Bayo was a very brilliant guy in his university days, graduating at the top of his class with a CGPA of 3.65. He actually worked very hard in his academics, hoping that if he could graduate with at least a second class upper degree, his life after school will be settled with a good paying job in any of the well to do banks or telecommunications companies.

Well, unfortunately for Bayo, four years after graduation and completion of his youth service, he was unable to get a job as planned despite the fact he had submitted his CV to all the banks, Telecom Companies, Oil Coy and other organizations.
Actually Bayo thought and planned wrongly, and it is this type of thinking and planning that is responsible for the high rate of youth and graduate unemployment in Nigeria.

Graduates usually have this misconception that once they graduate a job is out there waiting for them. Even when they are told the bitter truth that the country’s labour market can hardly accommodate ten percent of the thousands of the graduates leaving the school system annually, they will tell you “their case is different”.

The truth is I am not against faith declaration, and it is also true that in an ideal situation the government is to ensure graduates get jobs after leaving school, but unfortunately that’s not the situation in the country. Also, most graduates believe in the same God, and a large number of them have good grades.

The question then is if there are millions of graduates roaming the streets without jobs and hoping to get a job some day, what then gives you the impression that your own case is different? Do you know most graduates believe their case will be different? Hmmm! Let’s leave this “I am special believe” and face reality. The truth is jobs are scarce in the country.
If there are no jobs and millions of graduates are roaming the streets jobless, what then is the solution to this rather unfortunate situation? The answer lies in one simple truth which is what this book intends to pass across to every graduate that wants an answer to the big question “what next after school”?

Rather than join the waiting game being played by 13 million unemployed graduates, why not create your own game? The theory I am proposing is, instead of you joining the unemployment queue in search of the so called ‘white collar jobs’ like most graduates do, why not create your own job and put your own collar?

In my next post i will give details of how you can create your own job and become successful in the Nigeria of today. Watch out!

i'm almost 2yrs now after nysc without a gud job. surviving sha

mawojuuche: i'm almost 2yrs now after nysc without a gud job. surviving sha

So how have you been surviving? What do you do?

Majority of youths in Nigeria that are on the unemployment queue, looking for 'white collar' jobs, have no business being jobless. In the world of Talent and Entrepreneurship there is no such thing as unemployment, and everyone has got at least one talent...no man is an ignoramus. You are good at something! Discover your talent today, develop it and Sell it to the world; Start a business today and end that job search.

Creating your own job simply means activating the entrepreneur in you and putting that entrepreneurial force into action to create, innovate, invent or start something with the potential for attracting money.

In this time where there is scarcity of white collar jobs and high rate of youth and graduate unemployment, one of the best things you could do for yourself in order to pull out of the unemployment queue is to create your own job. And one of the ways to do this is by starting your own business.

What then is business? Business is simply “filling a need or making life easy with products or services in the society”. Before anything is called a business, it must be meeting a need, solving a problem or making life easy for members of the society, with products or services; and the foundation of any business is an idea.

Every successful business starts with a great idea. The next question then is what makes an idea great? How can one come up with that idea that would be translated into a profitable business that would allow you live the life of your dream?
You need a business idea that will offer relevant and needed products or services to consumers. In other words, there must be a ready market for your intended product/service; and the larger the market the better.

Your business requires a significant long term investment of time, energy and money--often your life savings or someone else’s money; you have to be sure you’re going to be thrilled with starting and running the business through all of its ups and downs. It is important to put a lot of thought, care and planning into creating and choosing the idea you will use.
So how do you come up with great ideas for a great business?

Business ideas must satisfy a wide range of criteria to be tenable. Most businesses fail soon after start-up because the idea-the impetus-is not commercially viable and cannot sustain a profit-making enterprise.

A business idea is the reason for setting up a firm. It drives everything from what products and services are offered, to how the products are marketed. It is the foundation of any business; without the idea there is no business. The business is only a commercialization of the idea.

The idea doesn’t necessarily need to be your invention, but it must have the potential to capture part of its target market and whatever it’s offering must be needed by potential buyers. In other words, your business idea must offer something different from the competition, so as to be able to compete in the market.

A sound business idea should meet these criteria; meet a gap in the market, provide an innovative solution to an everyday problem, an interest or hobby that can be monetized, a new product or service.

HAVE A MARKET
The first test of any business idea is whether there is a demand for your intended products or service. If there is no sufficient demand for the product, it will be hard for you to generate profit. It is the market that determines the viability and profitability of a product.

Another thing to consider is whether the demand or market has a potential for growth. What will be the size of the market in some years’ time? Is there potential for growth and expansion? The larger the market the more money you make, and the more the growth potential, the more potential for revenue and profit growth.

If you venture into a business that has a large market demand and potential for growth, then the greater your chances for business growth and expansion, and investors will be more interested in your business. If your business idea does not have potential for growth the business will run out of customers.

So in picking a business idea you should pick one that has a good market demand, and the potential for growth. This is a foundation for succeeding in your own business.

FILL A GAP
This criterion is closely related to the first one, since the fact that there is enough market for your intended product implies that it will definitely be needed by the market. In meeting this criterion you should ensure that your product, if it’s not something new, should have something different to it that stands it out.

It should provide an innovative solution to an everyday problem or an innovative way of doing old things. By all means your business should meet a need or fill a gap with its products or service.

