Nigerian Business Plan Writers: What to know before hiring one

If you are looking to hire a Nigerian business plan writer then this article is very important for you to read because of what is at stake namely; you risk wasting your money, wasting your time and not getting desired funding for your business idea even when it is viable and sound. You need to know that there are all manner of people claiming to be ‘professional business plan writers in Nigeria’ but their work ethic, competence, integrity and professionalism is in serious doubt. Let’s set the ball rolling with;

The Wrong Type of Nigerian Business Plan Writers to Hire

Once you know which Nigerian business plan writer is not right for you, you are one step away from not being disappointed and from achieving your business funding and growth goals. Here are some business plan writers you shouldn’t patronize;

Copy and Paste Business Plan Writers

These set of business plan writers commit copyright infringement and dishonest use of intellectual web content property by copying articles and other web contents from renowned business plan websites such as the business plan consulting page on liveplan.com. You can see this even in their sales pitch which is dishonestly written and unoriginal. Look out for the following headings in their sales pitch such as "We specialize in all types of plans", "Types of Business Plans We Write" or Our 5 Proven Business Plan Process" and then visit Live Plans Official Business Plan writer Page to make an informed decision. You’d see just how lazy and irresponsible some people can get just to put up appearances as professionals. The danger in patronizing someone like this is you will most likely be served with another copied sample business plan from bplans.com which is usually designed for businesses in the US or Canada rather than one specific to your needs and relevant for the Nigerian business environment that is if he/she even delivers your business plan to you. When you do a google search for business plan writers in Nigeria, business plan consultants or business plan formats you’ll understand what I mean. 

Nigerian Business Plan Writer making Baseless/Bogus Claims

If you ever see any of these claims it is a warning sign to be very careful because what you are trying to achieve with your business plan is a big deal either you don’t get funded or you are misled with unreliable figures and assumptions. Here are some of the common bogus claims;

• Nigeria’s Number 1 or the Best Business Plan Writer/Writing Company in Nigeria – in order to make a sale it is standard practice to do some chest thumping except that in Nigeria there has never been a business plan competition to determine the best business plan writer or any coronation ceremony to make them Nigeria’s number 1. So if you ever see such a business plan writer ask this question – how did you become Nigeria’s number 1? Interestingly I know a business consultant with over 22 years’ experience in business management, he is a consultant to Bank of Industry, NEXIM, SMEDAN and some commercial banks with wide industry contacts. His business plans are top quality, his financial analysis is brilliant and yet he thinks the idea of anyone being called Nigeria’ number 1 business plan writer is ridiculous.
• We Write MBA Standard Business Plans – an MBA standard business plan is usually written by a highly experienced and well paid professional usually in the middle management to upper management and in some cases director cadre. These are people who don’t work for peanuts and many of them are consultants to Bank of Industry, SMEDAN, commercial banks or other financial institutions. These professionals are contracted to write business plans for multimillion dollar projects, certainly not SME startups with less than $10,000 startup capital which is what more than 95% of Nigerian Business owners/entrepreneurs people searching online for business plan writers are seeking. But some so called ‘Business Plan writers’ who dishonestly present a sales pitch and copy other website’s contents will want you to believe that they write MBA standard business plans for which they are willing to charge you a paltry N25,000 – that cannot even cover the cost of logistics expenses for many standard MBA business plans
• You can submit/present our business plans anywhere – there are two problems with this claim. First problem is business plans are not a one size fits all document. They are highly individualized and specific for every business opportunity. Market considerations, location and management vary and so also the banks, development agencies, investors and other institutions requesting for such business plans - they have different standards, requirements and formats for business plans. While some like Bank of Industry are very strict with their business plan formats and even go as far as referring you to one of their accredited business plan writers or SME consultants, others like NEXIM will give you a format to work with and would still refer you to an in-house specialist to advise you on how best to present your plan. Commercial banks are a bit more flexible but some also have business plan writers they work with and even at that you must be prepared to revisit your business plan even when it is a quality business plan after submitting it. Second reason is that you need to either work as a consultant with all banks, institutions, investors etc to know their requirements and expectations beforehand which would mean such a business plan writer is accredited to all of them or at the very least has written for all of them before, obviously we know that can’t be true.
• Pirated Sample Business Plan Format – Another claim is with the sample business plan format which is often pirated and presented as an original copy without giving credit to the original source of the format.  One particular 'business plan writer' who also claims to write MBA standard business plans copied his from SBA's business plan format - designed for US and Canadian businesses as an example. Initially it might be okay to use a business plan format copied online but the main challenge is with presenting ideas in a very convincing and impacting way. The other challenge is with covering the most important aspects the banks and investors should see and not all business plan formats are suitable especially if you are based in Nigeria. The macro/micro economic factors, market situations and how the financial projections should be presented are different. A fancifully presented business plan format is not the same thing as a reliable business plan format.

