List Of Top 10 Business Ideas For Students In Tertiary Institutions

I was inspired to share these ground breaking business ideas for students who are still in school and in need or side hustles to assist themselves while schooling at the same time based on the not too comfortable situation I found myself while at school.

I am not here to start listing top 20 or top 50 business ideas just for the sake of quantity, i will be discussing with you, top profitable business ideas that works for students. These businesses can be done by the side while at the same time attending to your educational needs.

I remember back in 2003 while at school, I used to get everything I wanted at ease, I used to be from a family where I was sent feeding allowance of about 30,000 Naira two (2) times in a month so i did not understand what being broke was about. As at 2021, 60,000 Naira for an average student in a month will still be valuable, how much more way back in 2007(over a decade).

I was living me life like it was going to continue that was until I graduated from the university, little did I know a challenge that was going to sweep me off my feet was just before me. Fast forward to 2007 when I was in my 300 level, getting prepared for my examination, was seated in class as usual expecting a call from my dad telling me 30,000 Naira has been paid into my account, lo and behold, he called to tell me he had sent 2,500 Naira to my account and I should please manage it for the month, I could barely believe what I heard so I requested he recapped, he repeated the same sentence and I was shocked beyond words, at that moment I lost concentration, anyone who has passed through the university, polytechnic or College of education would agree with me that during examination season, students tend to spend more because you read more, so you get hungry easily, you practically don’t have the time to Cook so you buy food more often, that is when one hand out or text book is out for sale by a certain lecturer, sometimes you just have to buy in order to have your name amongst the list of students ready to pass the course, so automatically you would find out you need more money.

So I managed to finish the semester and finally left for Lagos only to find out there was a twist in my dad’s business and it was not going to change anytime soon, there and then I knew I needed to do something fast for myself.

I resumed for my final year, initially I found life quite difficult, could barely take care of myself, my parents still tried to keep sending money down but this time it became the customary 2,500 Naira monthly, I knew I had to do something quick and fast, they say necessity is the mother of all inventions.

I asked myself, what do I do? I can’t continue like this for another 3 to 4 months, its my final year at school, I would need to pay for my project works and all other recurrent expenditures, that was when the idea of coming up with a business idea that could help me raise some money as a student and take Carr of myself without the help of my parents cropped up.

These are ideas I want to share with both prospective students and students already in school.

Please note that your financial status at school does not matter, whether you are from a poor or rich background, the earlier you start learning the art of business, the better your chances of creating a good business venture early in life.

Before giving you the list of business ideas for students, you must have the following mindsets:

1) Pride goes before a fall, you must be ready to knock off the idea of pride or the general mentality of “what would people say”

These 20 business Ideas I’m going Students While Schooling

2) Be humble and ready to learn new things.

3) Remember its a side business you want to use in assisting yourself as a student so it must not in any way affect your education which is the reason you are in school so you must have work/education balance.

Having the above in mind gives you the mental preparedness to start any of the top 10 businesses you can start as a student, these businesses require very little or no capital so the excuse of “I don’t have enough capital to venture into a business should not arise”.

Now to the nitty-gritty, because students have been searching for businesses to start but can’t come up with any, i have decided out of my own experience, share with you all top business ideas for Nigerian students, please note that these are businesses you can continue with and grow even after graduating from the tertiary institution as we all are fully aware of the current economic situation of Nigeria.

Best Business Ideas For Students In School

The list of businesses listed here can be ventured into by all students ranging from undergraduates, postgraduate students, Direct Entry students, full time and part time students no matter your programme.

Though some might argue that it best favors part time students due to the availability of time at their disposal, you may be right but that is not an excuse, at the end it all depends on you.

1) Mini Importation Business

This is a business idea that might sound new to many but the truth is that not many are aware of the power of this business, I was supposed to put this business idea as the last on the list of my top 20 business ideas students should venture into due to the profit margin. Nowadays, you do not need to travel out before you can start your importation business. Thanks to technology, you can at the comfort of your zone, search for products online, pay online and send them down to the shipping company and then get it imported to Nigeria with just 10,000 Naira and you can make more than 3 times the total cost used in importing these items, this might sound absurd and impossible but believe you me, a lot of lads are making legit money through this means. Our comprehensive eBook which details on how to start, select items that would sell, market your products and deliver them without leaving your comfort zone is almost ready. This is business idea isn’t just for students but graduates who are yet to secure a job. The updside of this business idea is that many students ts are connected to the internet, so the idea of while doing your educational research online, you could as well be working on getting fast moving items.