COMMERCIAL VALUE
The success of a business venture is its commercial value or money-making potential; does your idea have the ability to attract money? If your business does not make money, then it becomes charity. Before you put your money into any idea, ask yourself if it has commercial potential. Will people pay for your product or service? If they would not buy, then there is no wisdom starting such a business.

D’banj is making money from music and still singing because his talent has commercial value. If your idea does not have potential of putting money in your pocket and bank account, then leave that idea alone.

Every business idea remains just that - an idea until it is commercialized. Commercialization is simply exploring the economic and cash flow potential of the business by taking it to the market.

If you come up with an idea and you continue celebrating the idea without commercializing it you are only wasting your time.
If as a singer you make a single and keep the master copy with you without commercializing that single, it is not yet a business; but the moment you send the CD to radio houses to get air play and you start getting invitation to perform at events and functions, then you can say you are in the music business.

Until your product enters the market and starts making money, you are not yet in business. It’s as simple as that. No matter the noise you make, if you are not selling anything or rendering any service, you are not yet in business.

Commercialization means selling; you could sell your talent as a comedian by offering paid-performances, getting endorsement deals like Basketmouth does or selling jokes packaged in CDs like AY and Gordons. My advice to you is once your idea has satisfied other conditions like having a ready market and filling a gap just go ahead and release it into the market - commercialize it.

13 SMALL SCALE BUSINESSES YOU CAN START WITH MINIMAL CAPITAL

Fish Farming
Fish is the cheapest source of animal protein and because of its low cholesterol level it is medically recommended as a good food for both the young and elderly.

Fish farming in Nigeria is currently a very lucrative business and this is boosted by the continuous rise in the demand for Catfish. It is an Untapped Goldmine waiting for those who can see.

The demand for fish according to the federal department of fisheries (FDF) was 2.1 million tons in 2007 while domestic production was 600,000 tons.

This deficit was partly augmented by massive importation of fish of about 900,000 tons valued at over $800 million dollars. This is a big drawback on our scarce foreign exchange.

This still left a huge deficit of 600,000 tons, hence the concerted effort to ensure self-sufficiency in fish production through aquaculture in Nigeria.

The demand for Fish in the country is currently estimated at about 2.66 million tons annually, as against the local annual production of just 780,000 metric tons, giving a demand-supply gap of about 1.8 million tons. It is very clear that the demand is far higher than supply.

What do you see as an entrepreneur? Business opportunity!

According to the Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, “Nigeria imports fish especially stock fish from Norway, worth over N109.2 billion Naira ($700million dollars) annually”.

In a May 2012 report, the Chairman of Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON) Rivers State chapter, Dr. Awoteinm George revealed that “Nigeria produces just 40 percent of the total Fish consumed in the country”. In other words, a 60 percent local production market is waiting for entrepreneurs to fill.

Aquaculture has been estimated to have the potential of producing 2.5 million tons, which if fully harnessed will almost satisfy the local demand for fish in the country. You could take opportunity of this high demand for fish and start a fish farm today.

This could be that business that would make you a millionaire. The truth is agro-based businesses are very profitable because they meet man’s basic need-Food. You could start and operate your fish pond right in your backyard, compound or garage. What are you waiting for?

@ OP: I have a proposal for you.How do I contact You?

Businesstools: @ OP: I have a proposal for you.How do I contact You?

Contact me through this mail; donaldyusuf27@gmail.com

Donald Yusuf: Contact me through this mail; donaldyusuf27@gmail.com

Roger.

Sorry guys i have been unable to update this thread for awhile; i have been very busy with Business and Church activities. Let's continue with our list.
2. WEBSITE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

Trust me when I say this business is very profitable and viable! In this age of the internet, businesses are going online, even small businesses, and they are all going to need business websites.

Becoming a web designer is a very profitable venture, and you could learn the skills within a short time. The web designing business has a very minimal start-up capital. It is a knowledge-based business and is a question of whether you can handle the job or not.
These days even states and government organizations are beginning to have their own Official websites. That is to tell you how viable the business could be. There are lots of states, local governments, government agencies, businesses and organizations that need online presence.
This is where your expertise as a web designer comes into play. Once you are good and know how to go in search of clients, you’ll make money in this business.

mawojuuche: i'm almost 2yrs now after nysc without a gud job. surviving sha

You've got no reason to be without a good job when you can create a good job for yourself. If making N1million in six months sounds like a good job to you, be part of what these nairalanders are doing here:

https://www.nairaland.com/1142592/lets-team-up-ensure-all

If it is job creation, visit www.entrepreneurialjunction..com YOU CAN DO SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF.
08031890545

Nice one OP

Donald Yusuf: Sorry guys i have been unable to update this thread for awhile; i have been very busy with Business and Church activities. Let's continue with our list.
2. WEBSITE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

Trust me when I say this business is very profitable and viable! In this age of the internet, businesses are going online, even small businesses, and they are all going to need business websites.

Becoming a web designer is a very profitable venture, and you could learn the skills within a short time. The web designing business has a very minimal start-up capital. It is a knowledge-based business and is a question of whether you can handle the job or not.
These days even states and government organizations are beginning to have their own Official websites. That is to tell you how viable the business could be. There are lots of states, local governments, government agencies, businesses and organizations that need online presence.
This is where your expertise as a web designer comes into play. Once you are good and know how to go in search of clients, you’ll make money in this business.

How can one get customers?

franel79: How can one get customers?

You will have to go out and get them. Write proposals and present them to your targeted clients.