₦airaland Forum

Nice post OP. But I think you could have presented this informative article better with adequate spacing. Home and Office Cleaning Business in Nigeria is still young and evolving but I trust it won't be long before it becomes comparable with other climes.

Op. Great job for this post here although I have issues with your post title (detail instead of detailed). There is a more detailed but brief write-up --> Cassava Processing Business Plan in Nigeria which I believe covers more than this post has done so far.

Keep up the good work!

A retail pharmacy shop is a place where you can buy genuine (because we are talking about the peculiar Nigerian environment) drugs and other health based products approved by NAFDAC as safe for public use and available for sale.

There is a huge money making opportunity in running a retail pharmacy store in Nigeria. The market statistics show that although it is highly competitive and capital intensive, there is still a decent net profit margin of up to 30% on many products and annual return on investment of over 60%. So an investment of N5 million could yield over N3 million as Profit after tax within 12 months. The good thing about this business is that you can combine it with several complementary businesses e.g retailing groceries.

My research into the pharmacy store business shows that on average the middle class customer spends N18,000 per annum on medication and medical supplements and we are talking of about 44 million strong individuals (if we include the health and dietary needs of father, mother and children). This means that the market can generate at least N792 billion per annum just from the middle class alone. Incidentally there are fewer than 12,000 pharmacy retail stores in Nigeria which means there is a lot of room for new entrants to compete in this market.

What are the Challenges involved in setting up and running a Pharmacy Store in Nigeria?
With regard to setting up a pharmacy the few challenges one could likely face are mostly with registration, licensing and legal requirements. Although financing can also be a challenge however if you can overcome the other challenges you are more than half way there. The other type of challenge involved occurs during the business itself namely the rise in fake and low quality drugs in circulation despite NAFDAC’s best efforts at curbing them. Many pharmacies also don’t consider the medical situation and history of their customers as they readily dispense drugs without medical prescription which could possibly harm the health of drug abusers and addicts. There is the problem of over competition as well because of what the average Nigerian would call “Chemist” – a local drug dispensing shop often manned by an unqualified druggist or in some cases uneducated trader. There are also social practices which can also interfere with smooth running of the business such as; patronage of local medicine practitioners by people who should naturally be seeking medical care from a good hospital. These challenges not withstanding pharmacy businesses are not going anywhere recession or no recession.

What makes Pharmacy Shops profitable in Nigeria?
Many Nigerians have unhealthy lifestyles which somehow makes it possible for pharmacies to thrive. Maintaining poor hygiene can attract disease carrying vectors which can cause various kinds of fevers and illnesses. In Lagos for instance more than 12 million people live in slums and unhygienic surroundings. Less than 8% of Nigerians eat healthy, balanced diet meals 3 times a day, most people are exposed to stressful situations which negatively impact on their health. People must buy pain killers, multivitamin supplements, skincare products, diabetic medications and a host of other drugs meanwhile the average Nigerian pharmacy store is just a middle man between the pharmaceutical companies that produce these drugs and the people who use these drugs with just a few overhead costs besides rent, salaries and levies/dues/taxes to deal with.

How can I start a Pharmacy Shop in Nigeria?
Besides meeting the professional and legal requirements you’ll need to come up with adequate Startup capital or just don’t bother starting at all except if you want to operate as a ‘Chemist’

How Much is required to start a Pharmacy Store in Nigeria?
POS retail system – N180,000
2 Fridges – N250,000
Pharmacy Shelves – N600,000
Inventory – N1,800,000
Rent – N600,000
Contingency – N300,000
Cash at hand – N370,000
Other expenses – N900,000
Total – N5,000,000

Source: https://lagosbusinesses..com.ng/2016/12/how-to-start-retail-pharmacy-store-in.html

What is a business plan?

It is a document akin to a sailor’s map on voyage or a torch light for someone trying to find his/her way through a dark street. When you arm yourself with one you are no longer walking aimlessly but with purpose and a clear destination in mind.

Are you looking to write a bankable business plan in Nigeria? A to guide for you in your quest for writing a well written business plan for whatever purpose – raising startup capital, as a working document guide or both? When it comes to writing a business plan that serves the Nigerian environment from my experience I have discovered that several factors affect the choice of an individual or corporate organisation to use a professional business plan writer. For instance someone may want to expand his/her business and approaches a bank for a loan, the bank may present them with a business plan format but the skill of putting ideas into words that can be read and properly understood is their main challenge. On the other hand they may be able to write but just don’t have the time nor are they willing to see it through even if they had the time. On the other hand, some people may want not have access to a professionally written business plan and so have no choice than to outsource it to a professional business plan writer to do it for them.

Nigerian Business Plan Guide: the 5 questions you must answer to write a quality business plan
When you are ready to start writing a quality business plan, the type financiers and partners are willing to relate to you should be able to pass a simple acid test – 5 questions that will ensure that you have what it takes to write your dream business plan. Let’s start with question #1 below;

What is a business Plan and of what use is it?
A business plan is a well thought out document that details how a business opportunity can be converted into a viable business venture and how long it would take for that business to become; profitable, grow and capture a market share. It is a write-up which tells a banker, an investor or a potential partner on what is required to start a business, what the promoters of that business are going to do to make that business achieve its goals and how much they should expect from it if they put their money into the business. To answer the second part of the question of what use is it? – it is the best way to describe a business opportunity and show in facts and figures whether or not that business opportunity is worth anyone’s time. So if you have an idea which only you understands but need cash to turn that idea into a wealth and job creator you need a business plan to convince a bank, family and friends that you can

Who needs a Business Plan?

