1. Project research business (Selling of project topics and materials): Writing of projects, dissertations and theses is an integral part of every HND, B.Sc., Masters and PhD programme in Nigeria. Most students who are unfamiliar with their research topics will turn to you for help if you have a collection of project topics and materials. It’s a very lucrative business that requires little startup capital and will earn you good income continuously for the rest of your life if managed properly.

2. Statistical analysis service: This business is related to the project research business in that it provides statistical/ data analysis service for final year projects, Masters degree theses and PhD dissertations. You don’t need to be a statistician or an economics to establish your own statistical analysis service. There are specialized softwares that are designed to do the analysis for you. E.g. SPSS, SAS, PASW, Stata. All that is required of you is to enter the raw data into the software and write the reports after the results have been generated.

3. Ebook writing: These days, ebooks have become a very common commodity on the internet. If you’re a good writer and have interest in internet marketing, you may want to consider creating and selling informational ebooks on topics people are willing to acquire knowledge on. The top three niches in ebook writing business are topics on wealth creation, health and romance/ relationship. If you choose to write on any of these three, you won’t have much problem marketing. If you are not a writer, you can pay a professional writer to write for you.

4. Event management: This is one industry that has grown tremendously in the past ten years. According to research, event management generates an annual revenue of over $500 billion worldwide. This business is not regulated, but requires strong networking and organizational skills.

5. Home/ office cleaning service: The cleaning industry has two primary market groups: consumer and commercial. The consumer arena consists primarily of residential maid services, along with carpet cleaners, window cleaners and a variety of other cleaning services required on a less-frequent basis. The commercial arena is dominated by janitorial services, which typically provide a wider range of services than maid services, along with other cleaning companies, such as carpet and window cleaners that target businesses rather than individual consumers. While it's recommended that you decide on a niche and concentrate on building a business that will serve your chosen market, it's entirely realistic to expect to be able to serve multiple markets successfully. This business can be operated on a part time or full time basis, from home or a commercial location and has a short pay-back-period.

6. Dry cleaning/ laundry services: If you're serious about starting a business, laundry service is one of the business you should give serious consideration. I know a friend whose father used money from this business to build a house, buy a car and trained all his children in the university. That friend of mine is now a medical doctor. Dry cleaners in Nigeria presently make between N150,000 and N180,000 monthly. You can earn more revenue by adding other services like fumigation and waste removal.

7. Business consulting: How can I attract more customers? What can I do to increase sales? How can I reduce my business expenses? If you’ve managed a business before, whether small, medium or a large enterprise, You’ll know that these and many more are some of the problems business owners and managers are faced with on a daily basis. If you can provide answers to some of these questions, then you’ve got what it takes to break into this profitable business that commands a lot of respect. You don’t need any degree or certification to become a business consultant. That’s because CEOs are not interested in your paper qualification. Good communication skills is a must in this profession.

8. Web designing: In this 21st century, for any business to remain relevant, it must have a strong internet or online presence. The reason is simple – That is where people spend most of their time. One of the maxims of marketing is that you must be where your customers are, otherwise, you’ll be losing out sales opportunities. Hence, owning a website becomes a necessity for businesses of all kinds, creating a business opportunity for individuals and companies offering web design and development services. If you’ve got the skills to design an attractive and search engine friendly website, you have no business looking for a job. Politicians and religious organizations are also part of your target clients.

9. CV writing service: With the unemployment rate on the high side, there’s no better time than now to start your own CV writing business. This business does not require any certification or license and it has the potential of being nurtured into a multi-million naira business empire from the comfort of your home. It is also straight forward and easy to setup. If you are organized, methodical and detail oriented, it could be a perfect idea for you. CV Wizards (www.cvwizards.com) is a typical example of an indigenous CV writing service that earns millions of Naira annually writing CVs for fresh graduates and experienced professionals. (The business plan for CV Wizards is also available if you’re interested in having it, contact the CEO, Mr. Patrick Okunima on 07038492553)

10. Travel agency: This business involves making necessary arrangements for travelers, especially the booking of airline tickets and hotel accommodations. Setting up a travel agency is easy and does not require much capital. You can start from home or rent an office space if you’ve got the fund. You will be dealing with a lot of people from different background via telephone or in person, so you need to have a lot of stamina to withstand the pressure. The travel agency in Nigeria is regulated by the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agency (NANTA).

11. Tutorial Video Production: This is a variant of the information marketing business. Unlike the ebook, it’s not in print but video format. If you have strong presentation and communication skills, you can produce a tutorial on any academic course or any topic people are willing to exchange money for. Store it on DVD or other soft copy format for easy download, and sell to the end users.

12. Bookkeeping service: Every business requires the services of a bookkeeper but not all can afford to maintain one on a full-time employment. This gap creates business opportunities for individuals with bookkeeping skills and others who do not know a thing about bookkeeping and accounting but are willing to learn. Bookkeepers are responsible for maintaining the books of account of businesses. They identify, classify and record the financial transactions of entities on a daily basis. Their services enable business owners and other stake holders to assess business performance over a specific period of time and in making decisions. Their services can also help businesses identify issues that could jeopardize success e.g. fraud.

A bookkeeping business is a simple, low-cost and profitable venture. It can be operated from home, on a small scale or on a large scale with many employees and large client base. The business is not regulated. Hence, does not require any degree or certification.

13. Car wash business: This business can be easily setup, but requires detailed feasibility studies. The purpose of the study is to ascertain if the proposed location would be suitable for the business, since that’s the major factor upon which the survival of the business depends. It is very viable and can be run by a single individual as a sole proprietorship or a group of people as a partnership.

14. Popcorn production: Who doesn’t like pop corn? Of course, everyone does. Your target market is unlimited – That’s why it’s a good business to venture into. Pop corn production is one of the most lucrative businesses you can start with little capital in Nigeria. You may be surprised to hear that some individuals in this business earn as much as N250,000 monthly depending on the volume sold. You too can earn even more if you are determined and creative.

15. Billboard advertising: Nothing beats the level of visibility that advertising on a billboard can bring. For a relatively small investment, a company can get years of visibility, with thousands of potential consumers viewing the ad each day. Starting a billboard advertising business could prove lucrative. You can even go further to make use of digital billboards in showing your clients ad if you have enough resources to finance it. This business does not consume much of your time and you can get all the job done without having to employ anybody.

About the author: Patrick Okunima is a graduate of Accounting from the University Of Benin. He's the Founder & CEO of CV Wizards (Professional CV Writers).

Please someone should help me out, between UNN and UNIPORT which of them has an easier admission system �