Armed with a properly done feasibility study and a well written business plan, i strongly

believe you have a chance to succeed as an entrepreneur in the education sector.

Average Cost of Securing a Shop Space

The average cost of securing a space in any higher institution varies, for instance in Lagos; a
mini shop outlets is N2000+ per month, while a bigger shop outlets cost N3500+ per month, a
free space cost N1000 per month, and for some of the business opportunities listed here, you
may not need to operate from the schools or campuses, you can use your home as an office or
you operate an office entirely outside the school or campuses

Joint Ownership: This is a situation where two people come together to rent a space or outlet.
There are situations where more than three individuals operate in an office. Having made this
point clear, below are the 14 education business opportunities that can fetch you unlimited
income

14 Simple Education Business Ideas and

Opportunities
 Recruitment Agency

This is not new but I have not seen any recruitment agency that is set up primarily for the
education industry. This is where you can come in. You can distinguish your business from the
existing ones by announcing to the whole world that your job is to recruit for schools and
nothing more. Your slogan can be; “We recruit for schools and nothing more!” This will
announce your agency quickly amongst the elite schools in the country.

Most of the elite schools are getting busier by the day and need specialized agency to recruit staff
for their schools. They also need this service to fill positions left by any member of their staff
during the course of the session. This can be another great education business idea if you put in
so much effort and passion into setting it up. You can extend your service to other educational
establishments in the country apart from the secondary schools and primary schools. You can
also add functional guidance counseling department with your services as you grow. You can
carry out lots of researches on the internet to obtain relevant interview materials

 Seasonal Book Sales

Your major duty is to pick already published books and find a market for them. This is a
seasonal business and the market according to an unconfirmed report is worth over a billion naira
put together. The Nigerian academic calendar runs on a three terms per session format and the
third or last term is when you are expected to be active as a seasonal book sales businessperson,
and it won’t even affect your normal or regular job.
To succeed in this business, you need to visit schools as early as the beginning of the second
term to collect copies of their book list and to obtain permission to supply books to their
students. You can also visit the Ministry of Education in your state or at the local government for
copies of the list of books. You should find out the location of the publishers of the book you
want to supply.

Let me inform you at this stage that you may not be able to supply all the textbooks. You should
just pick one or two and see what you can do with that. However, if you have the capacity to
supply all, you can go ahead. The books on languages like Yoruba, Ibo, Hausa language and
other literature books, I have observed from experience are the ones that most schools need
suppliers for. You won’t have so much competition for these subjects.

 School Chalk Production

School chalk production and marketing is still an education business idea that can fetch a smart
businessperson great income for years to come. There is still a large market for this business and
the supplies are few. The equipments for the production of chalk at a small-scale level are mould
mixing, hand gloves, mixer, dryer, trays. Raw materials required for the production of chalk are
calcium carbonate, thickener, colorant for colored chalks, limestone. Limestone can be used to
substitute for Calcium carbonate. You can start with a little as N30,000.

 Internet for Schools

A lot of Schools in Nigeria are looking for people who will give them quality internet access.
Most private and public schools need this service and I believe you can take up the opportunity
as an educational businessperson. There are many internet service providers in the country that
you can visit. You can also use the 3G broadband technology, which will guarantee improved
transmission speed and reduction in internet service prices

 Set up Cyber cafés Business in the Higher Institutions

The cyber cafes business can be a very profitable venture in the higher institution. With the use
GSM 3G broadband internet service, you should be able to start one in any higher institution in
Nigeria. I visited some café in some higher institutions; there were no free computers at almost
any time of the day.

 Barber’s Shop or Salon in Schools

This is a small-scale education business opportunity and it will be very profitable for you if have
the barbing skill. Most of the boarding schools may be in need of your service if you can barb.
You can approach the schools and offer your hair cut services, I bet that the schools will be ready
to do business with you. There are so many boarding schools springing up and this business can
add a lot more to your income especially if you have more than 5 schools under your care. The
best way to approach any school is for you to pay a visit to any of the house parents or house
masters (these are the custodian of the children in the hostel). If you can win them over, then you
can get the job. You can also do this business even if you do not have barbing skills, by teaming
up with an expert on the trade. Find him the schools and the contracts and share the profits with
him.