Investors: They would like to know how much they’ll get when they invest their money into a business. What is the prospect for the company’s growth, what would be their market place against the competition, what exit plan is there in the event that the business doesn’t succeed among other things mentioned in the business plan.

Banks and other financial institutions: Obviously no bank of financial institution would give a loan to a first time business without requesting for a business plan. Even if your business has been in existence but the bank has limited relationship with you, your request for a loan to expand will come with conditions one of which is a bankable business plan. The bank has financial analysts who are experts at assessing business plans and opportunities, they would give you a nod to your request depending on whether your business plan is viable or not.

Entrepreneurs: as an intending business owner, you’ll need a business plan to guide you so that you know what goals to set for yourself, what management structure you should employ, company objectives

Government and Developmental Organisations giving Grants: there are many development agencies and government institutions which give grants to small scale entrepreneurs and business people to either start a business venture that will employ other people or expand their existing business.


How can I get a professionally written business plan?
There are several ways to write a professionally business plan that will attract the kind of attention you need such as;

Option #1 - Hire a professional to write one for you

You can hire a professional business plan writer to do the work for you. This is a more expensive approach at face value because you pay a fee usually a hefty one to an expert to do the research, analysis and writing for you. However if you are to do this research yourself it may take you longer, you may do a shoddy job and still spend more money on field research, buying materials, consulting experts etc all of which may frustrate your efforts at getting your job well done.

Option #2 - Purchase a sample business plan template online

There are companies that sell business plans online. Although these business plans are complete the disadvantage is that they are mostly written for a foreign market such as the US or UK with no consideration for people living in Africa especially Nigeria. So this business plans may not be tailored to your specific needs

Option #3 - Write the Business Plan yourself

Writing the business plan yourself is the third and final option which most entrepreneurs with plenty of time to spare opt for. It may come as a surprise to many that writing a business plan is not so difficult but writing it well in a professional and persuasive way is the difficult part. However a very savvy and articulate business owner/entrepreneur should be able to write a very good business plan by merely following an outline either given to him by a bank or one he found online or through another means.

What should go into a well written Business Plan?

The following parts are essential in a business plan. If you must write a business plan and omit anything

Executive Summary: A summary of the entire business plan in as few as 2 pages or even less
Industry and Market data Analysis: statistical analysis of facts and data from relevant industry associations, government agencies and media outfits give investors clues about the economic direction and whether or not to invest in a sector
Market Overview: is a situation analysis of micro and macro-economic analysis, projected industry/sub-sector, projected GDP growth, market size existing government policies etc
Potential market size, growth and trends: what is the population of people likely to buy your product or service within your defined target market region? How much do they spend collectively, what is the trend of 5 year sales like, what are key buying factors in the past, present and possibly future?
SWOT Analysis: What are the opportunities and threats to your business? How can you overcome them?
Managing Risks and Control factors: every business has risks, what are the likely risks you’ll face in your business
Financial goals and Projections: what are the short, medium and long term financial goals and projections? What would be the
Operational plan – what would be the company’s operations, operating hours and days in a year, which employees will handle what operations etc
Management Plan – organizational structure, management team and employment policy plan
Appendix – this would consist of references and addendum


How long should a well written business plan take?

There is no defined period for this but it depends on the kind of business and how much information is available. If you have 90% of available industry data and other necessary information about the business you could have the business plan ready in 24 hours for a small business or over a week for a large business, however when research and financial analysis is needed with little information you should be looking at 10 or more working days.

Source: http://lagosbusinesses..com.ng/2016/06/nigerian-business-plan-guide-tips-to.html

People often mistake a business plan for a business proposal. They are not the same and whenever you contact [url=lagosbusinesses..com]Professional Business Plan Writers in Nigeria[/url] they'll often tell you the difference.

I'll appreciate as much inputs - comments, criticisms etc from nairalanders.

Thanks

Nigerian women especially housewives can start and successfully run a few businesses from home. Many Nigerian housewives, unemployed single women and even working married women have a desire to earn more income whether part time or full time doing one or more businesses which are usually not disruptive for their lives – their children or spouses won’t suffer neglect because of these businesses, they are not very time consuming. Many times having a flexible time schedule or lots of free time is the key factor of whether or not you can use it.

