I have always wanted to write on this for a long time but due to time constraint and basically my non-availability, I have been procrastinating this a lot. However, I have decided to spell it all out for the purpose of sharing my story and at the same time serving as an inspiration to other entrepreneurs out there thinking they cannot make it.

No matter how strange your business idea seems, with a little research you will find an open opportunity hidden somewhere and if you make every effort to tap into it, the sky will be your starting point.

A bizarre business is simply as it portrays: strange. There are a lot of businesses out there that people are afraid to venture into, thinking they know nothing about it and as such may not succeed. True, such a business idea might be irregular, unusual, and risky, but can be very profitable in the long run. Nigeria is a developing nation with one of the fastest rising economies in Africa. What this portrays is that SMEs thrives with proper resources. So called "Bizarre" businesses in developing countries unlatches a new spectrum of opportunities.

Late 2014 when I just set up my small organization, I was contacted by a guy to help with writing resumes. I must confess, this guy opened my eyes to a new world of opportunities. I was "What kind of business is that?"...it was really surprising to see that someone can actually write CVs for a living. Indeed bizarre! As someone in need of money, I decided to accept the job and to my utmost bewilderment, people actually order for CV rewriting.

I got engaged in this for some months and actually learned a lot online. It may amaze you that the business you call "bizarre" might actually be a thriving business niche in other countries, especially in the western world. In my research, I got to see that CV writing companies actually exist in other countries and they are doing exploits. Firstly, I began to study the trend and in particular, reasons why people actually order for CVs to be written for them. Like people will ask.."How can you write my CV for me? Isn't it my job to write my CV myself?" Yeah..tons of questions.

We were averaging up to 40 resumes monthly and though it was a low figure, it still put some money in my pocket. Then when I began enjoying this bizarre business, the blow came. My supposed "boss" called me that he is through with the business and he is moving on. I tried convincing him to stay on it but he seemed to have made up his mind. BUT I saw a potential in this business because of my research. One advice here is no matter how bizarre you think your business idea is, do some research online, find a need, and you will be amazed at the opportunity it presents.

I needed to continue in this. So early 2015, I bought the CV writing business from him. Here I am venturing into a business I have little or no experience in. But as with every business, the first thing I needed to do was rebranding. Hence, ProCV Nigeria was born. I put in a lot of work to achieve outstanding SEO ratings and before long, business started picking up.

CV writing business is unique in its own way and solves a dire need. Just like business plan writers/consultants, we help re-package your resume to attract the right kind of employers. To excel in this, I had to develop a strategy. I had to determine the success of my new business in 3 main categories. Potential market, competition, and resources.

As for potential market, see the following staggering statistics;

"The unemployment rate in Nigeria increased to 14.2 percent in the last quarter of 2016 from 10.4 percent a year earlier. It is the highest jobless rate since 2009 as the number of unemployed went up by 3.5 million to 11.549 million while employment rose at a slower 680.8 thousand to 69.6 million. The labour force increased by 4.194 million to 81.151 million and those detached from it declined by 625.7 thousand to 27.439 million. The unemployment rate was higher for persons between 15-24 years old (25.2 percent), women (16.3 percent) and in rural areas (25.8 percent). In the previous quarter, the jobless rate was 13.9 percent. Unemployment Rate in Nigeria averaged 9.76 percent from 2006 until 2016, reaching an all time high of 19.70 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 and a record low of 5.10 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010." - TradingEconomics.com/National Bureau of Statistics.

From the statistics above it is evident that the potential market for a CV writing business is vast with approximately 50 million people in the client pool (not including working class individuals needing to switch jobs or aspiring to climb higher in their career ladder). From further research, I also got to understand that a lot of job seekers are having tremendous challenges capturing their experience, competencies, and skills. To put it simply, it requires a lot of skill packaging a 2-page document that will sell you and make employers pick you over thousands of other applicants.

Now I know the potential market, I need to also know if there are jobs available. Because what is the point helping people package their CVs if there are no jobs? See another statistics below;

"The Nigerian economy added 187,226 new jobs in the third quarter of 2016 after adding 475,180 a year earlier. The informal sector created 144,651 jobs, accounting for 77.3 percent share. The formal sector added 49,587 jobs, 19 percent more than a year earlier and representing 26.5 percent of total new jobs. In the three months to June, the economy added 155,444 new jobs. Employment Change in Nigeria averaged 324,042 Jobs from 2012 until 2016, reaching an all time high of 499,521 Jobs in the fourth quarter of 2015." - NBS.

These statistics showed that from 2015 - 2016, there were approximately 500,000 jobs added to the economy, which means more than 50 million applicants competing for these jobs. This represents an average ratio of 100:1, meaning there are more than 100 persons competing for a single position.

So yes, there are jobs available and there are also candidates fighting to grab these jobs. Seeing these statistics, I laughed because do you know if I just target 1% of the existing client pool, I will rake in approximately N2.5 billion?. Job seekers or not, more than 5% of the existing potential market pool can afford my services. So I am looking at an untapped market worth billions of naira.

What exactly are they paying for? My resources and my knowledge! Over time I have participated in training on resume writing, tapped into the brains of experts in the western world and more importantly, discussed extensively with tons of recruiters just to know what they are looking for in a resume. I have also learned key words integration, ATS, presentation formats, and a whole lot of factors that makes a resume stand out.

I have to take a break here and please do look out for my next post on marketing and client acquisition strategy in my "bizarre" business.

https://www./starting-bizarre-business-nigeria-my-story-nwaka-osakwuni?published=t

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I love your analysis.

critic9ja:
I love your analysis.

Thanks. I had to stop writing cos I thought no one was interested.

databoy247:

Thanks. I had to stop writing cos I thought no one was interested.

e dey happen like that sometimes, I first jammed ur thread "contractors lounge" in the middle of 2016, I forgot to follow it. it is now that I needed all the information that I was looking for it all over. thanks to google, I got it and now decided to see some of your other threads. the information you put here especially the statistics shows you mean business and you know what you are doing. May God continue to help you.

critic9ja:
e dey happen like that sometimes, I first jammed ur thread "contractors lounge" in the middle of 2016, I forgot to follow it. it is now that I needed all the information that I was looking for it all over. thanks to google, I got it and now decided to see some of your other threads. the information you put here especially the statistics shows you mean business and you know what you are doing. May God continue to help you.

Thanks bro