can be done with used tyres. Some pictures are attached below.


You can purchase a few used tyres, which would be cheaper to buy seeing that they are not very usable. You can volunteer to design the garden or exterior of a public premise. Take some pictures of your work, post on social media with your contact details, and get busy with bookings.

There are loads of use cases which you can find on the internet for both indoors and outdoors designing. Get creative, innovative, and start being productive.

Simply do a Google search on ‘Tyres upcycle’, you would see something like this below.

2. Competition: As you the barrier of entry to this business is very low, you can be sure to find competitors soon, but taking the lead to start in your environment and putting your work out there can put you ahead and give you first mover advantage. Your creativity and overall quality of service delivery can give you that competitive advantage as you will be competing with the option of the consumer having what you offer for free. They can also source for the tyres, find ideas on the internet, paint and have their designs by themselves. So you would need to be unique, creative, show competence and offer great customer service.

3. Risk: Government regulations about tyres and how they are disposed can change at any time and could affect such business. So one would need to be fully aware of the Policies that relates or supports the disposal of Tyres which are a core part of this Business.

4. Summary: This is an awesome opportunity to create a business for yourself by upcycling used tyres as doing this will both offer a more environmentally friendly application of the used tyres as well as create employment and generate revenue.


For more information, comments, questions or feedbacks, get in touch.
Twitter: Follow @Mrebis
Email: mrebis1@gmail.com