The opportunities are endless but we can start with the following business ideas and which many Nigerian women can take advantage of;

A Shortlist of some Small Businesses Nigerian Women Can Start from home

The following business opportunities are suitable for Nigerian women to start and run from home;

Private Home Tutoring

Teaching school subjects like maths, social studies, biology, chemistry to name a few to both primary and secondary school pupils at their private residences is a great business for Nigerian women who have flexible time schedules. You can charge as little as N12,000 per month per child to teach a subject twice a week or up to N50,000 a month in big cities like Abuja and Lagos but this depends on how sought after you are. This business is ideal for women who are trained teachers or who have teaching experience

Day Care Center

Women who love children or teaching children new things are ideal candidates for crèche or day care centers. You can start one from home if your landlord and neighbours are okay with it else you may have to rent somewhere not far from where you live but a few women I know run day care centers from home and have been doing so for years. The business can grow really fast in a short time as the return on investment is quite high. You can find out more by clicking how to start a daycare center in Nigeria

Office Lunch Service to Nigerian Workers

Most people in the workplace in major Nigerian cities patronize ‘mama put’ or for those who can afford it go to a fast food restaurant. Sadly both are not suitable options since ‘mama put’ is often run by illiterate women with poor cooking skills and hygiene whereas the fast food is expensive the customer cannot truly be called king in both cases. Therefore getting delicious and affordable lunch service to offices is a great business opportunity if you know how to go about it. A lady in Abuja I know does this and sponsors her children through school along with her siblings and owns a small house she built with money from this business

Freelance Writing

If you have excellent writing skills, a good social media influence and you’re a self-starter, then freelance writing is your turf. You can pursue a career in online freelance writing like Bamidele Onibalusi of www.writersincharge.com who makes a decent monthly income from writing from home as a freelancer making over $5,000 monthly.

Nanny Service for young Nigerian Couples

There is a growing demand for full time nannies or as we call it in Nigeria ‘house girl/maid or part time nannies (babysitters) to look after children of educated and formally employed couples or single mothers who because of their busy and often high paying corporate jobs must leave their children in the care of reliable nannies. The reality is the business can be profitable if well run and good well trained nannies are employed the challenge is often finding nannies with good character

Academic Research Services

Students need to have term papers written for them some need help with their projects while others are struggling with assignments due to work or other commitments, a freelance researcher can specialize in an academic field to help these students with their academic challenges and get paid in the process. Women who are academically sound and unemployed can create websites to promote this service and make a decent part time income in the process

Nigerian Backyard Poultry

This is an informally run poultry located in a residential building with less than 100 birds being reared. It is ideal for egg production business and can generate between N600 to N3,000 per day for 100 egg producing birds depending on the size of the eggs.

Neighbourhood Corner Shop

This is the only business I know will always have customers and can still grow. Expect to generate daily sales of at least N30,000 a day if you are in a densely populated area with profit between N1,500 and N9,000

Nigerian home run Health and Wellness service

There is a growing health consciousness among Nigerians about keeping fit and healthy. Many people sign up for weight loss classes, some want a fitness coach to guide them with aerobics, yoga, pilates and other exercise programs which all go for a fee, with monthly fee ranging from N5,000 to N30,000 per month depending on your target market

Beauty Salon for Nigerian Women

Nigerian women love to be recognized and admired and they go through a lot to get their hair done, nails fixed etc. In my neighbourhood a housewife is into this beauty salon thing and she isn’t doing badly.

Fashion/Stylist Consultant

Some women are so good at styling that people who have a strong need to appear well styled e.g celebrities and fashionistas with deep pockets often consult for dress and styling.

Make Money Blogging in Nigeria

You can join me, Linda Ikeji, Laila Ikeji of Laila’s blog and hundreds of aspiring bloggers who are making money part time or full time using blogging to achieve their income goals. The process isn’t quite easy because it requires patience and determination but it’s only a matter of time before you start seeing results.

More opportunities found from source: http://lagosbusinesses..com.ng/2017/03/15-great-businesses-nigerian-women-can.html

Dottore:
Beautiful write up.

Thanks for your comment!

hisgrace090:
Upon say we never see garri chop, you want to export the bottom port remaining to earn money.
Mind you, you will never chop money but food.
China learn to attain sufficiency in all before exporting, that is wisdom.

Okay thank you but what about the thousands of jobs that could be created and higher income that farmers would earn if we harness cassava processing?

This article is tailored for persons or Organisations looking to invest in Agro processing business in Nigeria.

The Cassava processing business in Nigeria is a very lucrative and versatile venture to do in Nigeria but it is also one of the most untapped opportunities many Nigerians are not looking at maybe because it’s too common to be viewed locally as a goldmine.

The cassava crop can yield up to 15 different products when processed and each of these products has relatively large markets. In Brazil for instance Cassava is processed into ethanol which can be used for powering automobile vehicles whereas China purchases Cassava pellets from Nigeria for use in producing industrial Caramel, glucose and High quality cassava flour for the food processing industry.

Cassava flour is a good substitute for wheat flour and it alone generated over N25 billion from 125,000 tons to the Nigerian economy in 2014 mostly serving the domestic food market whereas Nigeria imported over N635 billion worth of wheat flour in 2014 from the USA we lose at least $2 billion per annum in foreign exchange (FAO, 2014) to our local preference for wheat flour over cassava flour. Even the N25 billion realized from Cassava flour processing in 2014 is a far cry from the over $28 million that Costa Rica which produces far less Cassava as Nigeria generated in the same year from exports to Europe and India. So the Cassava processing industry can offer Nigeria a lot of income and wealth if well harnessed in addition, one large scale cassava processing mill can employ over 280 people and if Nigeria has at least 1,000 mills we are talking of creating at least over 280,000 jobs.

