Business Ideas For 2014

1. GRAPHICS DESIGN
One skill I would advice any young Nigerian to learn is that of graphics design. Graphic designers have always been in high demand, and the business of designing graphics would continue to be very profitable. The demand for graphics will continue to be on the increase with the proliferation of churches; the need for business adverts and wedding invitation cards, etc. but these are not my main emphasis. What makes this business a major pick for this year is…

You already know that the next elections in Nigeria would hold in 2015. As an entrepreneur, I ask myself how I can use the election season as a leverage to build a business and make money. Now, the elections would be in 2015, but all the politicking would start this year.
Many of the aspiring political candidates across the country would want their campaign posters designed (some of them have already started pasting their posters) – here is where you come in as a graphic designer. Some of these politicians would also desire to take their campaigns online – you can be contracted to design their e-campaign banners.

One thing you should note is that these guys are willing to pay good money so long as you give them a good job. If you are a good designer you are in for good business this year. You might be wondering how to get them as clients. Before I explain how to get these politicians as clients I would like to give you two major factors that must be in place for you to succeed in this business.

a. See Graphic Designing as a Business
The first step to succeeding as a graphic designer is to see it as a business. Many graphic designers do not consider what they do as a business, they just see it as a way of surviving which they are willing to abandon anytime. Having that kind of mentality about their skill is responsible for the level they are…being paid peanuts for design works. I tell you the truth; graphic designing is a business that can sustain you. Start seeing it as a business, and apply all the elements that come with a real business…branding, promotion, management, marketing, customer relations, etc.

I have a friend who is a very good graphic designer; we met while we were in the university. I wanted to publish a book back then in the university and I also needed a place to be printing my business proposals. He was a good graphic designer and still is. In fact he is one of the best I have seen. We became friends when I discovered we had a similar mentality. After graduation from the university I relocated to Abuja (for greener pastures) to build my Consultancy and Information Technology Businesses. I then later encouraged my friend to register a company name for his graphic designing business, and if possible shift base to Abuja.

He then registered a business name (because he saw his skill as a business) and started applying for projects in Abuja. After a few months of exploring the city, one of his proposals was approved. It was a magazine design and production job. He was paid handsomely. With this single job he was able to pay for a house in Abuja (at Area 3). He finally moved to Abuja and business has been very good for him – his challenge most of the times is time.

I gave this story just to emphasize the importance of seeing what you do – graphics designing as a business. This is the first step to succeeding with this skill. It is a business, which is why it is listed in our list of business ideas for 2014. This takes us to the second factor.

b. Build Your Graphic Design Skills
People will pay you based on what you can do and have done, so you must develop your skill and be among the best in your environment. My mentor, Donald Trump got one very important advice from his father which has helped him in becoming what he is today – a celebrated Real Estate billionaire. The advice is “know all you need to know about what you do”. That is to say, you should be an expert in your field…know all the latest technologies and trend. I am giving you the same advice today. As a graphic designer it is your work that speaks for you.

How to Get the Big Clients
Graphic deigning just like any other service business thrives on aggressive marketing. To attract politicians as clients you would need to aggressively market your business. You would have to prepare your proposals with your company’s letter head and deliver them to target politicians. Any politician you hear of that is interested in contesting for any elective position, just package your proposal and approach him or his campaign organization.

This is how you get clients. It is also applicable to other set of clients other than politicians. Do not sit down and wait for people to contact you. Go out and market your business.

Do these and you won’t regret being a graphic designer in 2014!

2. PRINTING
This second business on our list is much related to the first business we just discussed. Most of the designed works would need to be printed, especially the campaign posters. There is the possibility of combining the two businesses since most clients would want their works done by the same person or company for flexibility. So as a graphic designer, you can also print your clients work for them and get your own profit by adding your own commission fee to the amount for printing. Trust me, it is a good combination.

But if you are not a graphic designer and do not intend to become one, then you can consider setting up a printing press to print the jobs that the graphic designers would design. It is like what Bill Gates set out to do at the start of his business…he knew that IBM, Apple and others were already in the business of manufacturing personal computers, so as a software designer he decided to provide the software that will power the computer systems that will be manufactured by the hardware companies. And today we know the story of Windows OS and Microsoft Corporation. Now coming back to our business, you are not a graphic designer but can become the printer of the works designed by the graphic designers.

