Exporting in Nigeria is a lucrative business if you know where to look and today we will be looking at how to start charcoal business in Nigeria.
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Now with that out of the way, let us talk about how you can start a charcoal export business in Nigeria.
Do you know that black material formed after heating wood that is called “Charcoal” and we are likely to discard after use because we do not think it is important?
It would amaze you to know that that right there is a lucrative business opportunity that you are unaware of.
At least, we know that even within the country, people trade in charcoal and make a lot of money, now, imagine trading with the outside world.
It might surprise you to know that charcoal has quite a number of more important uses besides cooking and many outside of our shores will appreciate a chance to have it in abundance.
More commonly, charcoal is appreciated in countries where they experience months of winter to heat their house. Due to the coldness of those places, they need charcoal in abundance to keep their homes perpetually warm so they do not freeze to death. If they can get an opportunity to get it in abundance, they would be most assuredly glad.
Also, charcoal is used as metallurgical fuel to melt or smelt metals such as irons, so it is a very important source of fuel to the blacksmith.
It is also important as a source of fuel for some industries, it is used to produce black powder used in making fireworks, it also serves as an effective filter because charcoal has the ability to absorb certain organic compounds from suspended in gases or liquid.
These are a few uses of charcoal that is why it is regarded as important and in high demand. It cannot be emphasised how lucrative it is as a business.
However, like every business, you have to learn how it is done, so as not to run into trouble.
Every business is a risk because, at your best, you cannot prevent some unforeseen circumstances but there are different ways of minimising the risks to reduce the effects as much as possible.
There are different ways you can be involved in the charcoal export business, depending on what interests you.
Seller or Exporter: You can be the one who is directly selling to a buyer(s) overseas.
Export Broker: There are many rich men who are looking for where and what to invest their money in or simply they have the finances but lack the time to go into the charcoal business. If you are one of such men, you can find a charcoal exporter, fund the business and share the profit with him or her. Also, as an exporter, you can also get these investors to help improve your business, especially if it is lacking financially and share the profit with them.
Product Sourcing Expert: To ease the stress, some buyers and sellers contract brokers to serve as middlemen for the trading. These middlemen would find buyers and sellers and act as an agent in the trade.
It is sometimes difficult to find suppliers of quality charcoal and the job of the sourcing expert would be to find quality suppliers and connect them to the exporter or to find buyers overseas and connect them to the exporter.
In this case, you get a commission from the sale.
However, to be successful in this aspect, you have to be a skilled marketer. If you know it is not something that comes naturally to you, you need not be discouraged; there are a number of training grounds where you can learn to be a good marketer.
Marketing skill is important because you have to sell yourself to the sellers and buyers so they can employ your services and let you source for them.
It depends on what interests you of course. Now to the main business, what would you need to start your business as an exporter of charcoal?
- Research: Read up on all and everything you can find on charcoal, export (such as export policies of your country and import policies of the country you would be importing to), and charcoal export in particular. One can never go wrong with research. It saves you from a lot of problems.
- Register your business: This cannot be overemphasised. As a Nigerian, you most likely have an idea of the reputation fraudulent Nigerians have gotten for the country.
Therefore, an average foreigner would treat Nigerians with distrust. The last thing you want is to increase the distrust by showing up with an unregistered business.
If you want to be taken seriously, you have to take yourself seriously, go to CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission), get a business name and register it.
Then you should also go to NEPC (Nigeria Export Promotion Council Certificate) to register as an exporter. Apart from the fact that it would add credibility to your business, every exporter in Nigeria would find it beneficial registering with them because they actually make your job easier by some of the help offered exporters in the country.
And personally, registering your business makes you unconsciously feel a sense of responsibility and thus, seriousness to your business.
- Get a business account: Every business consultant or entrepreneur would advise you to get a business account, so as to help you manage your finances. Do not make the mistake of mixing your personal finances with that of your business.
But of course, you would start the business with personal funding if you have one, but that certain amount you want to put into the business should be put into a separate account.
Also, having a business account makes your business trustworthy and credible.
- Funding: No business can survive without funding. It is not even something that needs to be talked about. Capital is one of the factors of production.
Luckily, considering there are different categories you can get into in the business, you have choices based on the capital at your disposal. If you think you cannot garner funds to be a full-fledged exporter, then you can simply settle for being a product sourcing expert. That does not need much capital to start, except that you have to hone your marketing skills.
However, funding is necessary for the others. There are different ways of getting funding for your business;
- Personal funds
- Help from family and friends
- Investors
- Government grants through NEPC and other agencies
- Loans
- Get mentorship: Nobody can go wrong with a wise counsel. You know how people say experience is the best teacher? Well, that is true but even more accurate is that the experience does not have to be yours. It can be other people’s experience. If possible, in order not to make the mistakes that others before you have made, then find people who have gone ahead of you in the business to seek guidance. Some even offer training classes that you might want to consider.
- Get Suppliers: This is also as important to the buyers as registering your business.
Believe it or not, the fact that the reputation of Nigeria is nothing to write home about is not tales by moonlight, it is true. So as a Nigerian, you are constantly laden with the responsibility of proving yourself to the foreigners before they can open their heart to you and not completely write you off as a fraudster.
Why is this important to the issue of getting suppliers, you may ask? It is important because if you make the mistake of supplying sub standard product, you might not get a second chance to someone from another country.
While you know it is an honest mistake, they do not know that and frankly, would probably not be ready to listen to excuses.
Now, you get why it is necessary to make sure you get the right suppliers. This is not something you jump into; it is something you have to take your time to be sure about.
Luckily, the internet is full of suppliers of charcoal, take the time out to search or you could employ the services of a sourcing expert. When you have gotten contacts of suppliers, do yourself a favour by visiting them individually to check them out. Apart from getting quality, you would also want to compare prices, check other logistics like distance, access to road, packaging, and language barrier among others before making your choice.
You can find charcoal in different places in Nigeria, so it is quite easy to get. However, areas like Enugu, Jebba, Omu Aran, Kabba, Egbe, Oyo and environs, Jos, Minna, and Cross River have been said to have charcoal in large supply.
- Get buyers: Countries in Europe and Asia are usually in high demand of charcoal and they source from Nigeria among other countries because of the quality of the tree source of our charcoal here in Nigeria. Exporters, however, enjoy a higher demand from European countries such as Belgium, Poland, Italy, Holland, Denmark, and Germany. The total cost for completing each ton of charcoal is in the range of N28, 260 and the selling price to the Buyer which you saw the contract is at 180 EUROs per ton
You cannot start a business without having clients who buy from you, so it is normal to wonder how to get them.
First things first, consult the internet. It has most things at its disposal and you would be surprised at what you would find when you consult the internet.
Another effective way is by attending trade fairs, most times, organized by NEPC. The point of the trade fairs is to connect sellers to buyers, so you can take advantage of it.
Also, you can employ the services of an agent who is an expert in sourcing for buyers and sellers and connecting them.
Charcoal export is a really lucrative business that you can take advantage of if you are at a loss what kind of business to go into. If you judiciously follow what you have learnt and do even more research, you are on your way to success.
Now you know how to start a charcoal export business in Nigeria. Would rather prefer to start cocoa exporting business in Nigeria?