What is the Market size of Cassava Processing and exportation opportunities in Nigeria?
From the 35 million tons of cassava we produce we can process 20 million tons into various products such as 2 million tons of animal feeds which can potentially generate N160 billion, 3 million tons of industrial starch which can generate N150 billion and 4 million tons of ethanol which can generate over N320 billion that’s over N620 billion per annum from 3 products only, the drawback is that garri could become more expensive for the local market. From exportation Nigeria can generate $400 per ton from 50,000 tons of cassava pellets exported to China which is $20 million per annum.

Who are the likely customers for Processed Cassava products and where can they be found?
Locally our cottage industries could purchase products derived from cassava. For instance, manufacturers of perfumes and insecticides, pharmaceutical companies, breweries, Noodles and Pasta companies, poultry and livestock farms among others, internationally trading companies that supply overseas food processing companies would order for Cassava Pellets.

Where is the money in Cassava Processing? Is it the domestic market or the exports market?
The domestic market is far more lucrative than the exports market except if you want to specialize in processing cassava pellets then there is a good market for it in China however most products that can be derived from cassava processing are more profitable for the local market, Garri alone has a huge local market that can guarantee year round sales and industrial starch also has a huge market.

What is the Future of Cassava Processing in Nigeria?

Production of Industrial starch is expected to continue increasing due to increased local demand from factories and rising cost of importation
Bakery industry will continue to demand for HQCF as the alternative is becoming too expensive for them to purchase

The cost of purchasing animal feeds is ever on the rise thus cassava processing can offer cheaper alternatives to existing animal feeds sources

Nigeria’ population is increasing by over 3% per annum which means there will be a large market for Garri, starch and other cassava products

List of Products that can be derived from Cassava Processing

High quality Cassava Flour which can be used in baking bread, cakes etc

Industrial Starch – is used in production of custards, salad dressing, food additives, making noodles and pasta and also as food thickeners and stabilizers.

Industrial Caramel – which can serve as colouring to drinks and used in flavoring popcorn among other edibles

Ethanol and bio fuel – Cassava can be processed to produce ethanol and other bio fuels which can be used in powering automobile machines and some industrial machines. Ethanol is also used in producing perfumes, spirits, drugs, insecticides and varnishes

Garri – is a popular staple in Nigeria consumed by more than 80 million people on a daily basis

Glucose syrup – it can also be processed into sweeteners like glucose syrup which is an alternative for sugar and saccharine. Large manufacturers like beverage and food processing companies need glucose as sweeteners and additives to their products
Animal feeds – cassava can be processed into livestock feeds for pigs, goats and poultry animals and the local market for this product is over N800 billion as of 2016

Canned Juice and Jams cassava can be processed into juice and can be combined with other ingredients to make jam

When I start what are the likely Challenges and Threats I’ll have to deal with?

Cheap and/or preferred Substitutes in high demand: Many of the cassava derivatives have cheaper or more preferred substitutes which the local market is attracted to. For instance Wheat flour and is still largely preferred to cassava flour and cassava starch is not the number one source of stabilizers and thickeners in food processing industry

Processing Challenges: The processing of cassava into its derivatives requires appropriate technology and techniques and both are in very short supply as the locally fabricated machines are at best average and some of the processing techniques are labour intensive. An optimum processing facility that can produce quality cassava products is also very expensive to acquire.

Marketing Challenges: Locating buyers especially if you’re into exportation is not easy, first many international buyers prefer to buy from Costa Rica and Brazil because of superior processing and storage of cassava roots. Secondly, the price of cassava per ton is relatively low compared to other cash crops and doesn’t encourage large scale cultivation

Finance and Credit facilities: Cassava processing needs adequate funding to grow and only the bank of agriculture and bank of industry are disposed towards this industry and both have limited funds available.

What is the return on investment, payback period and expected first year sales? An investment of N28 million can yield N6 million plus in net profit after tax from Garri and Flour processing alone. This means you can recoup your investment in 4.5 to 5 years based on projected first year sales of N164 million and 15% average year on year sales within same period.

You can read more from source: http://lagosbusinesses..com.ng/2017/03/how-profitable-is-cassava-processing.html

OP More info on how to start a pharmacy in Nigeria simply click on the link!

It's almost over and still too close to call.

Yeah Sure.

Sorry for replying so late.

Trump is now highly likely to win. The remaining states are too close to call if the results continue this way.

Visit the website and see for yourself

This is according to breaking news just in from CNN.
http://edition.cnn.com/

Modified.