This business is very lucrative. Just take a stroll to UTC – the home of printing in Abuja and you would understand what I am talking about.
In my next post I would provide details of the financial requirements for setting up a printing press – the cost of machinery and other expenses. Watch out!!!

How to Write a Proposal:
Before writing your proposal you should remember that you are a business man or woman and the purpose of any business proposal is to convince the reader or client to make the choice you are proposing. As a graphic designer your proposal should be able to convince your potential client to contract you for his design job. Your proposal should have the following:

Be specific and straight to the point
Sell benefits to the client
Be as short as possible
Focus on the client

You have to have it in mind that your proposal is not about you but the client, so you should not write a 12 page document just talking about yourself and your skills; rather tell the clients how he will benefit from your skills (sell benefits to the client). Convince the client on why you are the best out of other competing graphic designers. Tell him how he can benefit from your experience, skills and approach to designing.

Here are the Guidelines to Writing a Simple proposal:

 Cover page
 Executive summary
 Current situation/Statement of Need
 Project Goals & Benefits
 Creative strategy
 Implementation
 Design budget
 Design Schedule
 Conclusion.

Cover Page
The cover page should contain the project title, your name and company name, the client’s name and date of submission of the proposal.

Executive Summary
Explain your understanding of the client, their campaign needs or business. This will form the platform that is your starting point for a project so you need to show the client that their objectives are clear to you. The Executive Summary should be one or two pages in length.

Current Situation
Here you will list the existing success and failures of any existing efforts the client or politician has in the area that you'll be working in. For example, if he already has a poster, you should examine the poster and note the weakness of the existing poster– note what is missing in the poster and campaign materials, which will be present in your own designs.

Goals & Benefits
Here you will highlight the goals of your designs – what do you intend to achieve with your designs? What message will your design be passing across to the target audience and the electorate? What benefits will your client get from achieving the goals? What would your designs do for the client’s political ambition and campaigning?

Creative Strategy
This is where you will explain the methodology – how you intend to go about the design, and the major component of your design. You can skip this part if you like. It’s not too necessary to include this part, but if it’s a website design proposal, then you have to include it.

Implementation
Describe the full list of deliverable so there are no nasty surprises for either you or the client. Manage their expectations by stating explicitly what you will and what you won't be providing. State exactly what you would be offering to the client – this will be based on your agreement with him or her.

Design Budget
There is no project without a budget, and a proposal is not complete without stating the financial requirements for the project. Your graphic design proposal is not complete without showing your potential client the budget for the full implementation of the design project. You could add a caveat that further discussion will be necessary to determine a final cost. In this first proposal you can just give an estimate of the budget. The budget if possible should be presented in a table.

Below the budget you should add a NOTE. This note will indicate the payment schedule. That is, how and when you intend to be paid. Most professional designers usually collect 50% of the total sum before they start designing, but this is after they have presented a sample design to the client. You should take three or five design concepts and samples to the client and collect a 50 percent down payment before you deliver the job.

Design Schedule
Here you would indicate how long it will take for the design job to be completed and delivered to the client. You should also let the client know that this is a tentative schedule which could be influenced by the payment schedule – the earlier he or she completes the payment the earlier you deliver his or her designs. You are a professional so you should act very professional.

About the Company
Give a summary about your company and yourself. Give a summary of your portfolio (jobs you’ve done before), your team if you have other designers in your company. Just sell yourself and your company, but be very brief. Also include your contact details here…phone numbers, email, office address ( if you have an office) and website if you have one.

Conclusion
Thank the client for the opportunity to provide a proposal and tell them that you're sure you can meet all their requirements. You could also briefly mention what differentiates you from other potential designers.

3. Mobile Boutique

In 2011 I met a guy in Makurdi Benue state who was a banker and later resigned to start his own business. It was his success in the business that caught my attention, and being a business consultant and entrepreneur, I love listening to stories of entrepreneurs. The guy (Sam) started his business with a personal savings of 50, 000, an amount he was able to save while working in the bank. He took this amount and invested in the business of selling clothes. This is where the business begins – mobile selling of clothes and accessories.