The right type of Nigerian Business Plan Writer to Hire

Now it’s time to ask the next logical question which is - who then is a suitable business plan writer to hire? The answer is both subjective and objective but you have to answer these questions yourself if you don’t want to make a big mistake;

Will this business plan writer present an original document or will he copy and paste from an internet source?

This is where the boys are separated from the men. Those who pretend to be professional but lack originality cannot prove themselves when left to their own resources. You may find out by simply researching some of their top articles or blog posts – google is your friend – a copy and paste pattern will reveal someone who will fail this test.

Does this Business Plan writer have proven track records?

If he has never written a business plan in which his clients were successful in either raising funds to start or grow their dream businesses or gave positive feedback on the quality of the job done then you’ll be gambling with such a business plan writer.

Does this business plan writer have the right imagination and analytical skills to write a standard business plan?

A standard Business Plan requires imagination and great analytical thinking. The difference between the sample business plans you’ll find online and a really professionally written one is in the depth of thinking and accuracy of assumptions both of which can only come if the writer has the right imagination to predict, assume and organize ideas in a way that is accurate and presentable

Will my Business Plan be written according to my business needs?

If the business plan writer cannot see your business needs even after interviewing you what are the odds he will write a business plan tailored to your business needs?

 
Final Tips on Hiring a professional Business Plan Writer in Nigeria

• Contact more than one business plan writer preferably by email or just a simple 3 minute phone chat to gauge the competence and experience of the business plan writer before making a proper inquiry and/or decision
• The business plan writer who understands your business needs even without you explicitly stating it definitely knows his turf
• If you know your business very well then ask technical questions specific to your industry and wait to get his/her feedback

If you’re looking for a reliable Nigerian business plan writer with a string of track records from 2014 till date, access to highly experienced business consultants and original, flawless business writing skills you are an email or a phone call away: paulonwueme@gmail.com or 0803 206 4106

Top 15 Businesses Nigerian Women Can start and run from Home

Nigerian women especially housewives can start and successfully run a few businesses from home whether part time or full time. 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 business located in a Nigerian 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 N60,000 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

I have an article on this topic you’ll find it here 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.

Online Retail Shop

How many times have you sought to buy things online and either the price isn’t right or you don’t trust the seller? Some smart people have found out how to overcome this and have created online shops to sell various items such as Jewelry, wrist watches, clothing items and mobile phones but this business requires a good strategy and execution to work

Overseas Admission Placement

Nigerians spend over $2 billion annually paying school fees in overseas universities that is according to former CBN governor and now emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido as at 2014. The figure must have gone up by now but my point being that there is ahuge market in linking Nigerians to overseas study opportunities and you don’t necessarily need to have an office to do that.

Head Hunting for Nigerian Businesses

There are many businesses that prefer to outsource head hunting to specialists. Schools especially have a strong need to outsource this service preferring for a recruitment agency to just send them a list of suitable candidates for interview and you get paid a fee for every successful candidate employed through you. 

Final Notes for aspiring Nigerian Women Business Owners

The first step to becoming a business owner is to start and after starting there will be challenges but as you gain experience in the business the road becomes smoother till you eventually reach a point where you can live comfortably on the profits your business makes for you. Start and don’t let adversity hold you back. Good luck with your intended business venture

I am Paul Onwueme and I write bankable, professional business plans and you can reach me by: 0803 206 4106 or email me: paulonwueme@gmail.com

How to Start a Cassava Processing Mill in Nigeria

Cassava processing 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.

How much Investment do I need to make in order to start a Cassava Processing Mill in Nigeria?

Capital Investments
Factory Building	N6,000,000
Auto Fryer	N1,500,000
Peeler	N1,000,000
Presser	N850,000
Grater	N600,000
Hammer Cyclone	N500,000
Sieve	N450,000
Scales and Sealing machine	N290,000
Cabinet Dryer	550,000.00
Manual Fryer	200,000.00
Cassava Chipper	200,000.00
25 KVA generator	N400,000
Installation costs	N757,000
Logistics	N200,000
Subtotal	N13,294,000
Admin Startup Expenses
Contingency	N3,200,000
Others	N9,400,000
Subtotal	N13,600,000
Grand total	N27,594,000

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.

For more information on how to start a cassava processing mill in Nigeria or to have a professionally written business plan for you give me a call: 0803 206 4106 or email me at: paulonwueme@gmail.com