Are you interested in starting a manufacturing business? If YES, here are 18 small scale manufacturing business ideas & opportunities that cost little to start
Coming up with small manufacturing business ideas can help you completely change your life for the better. It does not matter whether you have the capital or the machinery to manufacture that product or not. Nowadays, you can be a manufacturer while using other people’s equipment. You can even start a small scale manufacturing business right in your bedroom like chalk production, match sticks or candle production.
Today, the Nigerian Industrial & Manufacturing sector accounts for less that 10% of Nigeria’s GDP, with manufacturing capacity utilization remaining below 35% for the most part for the last decade. So if you are ready to put your entrepreneurial skill to work, then below are 33 best small manufacturing ideas and opportunities.
33 Small Scale Manufacturing Business ideas That Cost Little to Start
- Setting up a Fruit Juice Production and Packaging Plant
A cursory look at Nigeria fruit juice market between December 2003 and January 2004, you will run into conclusion that the number of imported brands of fruit juice is gradually reducing in number. The study revealed that the federal government is very serious in the enforcement of its policy on banning of imported fruit juice in Nigeria. The entire machines can be sourced locally.
I know a lot of Nigerians who started this business without a factory of their own. All they did was to leverage on the experience of the existing fruit drinks manufacturers, while doing the branding in their company name. This system has encouraged new entrants to get into the industry.
- Garri Production and Packaging
Garri is creamy-white, granular flour with a slightly fermented flavor and a slightly sour taste made from fermented, gelatinized fresh cassava tubers. Garri is widely known in Nigeria and other West African countries. Cassava is fermented to remove cyanide and produce the desirable flavors. It is then roasted to destroy enzymes and microorganisms, to drive off cyanide gas, and to dry the product.
Preservation is achieved by heating during roasting. Low moisture content inhibits re-contamination by bacteria. Packaging is needed, especially in areas of high humidity, to retain the low moisture content. You can target the local or the international market. You can even build a brand of the future by fortifying your packaged garri with vitamin A.
- Custom Beads Making
Bead creativity design is a noble profession. Beads are called ILEKE in Yoruba dialects – the western part of Nigeria, NGBAJI in Igbo – the Eastern part and JIGIDA in Hausa – the Northern part of Nigeria. Beads could be strung into various designs in Bags, Necklaces, Earrings, Belts, Wallets, Flower Vases and Handset Holders among others. Beads also come in all manners of materials, shapes, sizes and colours.
Bead stringing is a career that you can live on. It is prestigious and profitable. If you aspire to grow in this career. All you have to do is to learn how to make beads in commercial quantity. Beads stringing start-up capital is between N5, 000 to N20, 000 ($50 – %150).
- Ice block production
Ice block sales business involves the use of deep freezer to make ice block in plastic container or polythene bags. The business involves the production of solid ice block by putting clean water in any small container in order to make difference sizes of ice block available to consumer of different categories.
These businesses thrive well in areas where there is incessant power outage, and also in over-populated places like motor parks, market places, schools, commercial and business areas, any place there are human beings and activities demand a cooling off either by a bottle of cold drink or a wrap of sachet water (pure water).
The type of deep freezer use in the production of ice block is the electronic deep freezer with a high capacity compressor and the capacity of blocking is 136 litres of water into ice block. Deep freezer (136 litres capacity) cost an average of N45,000, while Generator average N35,000 and stabilizer N5,000 and plastic container (30packs) N600 or polythene bags.
- Cassava chips production
This is the most common form in which dried cassava roots are marketed and most exporting countries produce them. The chips are dried irregular slices of cassava roots, which vary in size but should not exceed 5 cm in length so that they can be stored in silos.
The present method of processing chips is very simple, consisting of peeling, washing, chipping the cassava roots, and then sun drying the slices or chips. The recovery rate of chips from roots is about 20-40% depending on the initial dry-matter content of the cassava roots and the final moisture of the chips.
- Production of cold water starch
This is a special and unique product for household use, dry cleaners and for textile industries. As the name implies it is used in cold pure water, and its binding agents is authentic. It renews restores and revives old materials. No heat source is needed in its application. Put any desired quantity in cold water. It dissolves within a minutes and restored. The major raw materials are much available anywhere in the federation and the good thing is that they are locally sourced. One of such materials is cassava starch or any kind of starch you can find.
The machinery to be used are, Boiler, Mixer, Dissolution pot, Weighing scale; and all these can be fabricated locally or better still, have local alternatives depending on your production capacity and this may not cost you much. For example you can use a spoon or bowl to measure your quantity, large local pots for your boiler and drum rotating spinner for your mixer.
- Exercise Book Production
The market for exercise books is huge. Exercise books are mostly used by kids in school. Since, you are dealing with a branded exercise book, you have to be creative. Think of several things that can attract a kid and that should be what you would have on the cover of your exercise book.
Cutting machine is between N200 to N300 per thousand, Final trimming is N70 per ream. Your cost price is about N62,150. And you selling price is N300 multiplied by N250 packs which is N75,000. Hence, your profit of 3,000 units of exercise book is N12,850.