He converted his former colleagues in the bank to his customer. We all know bankers love to look good. I met Sam nine months after he started his business, and I was very impressed with what he told him, which is why I am sharing this idea and story. He told me he had a cash savings of 500, 000 in just nine months of selling.

He started with shirts, but now he sells Suits, shoes, ladies gown, Belt, in fact he runs a boutique (mobile) without a shop. Sometime last year I discovered that Sam had bought a Toyota Corolla car without stress; he is living in a 2 bedroom flat and doing very well, courtesy of his clothe business. I had a conversation with him when i traveled to Makurdi, and he shared his secrets with me.

Like I already said, the business is the buying and selling of clothes and accessories. A major threat to the success of this business is ‘credit purchase’. That is, people buying your goods without paying and refusing to pay over a long period. This can kill the business. But there is a strategy to employ.

When you bring your goods make sure you sell to people that have a steady income, just like Sam sells to bankers and other professionals. Also, you should collect an initial down payment that you know would cover for your capital, so that you can still go to the market; in this case you know that what the person is owing you is your profit.

I know you might want to know where he buys his goods from. I’ll tell you.

4. FRUIT JUICE PRODUCTION
Last month I was contacted to prepare a feasibility study for the establishment of a fruit juice production business in Benue State. In the course of my research, I made a lot of findings about the fruit juice industry in Nigeria, and I believe this business is one of the best businesses to invest in. Although the feasibility I prepared has a cost of over 26 million naira, the business can still be started on a lower scale, and that will be the focus of this article.

Market Size
The fruit juice market in Nigeria is very large and growing. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, “fruit juice consumption in Nigeria has increased by approximately 10 per cent year-on-year from 2002 to 2010.” It states further, “Nigerian consumption of fruit juice had grown from 15 million consumers (200 million liters) in 2002 to 55 million consumers (320 million liters) in 2007. The market for fruit juice concentrates, pre-mix and syrup (concentrates) increased from 1.5 million kilograms (kg) in 2002 to 30 million kilograms (kg) in 2007, value at over $85 million dollars”. Nigeria currently spends about $1 billion dollars on the importation of fruit concentrates for the burgeoning fruit juice industry.

In 2011 alone consumption of fruit juice in the country hit over 468.5 million liters. As at today the national demand for fruit juice is estimated at over 550 million liters, while current supply is less than 25% of the demand. The country consumes about N60 billion naira worth of fruit juice yearly, and over 90 percent of the fruits used are imported as concentrates. I am providing all this statistics just to show you the potential of the fruit juice industry.

Current Trend
The market is in need of 100 % pure natural fruit juice without any form of additives or concentrates. Chivita introduced a 100% pure natural fruit juice into the market (Chivita Premium), and this established them as a market leader in the fruit juice industry. People want natural fruit juice, and that is where you come in as an entrepreneur.

How to Start
Oranges are readily available in states across the country including Benue state, Kaduna, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Yobe, Cross River, Imo, etc. you can start by sourcing for fruits from any of these states, especially Benue state which has huge production of Oranges, Mangoes, Banana and Pineapple (it is estimated that Benue produces over one million metric tonnes of citrus fruits). Decide where you would get your supply, but remember the main purpose of any business is to minimize cost and maximize profit, so you should ensure your location is close to the fruit supply source. Go to the market and buy a fruit juice processor.

These machine are not expensive – KENWOOD Juice extractor sells for 11, 000 (JE570 series) or 16, 000 (JE310 series) and Philips Food Processor goes for about 80, 000 naira. Get any of these machines, and then collect plastic containers from restaurants. You can operate this business comfortably from your compound. Peel the fruits, wash them, squeeze the juice out using the juice extractor, and pour the juice into the containers. Make sure the containers are neat, and then put them into a refrigerator, preferably a deep freezer.

Target market
Creating a market is one of the first things to do before you start producing the juice. Your target market should be restaurants around your neighborhood, local food vendors (Mama put), and Hotels. Move your products to your customers, be consistent and watch what happens. Note that power supply is a major threat to this business, so you should make provision for alternative power, or get someone to supply you ice blocks.

Source: http://www.nairaland.com/1614718/14-business-ideas-2014/2