Just in from PressTV twitter handle Trump ahead 254 - 221

Here are the 16 business plan writing tips to know

1. Write the marketing summary first and the executive summary last. This is because the ideas of what your business is and should look like always starts from the market opportunity and potential sales it can record within a given period
2. Don’t rush your market research because the bulk of your business plan will be assessed by the quality and reliability of your market research
3. Write a summary of the main points of your business plan in no more than 100 words at the cover page just below the author name, this is akin to a newspaper rider which piques the interest of the reader
4. Do not write the executive summary beyond 2 pages. The executive summary ought to be a summary of the entire business plan section by section represented by paragraphs, stick to this and you’ll make your business plan easier to understand and save the intended reader valuable time in perusing your business plan
5. Specify how long the projections in the business plan is intended to cover right from the executive summary and even in the financial plan itself
6. Use graphics, tables, pictures and other forms of labelling to not only improve the appearance of your business plan but to also demonstrate knowledge of your facts and figures. This can also save the intended reader time because graphical representation of data is brief but detailed
7. Use references in your business plan. This will tell whoever is reading it that you are not quoting a random source or guessing but actually using proven knowledge to make your projections and analysis
8. Write in a business friendly tone and not in an academic or informal way. When you do this, the investor or bank can readily see through your tone and appreciate your professional touch and presentation
9. Compare data from various sources. Your information sources should be as diverse and reliable as possible to make for improved inference
10. Calculate your figures slowly, it’s better to take 3 or more days to compute very reliable figures than to do a 1 day job shoddily, the financials are very important
11. Don’t copy and paste other people’s write-ups into your business plans because you might make some illogical and unconnected statements afterwards which would expose you as a copycat and ignorant business person besides not also making your work tidy
12. Include summary reports in the financial plan to explain the main figures in your projections
13. Your business profile segment under the company summary and description should be very detailed
14. Avoid use of highly technical language except where unavoidable but even so providing explanation for terms used
15. Write confidently, your projections should sound like they’ve already been achieved even if they are 3 or more years away, your language should also show that you have done this
16. State what you’ll do with the money you want to raise and why you need to raise it

Source: http://lagosbusinesses..com.ng/2016/07/16-business-plan-writing-tips-for_59.html

Here are the 16 business plan writing tips to know

1. Write the marketing summary first and the executive summary last. This is because the ideas of what your business is and should look like always starts from the market opportunity and potential sales it can record within a given period
2. Don’t rush your market research because the bulk of your business plan will be assessed by the quality and reliability of your market research
3. Write a summary of the main points of your business plan in no more than 100 words at the cover page just below the author name, this is akin to a newspaper rider which piques the interest of the reader
4. Do not write the executive summary beyond 2 pages. The executive summary ought to be a summary of the entire business plan section by section represented by paragraphs, stick to this and you’ll make your business plan easier to understand and save the intended reader valuable time in perusing your business plan
5. Specify how long the projections in the business plan is intended to cover right from the executive summary and even in the financial plan itself
6. Use graphics, tables, pictures and other forms of labelling to not only improve the appearance of your business plan but to also demonstrate knowledge of your facts and figures. This can also save the intended reader time because graphical representation of data is brief but detailed
7. Use references in your business plan. This will tell whoever is reading it that you are not quoting a random source or guessing but actually using proven knowledge to make your projections and analysis
8. Write in a business friendly tone and not in an academic or informal way. When you do this, the investor or bank can readily see through your tone and appreciate your professional touch and presentation
9. Compare data from various sources. Your information sources should be as diverse and reliable as possible to make for improved inference
10. Calculate your figures slowly, it’s better to take 3 or more days to compute very reliable figures than to do a 1 day job shoddily, the financials are very important
11. Don’t copy and paste other people’s write-ups into your business plans because you might make some illogical and unconnected statements afterwards which would expose you as a copycat and ignorant business person besides not also making your work tidy
12. Include summary reports in the financial plan to explain the main figures in your projections
13. Your business profile segment under the company summary and description should be very detailed
14. Avoid use of highly technical language except where unavoidable but even so providing explanation for terms used
15. Write confidently, your projections should sound like they’ve already been achieved even if they are 3 or more years away, your language should also show that you have done this
16. State what you’ll do with the money you want to raise and why you need to raise it

Source: http://lagosbusinesses..com.ng/2016/07/16-business-plan-writing-tips-for_59.html

I once read a chess article where it was stated that “learning how to play chess is easy, but playing chess really well is hard” and that is the story more than 99% of chess players including grandmasters will tell you that it is very difficult to win at chess even against slightly weaker players and there are many reasons for this.

First consider that no two chess games are exactly the same plus that chess positions are very complex to read and analyse. It takes a lot of experience to really correctly analyse a chess position especially at the middle game phase when both sides have equal chances at counter play. Two there are no winning formulas for any chess game, although there are strategic principles to guide you when playing a game as to where to play, how to plan and what moves should be selected or rejected we still cannot sum up strategy in an auto pilot form for use in our games. Then as humans we have limited capacities for anything including acquiring and applying chess knowledge for our own advantage.

But despite of all these, it is possible to considerably improve your performance in chess games and tournaments against other opponents whether as a leisure activity or a step towards becoming a superb player you can become better at chess by any or all of the following simple tips.

Study grandmaster games

To become really good at chess I’ll recommend studying grandmaster games for at least 2 hours a day for no less than 1 year. Grandmasters are the top rated chess players who are considered very strong players able to win nearly all their games against other lower rated master players who are also considerably stronger than most of us chess players. A grandmaster according to FIDE the world governing body for Chess is any player who can achieve 3 GM norms (a GM norm is a favorable result at a tournament in which 60% of the players participating at already grandmasters) within 2 years will be awarded the title or alternatively if you can achieve a rating of not less than 2500 Elo points at FIDE rated tournaments.

