Starting a Computer Business Center in Nigeria - Learn
How to!
In
the Nigerian context, a business center is any shop where you can carry out
your official secretarial works. True, some people have invested in this
business with a level of failure, most investors have recorded remarkable
success doing business center business. The room for investing in this
business is not saturated. With a few thousands, you can start counting
hundreds of thousands in a matter of few weeks. If you are interested in making
money, please read along.
Get a Space Near
Office Complex
The
space does not have to be a shop. A small iron container of 8 X 8 feet size
will be okay. It is important that you situate this shop near one of these
places: A school environment, any public office such as local government,
banks, electricity company, etc. This will guarantee a lot of turnover for you.
Do not bother yourself with whether people are already doing the same business
in the area, you will definitely make your money as long as it is a place in
the city.
The
furniture you need include two tables, two chairs and a couple of stools. A
ceiling fan or any other one fan suffice. You will also need to.
Buy Your main
Equipment
One
of the main equipment you need is a Photocopier. Although there are those
willing to sell you fairly used machine claiming it will serve the same purpose
as that of a new one, it is strongly advised you buy a new one. This will not
just last longer, it will save you the stress of having to call in a technician
each time the machine breaks down. Take it from me, fairly used photocopy
machine can be stressful.
The
new one will also make the photocopied works come out sharp and fast. To your
advantage, there is also manufacturer guarantee on the new machine. As a
neophyte, you really do not want to bother yourself fixing an old machine. It
is economical to buy a new one.
You
will also need to get A4 paper. This can either be bought as a rim or as a
carton of five rims. Depending on your purse, either of the choices is
okay.
You
need to get staplers and pins too. There is giant paper stapler and also
regular sized stapling machine too. It is advisable that you get both as you
will be having customers doing high and low volumes of work.
The
other consumables you will need are spiral binding materials. These days, you
do not need to use spiral binding machine depending on the volume of work you
want to bind at once.
Non Photocopying
Materials
Your
business center is incomplete if you do not own a computer system. So start
with one system at first. It is advisable that you get a laptop computer
instead of a desktop computer. If your purse does not permit that however, you
can go for a desktop computer.
The
advantage that a laptop has over a desktop is that it saves you more power.
This is a good deal considering that power supply is erratic in Nigeria. The
battery of your laptop can serve you for few hours that you would have spent
consuming fuel if you had chosen a desktop. The amount you will be spending on
the laptop does not need to weigh you down.
You
will also need to get an internet modem for customer who will want to print out
from their inbox. Be aware though that you are not an Internet cafe. The
essence of the internet connection is so that those who want to download or
upload documents can do so conveniently without going to the internet
cafe.
Get Shop Attendants
Because
you have to attend to a lot of customers with different mission who come in
simultaneously, it is impossible for you to do the business without hiring an
assistant. Whether you are employing a male or a female, your assistant must
have a knowledge of computer operations. It is not difficult to come across
such one.
With
time, you may need to get two attendants as your business grows. Ensure you
monitor them closely as they tend to be dishonest with sales record.
Business Potential
As
long as human race exists, there will always be need for transacting business
at the various business centers available. While it is true that many people
now have computers in their homes and offices that do some of these works for
them, they often find themselves running to these business centers when they
run out of inks, toners, or even papers.
Sometimes,
they find it difficult to replace these things because they did not use the
ones consumed for commercial purpose. Even if they have these materials, they
still run to the business centers when they have to print in bulk. What is
more, they cannot go about town with their photocopying machines and papers and
staplers. When they have emergencies on the road, they will surely need you to
do their business for them.
The
edge you have over private owners is that you are always there. Come rain or
shine, power supply or not, paper or not. That is your main business.
Profit Prospect
While
compiling this article, i did a survey by asking business center owners around
Ikeja, Lagos State questions. On the average, they make N6,000 daily. I
wondered if that is the truth. But few minutes spent in their shops reveal that
may make much more on a daily basis. An individual can walk in and make
photocopies worth N2,000 at once. And there will be several others making such
in a day.
A
page of typed work ranges between N100 and N200 you can do two pages for some,
you can also do 200 or more for 20 others in a day if it is a final year
project.
Even
if you do not make up to N6,000 in a day, and you make half of it as a
beginner, you will grow to the point of making much more than that in a matter
of few months.
Budget
New
Photocopying Machine -N60,000
New
Laptop Computer -N80,000
Spiral
Binding Machine -N10,000
Laminating
Machine -N12,000
Staplers/Paper
Cuter -N5,000
Modem
and subscription -N5,000
Paper
and other consumables (spiral binding materials, laminating films, photo
papers) N10,000
Hiti
Photo Printer -N40,000
Gasoline
Generator -N50,000
Furniture N20,000
Total N292,000
It is a wise
Investment
I
have decided not to add the cost of renting shop because the price varies from
one place to the other. Even if you arrive at N400,000 after adding that, it is
still a wise investment. Remember you can conveniently make N6,000 in a day
just typing and photocopying if you are situated in a busy area. This means
that you can get back the total capital you have invested in less than 3
months. If you go for a bank loan, you will conveniently pay back in six months
while you attend to other basic needs in your life.
Wishing
you all the best as you consider investing in business center.
If
this article has benefited you in any way, please do not hesitate to drop your
comments.
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