The downside of this business is that the profit to be made if not well controlled could make students lose concentration in their studies.

2) Laundry Business

Here is where the advice on throwing pride aside becomes really handy. There are various ways you can start up your laundry business in a very modest way. One of which is starting with letting people know what you do, and be unique in your own style of packaging. There is a general notion that nothing is new, business men and women are only rebranding what already exists. Take a look at Facebook for instance, before Facebook we had the likes of Yahoo messenger, My Space, Friend-Ster, Friends United, MSN Messenger and the likes but Mark Zuckerberg only came out and rebranded all that was once existed and put their features in just one app known as the Facebook we all are enjoying today. As at today, he is the third richest man on earth but currently the youngest billionaire. So there should be no excuse whatsoever for not being able to succeed in life. As a student, you can start a small laundry business with just 10,000 Naira it all depends on how you what it. All you need to do is offer yourself and get acquainted with any laundry shop around, you can offer 1 month free service and learn the art of pressing and ironing then most importantly, folding and you are good to go. Share your fliers, lower your price, offer home service ( if you do not want to do the job, there are guys that wash clothes for laundry shops for as low as 40naira per cloth and pressing for 50 Naira per cloth, you can charge your clients 300 per garment and this would depend on the number of clothes given to you by clients.

One secret about Laundry business is that once you do a good job, you can easily be referred by your clients, clients are quick to become loyal and lastly, the longer you remain in the business, the better your clientele base. I run a laundry business in Festac town so I am a living witness. This is another powerful business idea that can generate a lot of money for students if well planned for.

2) Mini Business Center

Without buttressing many points about this kind of business, running a business centre (photocopying, typing and printing is another business venture students start considering.

The only downside of it is that it is time consuming and the running cost is a bit on the high side, you could consider running it within the school environment, you are going to get a lot of jobs most especially from photocopying and typing of projects.

Items needed are as follows:

1. Photocopying Machine

2. Desktop or laptop

3. Printer

4. Generator.

This line of business is actually for students with funds to start up. Starting up this business, you would need at least 250,000 naira naira. As for rent, you can apply through the Students Union Government (SUG) and a space would be allotted to you.

3. Blogging

This is the new cool at the moment, many students are into the business of blogging either for fun or business. Statistics has proven that 70% of bloggers quit just after 3 to 4 months of blogging. The question is why are they quitting? What aren’t they doing well? Why are others succeeding and others failing? These are just a few of the questions being asked.

Today, blogging has gone beyond the days of copying and pasting which is the norm with most bloggers. Every business has its secret so does blogging. There are some powerful and hidden secrets which successful bloggers are making use of and kept away from the public. Do you want to succeed in blogging as a student and make real cool legit money? Then start considering going into this business.

Details of these secrets are in the eBook.

You do not need a lot of money, all you need is a phone if you don’t own a laptop or desktop, and data after you must have set up your personal blog.

It is easy to set up all you need is patience, perseverance and hard work plus the secrets you need to succeed.

4. Freelance Writing For Blogs

Are you a good writer? Do you have passion in writing? This is another business idea students should start considering if they are to earn a living and make extra income.

Writes are now well paid for articles, they receive as much as 30,000 to 50,000 Naira in a month and as a student you should know what that means. If you have ever being in a school setting you would better understand the value of the Naira despite its constant depreciation.

Aside having a blog you can offer your your skills in writing and make money. Considering this line of business isn’t a bad start for students.

Mini Event Planning: If you are an extrovert this line of business is for you.

5. Graphics Designing

Graphics designers are now being part of the most sought after. Judging from the rate at which the entertainment business is growing in Africa with Nigeria being at the forefront of it all, this is another top business idea you can tap into as a student. The question now could be, how do I promote my content? It is simple, the world has gone global, with Facebook alone, you cannot exhaust the reach, you can do online Facebook ads detailing what you do, display photos of your past jobs and include your contact details.