Study good Chess Books
There are some great chess books I can personally recommend to an average chess player to make him/her a strong player or even graduate to becoming a master player (players who have a rating of 2100 Elo points and above). Two great books I’ll recommend you buy are Amateur's Mind and Reassess Your Chess Workbook both by Jeremy Silman both available on Amazon. They’re great books which will open your eyes on how to understand chess theory especially chess tactics and chess strategy.

Join a local Chess Club
Local chess clubs can also help improve your chess playing strength because you’ll meet with other players many of whom are better than you at playing chess. Many of them could be willing to share their knowledge with you plus playing regularly against them tends to raise the standard of your game.

Play tournament standard chess games
Playing tournament standard games (games which involve use of timers with time limit set at not less than 1 hour for each side) you’ll build a habit of thorough analysis and careful chess thinking which must have a positive impact on your move selection and overall playing ability. Do this as part of your chess training program playing against a better player at least 2 times a week in addition to studying grandmaster games and this should have a huge impact on your chess games.

Record your chess moves
Another very important thing to do when striving to improve your chess is to record your games because this enables you to understand the major causes of your weaknesses and why you fail in finding the right plans or executing the right ones you find.

Hire a Chess Coach
A chess coach can teach you a lot in a very short time, something that could take you years to learn with the help of a good chess coach you can learn in weeks. It saves you a lot of time but is the most expensive option in this list.

https://abuja-chess..com.ng/2016/07/6-practical-ways-to-improve-and-become.html

I have received hundreds of phone calls, SMS and emails from a lot of Nigerians who want to know what kind of business they should venture into or if a particular business is profitable or not.

Personally I refrain from answering this question because it’s like asking what kind of business can I do with little or no risk but will make maximum profit from. That kind of questions is almost impossible to answer because I know of businesses where most people are struggling to make a profit and a few others are making a lot of money.

Look at boutique business for instance where most people are just managing to get by but some other people are making millions of naira every month from it. So should I now recommend boutique business for everybody? Another challenge again is that most businesses are suitable for certain kinds of people and not everybody so I can’t for instance say try this business or don’t do this business when I haven’t assessed your skills, experience and passion for a kind of business. However if you are enterprising enough any business opportunity is the right one once you understand the market and know how to get in. for this reason I’ll share the following tips with would be entrepreneurs looking for profitable business opportunities in Nigeria.

Tips on how to find Profitable business opportunities in Nigeria
These tips are applicable to some business opportunities but for certain kinds of opportunity you need extra ‘eyes’ to see what most people are not seeing. However these ones are a good start, try them out.

Identify level of demand for a product/service
In a particular place there may be high demand for a product/service which could be as a result of the local demographic. For instance places that attract a lot of women are ideal ground for marketing women oriented products e.g markets, maternity centers, female hostels, churches, beauty salons etc. But what drives demand most times is inadequacy and availability so if you have a unique, high quality makeup kit for instance the demand for it would be higher than any other kind of makeup kit hence marketing it in the above listed places would increase demand for it.
Hint: Uniqueness, quality and inadequate supply of a product usually determine level of demand.

Who is the competition and how well off are they?
There may be 10 people selling a certain kind of product in a locality but may be only one of them is making a lot of money selling that product. His/her secret would likely be their approach to selling or delivering the product rather than using ‘jazz’ or other superstitious explanation some people could raise up. If you understand the customer’s real needs and you can find a unique and effective way of delivering that product you have identified a profitable business opportunity.

Identify the challenges in meeting demand
If there is a certain difficulty in getting a product/service to its intended target market, removing it would making it a profitable business opportunity. Is the problem with serving your customer an issue of delivery, promptness, excellent support service or price? Find a solution to this and you have found a profitable business opportunity.

What is the profit margin in the industry?
How much profit will you make on each item of a product or service you sell? If you’re making 100% profit for a shoe that sells for N1000, that means you’re buying the shoe for N500 and if you can sell 10 of those shoes every day that means you’re making N5,000 profit per day for that shoe. If you could sell 100 of those shoes a day that would be N50,000 per day. But this tip works best if there is high demand to go with high profit margin.

What is the entry requirement for that business?
If it’s very difficult to enter the business then it is a highly profitable business. The harder it is for others to come into the business coupled with high demand and high profit margin means there will be little competition and possible overhead costs which is the right opportunity to claim millions or billions of naira as the case may be.

Source: http://lagosbusinesses..com.ng/2015/07/how-to-spot-profitable-business.html

Cool responses so far, thanks all for your comments!