- Pure Water Manufacturing Business
You can either package in sachet or plastic bottles. Some people even use plastic cups. Your packaging materials must also be treated such that any impurities must be removed. In starting this business, you need to have a good environment, factory, treatment plant and equipment, tanks, bore-hole, pumping machines, packaging machines, generators, distribution vehicles, etc.
You can make high sales during the dry season, which starts October of every year and ends around April. You make maximum sales during this period, but in the rainy season – which starts from May till September, there is usually a fall in sales. So you have to get accustomed to that.
- Yoghurt Production
Yoghurt is produce by controlled fermentation of milk by two species of bacteria (Lactobacillus sp. And streptococcus sp.) The sugar in milk (called lactose) is fermented to acid (lactic acid) and therefore causes the characteristic curd to form. The refreshing qualities of yoghurt are rather not new to Nigerians, and its popularity as a nutritious food, especially among the weight conscious, has increased greatly in the recent past. Apart from the fact that yoghurt is a fast selling product, the returns on investment is nothing less than 50%.
- Processing Nigerian Vegetable for export
Nigeria vegetable comes in various types and they include Amaranthus (Tete), Tel Fairia, (Ewedu), Corchorus olitorius (Ugu). Others are Ukazi, Ugba, Bitter leaf, etc. The dried vegetables are good for the united states market and other far eastern countries, while the fresh vegetables are very good for the UK market. You can buy the drying machine from Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO) while you can get the locally fabricated machine from the welders and it can cost about N300,000 to N500,000.
If you don’t have the money to buy one, you can always take your vegetable to existing foodstuff exporters that have the drying machine. The packaging depends on the specification of the buyers, e.g. 25grams 50grams, 100grams, 1kg, 2kg, 5kg. A lot of orders are currently coming from uk and USA and Nigerians cannot meet the demand
- Frozen Chicken Production
Many Nigerians have come to depend on imported frozen chicken for quite a while this is in detriment of local poultry industry and the subsequent health implication because of the long voyage from Europe or wherever because the imported product are usually preserved with chemicals; some of which are said to be injurious to health.
A lot of people prefer not to go through the stress of slaughtering and preparing live birds because frozen chicken can easily be stored and used at will, thereby saving time. Many also believe that it is cheap than buying a live fowl.
Start-up requirement are space, knives, tables, basins, heat source, stove heater, soap, hand towel, extra hands, freezer and generator .You need to go directly to the chicken farms to source for your live birds cheaply. You can also position yourself to supply small hotels, restaurants eateries.
- Plantain flour production
Instant plantain flours were prepared from ripe and unripe plantain fingers, by cooking and subsequent oven-dehydration at 76°C or between 88 and 92°C respectively. The products will be stored at 5 ± 1°C or at 22 ± 4°C. Remove the skins from the plantains by cutting off the top and bottom and make a slit along the side.
Peel the skin off and slice the plantains into long strips. Sun dry the sliced chips on cement slabs until all the moisture in the plantain has evaporated and the plantain is grayish white (This process could take week or more. Then grind the dried plantain into fine powder and store for use. You can decide to target the local or the international market
33 Small Scale Manufacturing Business ideas + Opportunities for Investors
- Insecticide manufacturing
Unlike other continents, Africa possesses harmful insects that enter every home in our big cities. This is because we are in the topical part of the world. So insecticide is widely used in Africa. It is very easy to market to supermarkets, local shops, hawkers etc. Just make sure you create a good network of retail and wholesale stores. With proper branding and packaging, you are sure to capture the market in no time.
- Soap and detergents manufacturing
Soap exists as solid (bar or tablet), liquid and powdered forms. Soap is a form of cleaning agent used for laundry and domestic utensil, car, etc. In liquid form, it is used as lubricating and cleansing agent on food, drinks and machinery. Soap is therefore an essential commodity, which is universally used in all households.
In fact, it is universally asserted that the amount of soap consumed in a country is a measure of its level of civilization. Soap therefore is not a luxury, but a necessity. The cost of establishing this type manufacturing enterprise is usually low, hence it is very viable.
- Leather Belt Manufacturing
You can also start a business specialized in making and supplying leather belts to men’s and ladies fashion shops. Belts in different colours with a variety of buckle types could be made in different styles. If you have never tried making leather goods before, contact a craft supplier to find out what is involved and what materials are available.
- Foam production
The usage of foam is wide. For example, it is used to produce chairs materials or beds, pillows, underlay foam for carpets, cars motor cycle seats etc. Even though it is easy to produce this product, there is still scarcity of high quality foam in our markets.
- Production of maternity wear
You can start a manufacturing business that specializes in designing, making and selling of maternity wears for expectant mothers. This is an area of clothing where your designs will be up against less competition, but can still be sold through numerous outlets throughout the country.
It is also an opportunity to provide good designs by having your design in a brochure or you can place an advert in selected magazines, with a more easily identified target readership.
- Caustic soda production
Caustic soda or sodium hydroxide is perhaps the most important alkali. It is one of the basic chemical products produced and utilized in large quantities; and it enjoys extensive usage in the manufacturing of chemicals, cellulose film, rayon dyes, cleaners, pulp and paper etc. The production process involves brine production, purification and electrolysis.
In conclusion, these are the top 33 small business manufacturing business ideas you can venture into today. Just make sure you do your own feasibility research, write a business plan and gain adequate knowledge about your proposed industry.
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.