 School Review on Radio and Television

You can start a Television or Radio talk reviewing the performance of schools (Nursery/primary,
secondary, or private institutions) in this country. Nigeria currently has about 140 TV stations
and over 200 radio stations and you can start packaging quality programme contents for this
sector. The various Television and Radio houses will also love this initiative and this can even
provide you an opportunity to collaborate with them, if you can submit a great proposal to them
highlighting the benefits of your programme to them and the public.

You have to do a lot to support your show at the early stage especially if you cannot find a radio
or TELEVISION station to partner with. You will however, in no distant future begin to earn
enough revenue from adverts placements to support your programme. Your major preoccupation
at the early stage is to put in lots of efforts to make your programme become a “darling” of
TELEVISION viewers and Radio listeners.

 Scholarship Consultancy

There is a growing intense pressure on students, parents, guidance counselors, and school owners
to obtain genuine information on this topic. Though some schools have guidance counseling
departments to source for this information, most of them still lack some of the vital information
on this topic. This is where you can come in as an intending education business man. You can go
over to the internet to do proper research and documentation on this topic. There are actually
organizations, schools, and individuals giving out scholarships to deserving students all over the
world. Find out about some of these organizations online and start making money in this sector

 Campus Newspaper

The fact that most universities and colleges have campus newspapers does not mean that they are
good papers or that there is no room for another campus newspaper. Creating and producing an
unofficial campus newspaper is very straightforward. The paper can be published on a weekly or
monthly basis and distributed free of charge throughout the campus and community. Selling
classified and displaying advertising to local business wishing to gain exposure to the paper
readership base will support the paper, information, articles featured in the newsletter can focus
on campus issues and events, and most of the information can be obtained free from students,
readers and freelance hobby writers

 Uniform Merchant

Every parent will one way or the other pay for school uniforms. Many of these schools will not
allow their students to make their uniforms from an external source. All the uniform needs of the
students must pass through the school. There is so much money exchanging hands in this school
uniform business that I believe a smart businessperson should take advantage of.
  Education Seminar Facilitation

I am sure this may be news to you that most schools in Nigeria (primary, secondary, higher
institutions) have formed the habits of searching for and engaging the services of different
speakers on different topics to teach either their students or staff members at different times
during every school session. To them, if you are a speaker on any topic that will add values to
their staff and students, you are welcomed to deliver your services in their schools. I am one of
the beneficiaries of this business workshop. I have been invited for various workshops at
different level; you can also join the train- with the right information. Most schools even have a
budget for this, so it is left for you to find out how you can cut your own pie from this budget.

 Writing and Quiz Competitions Organizer In schools

Writing or quiz competitions have been organized by different organizations in Nigerian schools
from time immemorial. Many individuals and organizations are now cashing in on the prospects
of making money on a regular basis by organizing such competitions However; you need to
determine the type of competition you want to organize and which level of the Nigerian
education industry you want to target.

 Producing Educational Audios and Videos

There are not many educational audio and videos in the Nigerian market. This form of business
should be right for the education industry. Educational products packaged in these formats can
really aid the learning process of students. Students can learn adequately on their own without
the presence of any physical or human guides.
You can take the initiative now to set up an educational information marketing business or
company; whose major or only activity is to produce good education audios and videos for the
Nigerian market.

As a final note, if you are really serious about making money and building a profitable money
making idea into a successful business, then don’t waste any more time. Take advantage of the
numerous money making opportunities in our educational sector and I will see you at the top.

Author’s Bio: Tunji Afuwape is a small business finance consultant and expert. He is the CEO
of 21st Strategies. He provides “how-to” advice on small business and home-based work issues.
His organization helps small businesses reach their fullest potential. You can read his full bio
here and contact him also for business advice.