This going to be a tough question to answer because frankly speaking both options are good and not ‘so good’ for various individuals and families as it often times is a matter of peculiar needs and relevance. On one hand a security guard can exercise initiative to ward off potentially dangerous and risky situations, a security dog may only react instinctively to any situation whether dangerous or not, some wealthy individuals may want either or both while some would rather have one of either for their home security needs. However here goes;

Using a security dog versus hiring a security guard
If you wish to employ the services of either or both options in this article I’d suggest you carefully read the merits and demerits of both before making up your mind on which of them to use. Let’s examine both using the following criteria;

Detecting Intrusion and trespassers
A security dog can be an asset when properly handled by a well-trained handler enabling the security guards patrolling the facility to take note of potential intrusions from burglars and other criminals. Because of their natural abilities to detect sounds and over 10,000 unique smells dogs are ideal for security tasks that require extreme vigilance and attention. A 50 hectare facility for instance would be very hard to manage without dogs even if you install motion sensors, CCTV and alarm systems because specific threats can’t be detected only potential breach of facilities which could be by harmless stray animals. Security guards on the other hand are effective in managing situations although not as effective as dogs in detecting intrusion, so even if a person breaches your property, the dogs may bark to fend them off by attacking them but will be unable to ask them questions that could prevent unavoidable hurt or loss of live in extreme cases.

Cost of service
Security dogs only need to be fed and catered for at a cost which is a fraction of what could be paid as salaries and wages to security personnel. This might seem good for the short run but on the long run could be the more expensive option as dogs are easy to manipulate and scare off if the criminals have the appropriate tools and skills in handling them. Security guards on the other hand can only be scared off with life threatening weapons but they have the ability to call the police and activate the security system which could trap the intruders and record valuable information that could lead to their arrest if eventually they escape from the premises. That explains why jewelry stores still hire security guards even with their sophisticated security systems.

Result and Efficiency
A security dog cannot give you a brief about a security incident but a security guard can. The security dog cannot tell if an alarm system is faulty or not but can only bark when intruders breach your facility without them telling exactly who they are e.g kids or adults, how many intruders they are, whether they’re armed and how they gained entry whereas a security guard can not only know all these but has been trained on what to do when specific situations arise as a result they are quite more efficient than security dogs in this regard.

Ideal Environments
Security dogs are suitable for large space facilities such as mansions with large gardens and greenery, tall buildings with many potential hideouts, entry and exit points as well as houses in isolated areas. These kinds of places are prone to burglars, arsonists, serial killers and armed robbers and security dogs are very effective in these kinds of places whereas security guards can work well in any and all kinds of environment.

Privacy Issues
With Security dogs your privacy fears are calmed, there is no chance of them gossiping to tabloid journalists about your private life assuming you are a celebrity but even sometimes, professional security guards can still leak private and sensitive information about you or your family to the media. As a client this is certainly something you aren’t willing to pay for but that is on rare cases.

Interactivity and Feedback
A security guard can give you security advise and information that could come in handy in future when a situation presents itself, whereas a security dog can do little or nothing for you other than perhaps accost the intruder while you find time to run away something which a well-trained security guard could also do. If your external lighting isn't good enough to ward off burglars, a security guard can tell you that but not a security dog.

Conclusion
From a human services point of view it might be better to have a security guard but it is the more expensive option, even with security dogs, there is need for proper handling as they have physiological needs which might cause them to act out of character but the choice ultimately depends on which benefits either option offers and how important that benefit is to you.

Source: http://home-office-security-tips..com.ng/2016/07/which-is-better-option-for-home_34.html

This is certainly a risky estimation for a commercial poultry farm (with an estimated minimum of 1,000 birds) in my opinion judging from current realities (2016) but since you wrote this piece in 2014 I can understand. Starting out with day old chicks requires less investment in terms of cost but greater investment in terms of achieving sales. So depending on your financial situation and projections I guess the option you opt for would be entirely up to you (the poultry farmer). Let me add though that getting a bankable poultry business plan in Nigeria is no mean fit and must be acquired prudently. The financial projections must be absolutely correct or you might as well write a novel.

OP let me congratulate you for your very insightful post. This is enough for some people to use as guide for setting up their own poultry farms. However let me add a few things to your post, first how profitable is poultry business in Nigeria? That question is subjective as the answer may leave some groaning and others smiling depending on your peculiar story. Second point how can you market your poultry products here in Nigeria? If these two questions are satisfactorily answered then the prospective poultry business owner can now decide whether or not investing in it is worth the trouble. The third question would have been what is the demand for poultry like in Nigeria but that answer is self explanatory - look around you and you'll get that answer.

Great post.

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According to a report published on Vanguard Newspaper about 80 per cent of the jobs advertised online are fake vacancies. This is partly due to the fact that the internet is such a porous place, many fraudsters prey on unsuspecting jobseekers promising them jobs that don’t exist and because of the economic situation in the country, many job seekers are a little careless about which job site to patronize, causing them to fall into the wrong hands. Job scammers have caused a lot of hardship and pain to job seekers, it's as if they're out on a mission to compound the suffering of Nigerian Job seekers by duping them of little money they may even have.

How can a Nigerian Job seeker not fall prey to these heartless Job Scammers? Here are a few tips to guide you.

Get to know the real Job websites

The prospective job seeker should make out time to research the job site advertising job vacancies. Here is a list of some known reliable job sites in Nigeria; jobsmaster.com.ng, jobrapido.com.ng, , ngcareers.com, naijajoblink.com, gblcareers.com, etc. There are others too apart from these ones that render genuine services.

Follow the links on the Job websites

Where does the links take you? To the recruiting companies’ website or some obscure pages online? This should give you a hint on who you are dealing with. If it is not posted on the site of the recruiting company, you might be dealing with scammers. You need to watch it.