P.S, do not include your price, rather, tell your prospective clients to inbox you or send a message to your WhatsApp and you are good to go.

This is another great business idea for students who wish to make extra income while schooling at the same time.

6. Social Media Tools

Only if you knew the power of social media, you would not underestimate its efficacy.

Be known for something, come up with something you know within you which seems unique, be persistent, grow it and see it becoming a brand. Take for example Lasisi Elenu, the popular guy that makes use of a feature in Snap chat and does funny video skits that always starts with “Hello everyone something just happened right now”. That is is brand, its unique he started it with a goal to make money from it, you can look up his interview videos on YouTube, today he’s paid millions of Naira to do video skits for corporate brands.

You might not want to do exactly the same, be unique for something and in no distant time you would be smiling to the bank. This is another top business idea students with good social media followers can tap into.

7. Selling of Art Works

There are many talented students who do not make use of their inborn gifts. God didn’t give you those talents for keeps, if you are gifted, make use of it to make a better life out of it.

Make use of your strength, sometimes you can draw people for free and give it to them, it would be so amazing and surprising getting a drawn picture of you just for free, even if you are not given a cash reward, be expectant because the referral you would get could change your life for good. You could also take your art works online, tell the world what you can do, tag your friends, do sponsored ads and you would see yourself getting more than enough jobs.

8. Starting Up A Fitness Center

Becoming a gym instructor is the new cool, at this stage where ladies (married and unmarried) especially wants to keep fit or look good for their husbands and boyfriends, this is where you make money from, get a space in either your hostel (take permission from the Potter or necessary authority if you stay within the school environment) if you stay outside the campus, you could make use of any available space in front of your house. Get dumbbells, exercise mats and other items needed for a start, be good at what you do, fix a daily price for a start making cool cash as a student.

9) Organizing Special Lessons For Kids And Adults

Many parents are in need of lesson teachers for their wards and even themselves. Are you a student with a passion for teaching? Do you need reasonable side income to support yourself while at school? Tap into this awesome business idea for students. You can make as much as 30,000 to 50,000 Naira monthly from this business, it depends on how well you schedule your time for each family.

Thinking about how to start? it is simple.

Simply paste your email address and phone number requesting to be called for offering your services. Please note that a lot of patience is needed in this field since you are dealing with students that need help academically. Who knows, from there you could be on your way to setting up your own school.

It is another wonderful business idea for you to explore.

10. Freelance Market Research

There are a lot of companies in need of freelance market researchers, though this type of side hustle would take deep portion of your valuable time, however you could put it into your plans for future purpose.

Here you can submit your proposals consultant and sell your services to local or national businesses who want to know what students think about their stuff

11. Hair Making

Considering the fact that ladies spend a lot in trying to look good, this is another business idea for both genders, as in male and female. Firstly, you will need to go through the proper training, the better and neater your work, the more clients you are likely to attract. Ladies love to admire each other’s hair do so this brings a lot of referrals to you.

As a student, you can make a lot of money from this line of business and walk your way towards establishing your own company.

12) Website Building And Designing

This is one very easy good paying business. Now blogging is the new cool, everyone wants to be a blogger. Tap from this opportunity and make god money while improving and learning new skills in the art.

A colleague of mine makes over 300,000 per job done for clients and the amazing part is that he pays a university undergraduate student less than 50,000 Naira to execute the job. You can start receiving this amount.

As said earlier in this post, utilize the power of social media, put up your contact, let people know what you can do, there a whole lot of people looking for good web designers. Do not just sit and allow your talents waste.

There are a whole lot of business ideas for students in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in Nigeria to start working on.

They say the longest journey begins with a first step. Make a move today, kill procrastination and fear, it is the bedrock of mediocrity.

Get up, make a move, surely you will experience challenges that would want to make you quit, be resolute, have the never give up spirit and i can confidently tell you that the sky will be your starting point because there are already footprints there.

Remember no one is an encyclopedia of knowledge, if you have any business idea or experience for other students to learn from we would appreciate if you could share them with us either via the comment section below or email, we shall publish them with due references attached.