The use of Free Email Accounts

Any recruitment agent or company that corresponds from a free email account such as Yahoo, Live, Hotmail or gmail is very likely a scammer. Legitimate job related emails will come from corporate email accounts. This is not to say that every email you receive from corporate accounts is also genuine.

They ask you to pay

When a job site begin to ask you to send money to process your application, then something is wrong. Watch it. Don’t fall for the trick, it’s a scam.

They promise unrealistic salaries

Whichever industry you want to work, there are industry standards of salaries and allowances. It doesn’t mean that all the companies in that industry pay exactly the same amount of money to all workers in the same categories. You should check around for salary ranges in similar companies for similar positions to know the salary range for the position you are applying for. Job Scammers usually do this – offer several hundreds or thousands of naira more than what is obtainable, to lure unsuspecting and desperate job seekers.

Immediate employment offer

The process of recruitment from the point of application to the point of employment is rigorous, but genuine employers are willing to go through this process so that they can sort out and sift non-qualified candidates from the qualified ones. The process also helps the employers to get to know individual applicants. But scammers don’t have the time for that long process, so they offer you immediate employment. They tell you that your application qualifies you for employment. It’s a scam. Check it.

They ask you to supply personal information

They have offered you employment and probably did a text messaging interview for you. Now they will ask you to supply your personal details like your bank account details. Surely, after employment such details may be required so your employer could do a security check on you, but that is after all other necessary employment processes have been completed. So you have to be careful not to fall prey fraudsters posing as employers and employment agents.

Odd hour contacts

If you’re consistently getting emails and text messages at odd hours, like 2am from a potential boss, you need to take heed. Except when there are issues with internet connectivity, work emails are usually sent and answered during normal business hours.

Do a Google search on the Company offering the vacancy/employment

Do a search on the company name and see what information you can find. Compare it to the information that you have been sent. This may help you know if the purported recruitment is a scam meant to swindle you out of money.

http://abuja-jobs..com.ng/2016/02/how-to-identify-fakescam-job-vacancies.html

I present to you my small compilation of small business ideas which are partly Home business opportunities one can start with little money or no money here in Lagos Nigeria or in Nigeria as a whole.

It is not guaranteed that you will become rich doing any of these businesses just because I said profitable but for the enterprising folks that pick any of them and chooses to be diligent and resourceful, I believe the sky will be the limit for that person whether or not the business is small scale or on a part time basis. By the way there are many more ideas one could come up with so good luck with your search.

I have compiled this list for those who are looking for a means of livelihood or better yet are working but are looking for an alternative source of income. All the best as you pursue your small business.

List of Small Business Ideas for Nigerians

1. Proposal writing

2. Real Estate Agency

3. Information Marketing

4. Blogging

5. Web publishing

6. Selling Fruits

7. Baking confectioneries

8. Selling honey

9. Home tutoring

10. Freelance marketing

11. Freelance writing

12. E-books publishing

13. Affiliate marketing

14. Crafts business

15. Bead making

16. Weight loss classes

17. Exercise Instructor

18. Party Planner

19. Business plan writer

20. Business broker

21. Aerobics Classes

22. Carpet Cleaning

23. Corporate Cleaning Services

24. Computer instructor

25. Dance Instructor

26. Graphic Designer

27. Web designer

28. Computer programmer

29. Computer Repairs

30. Mobile Phone Repairs

31. Charging of car and phone batteries

32. Time management consultant

33. Cooking service

34. Cosmetic sales

35. Dating Service

36. Directory Publisher

37. Editor

38. Email marketing

39. Employment Agency

40. Event Management

41. Event Planner

42. Errand Service

43. Export Agent

44. Ezine Publishing

45. Facialist

46. Hair Stylist

47. Beautician

48. Make-up Artistry

49. Freelance photographer

50. Ghost writer

51. Greeting cards designer

52. Food Delivery service

53. Home made story books

54. You tube Videos

55. Information broker

56. Infopreneur

57. Internet marketing

58. Internet service provider

59. Internet recruiting

60. Interpreter/translator

61. Foreign Language Teacher

62. Mailing list service

63. Market research

64. Monogramming

65. Music lessons

66. Nanny Service

67. Online internet training

68. Painting

69. Payroll service

70. Martial arts instructor

71. Pet training

72. Selling Pet products

73. Proof reader

74. Public Relations Agency

75. Public/Motivational Speaker

76. Reporter

77. CV/Resume Writing service

78. Self Improvement Seminars

79. Self Publishing

80. Song writer

81. Teaching

82. Technical Writer

83. Telephone Answering service

84. Tour Guide

85. Travel Agency

86. Scholarship and Overseas Study consultant

87. Typing service

88. Mobile supermarket

89. Writing press releases

90. SMS marketing

91. Excursion Service

92. Holiday Camp

93. Video game Center

94. Viewing Center

95. Day care center

96. Car wash service

97. Selling chilled Zobo Drinks

98. Youghurt

99. Home Business Center

100. School Dropping and picking service

Source: http://lagosbusinesses..com.ng/2011/08/100-business-ideas-for-nigerians.html