If you’re a student in Cameroon and really want to start making your own money but think that finding a lucrative job is totally impossible for a student, you’re wrong.

If you ask yourself, “What can I do to make money in Cameroon? “You” should know that there are plenty of great lucrative small business ideas and opportunities for students in Cameroon. While entrepreneurs in their local communities start small businesses, college students are not left out. Dealing with a low allowance from their parents or guardians mostly never takes care of their needs.

Some students’ allowances are higher than others, but no matter how high or low each student’s pocket capacity is, knowing how right to spend what you have is crucial to your financial sanity in a semester.

Starting the right small business idea in a college or university is vital for students who have a little extra and would like to spin out some income from it.

If you think too hard about what business to start at a university or not to start at, this article will lead you through some successful small business bets.

12 Lucrative Small Business Ideas for Students in Cameroon

#1 Start a tutoring service

Tutorials are now one of the most lucrative small businesses any brilliant student can start while still at the university. In your department, you can arrange tutorial classes for students in lower classes.

There are classes that are inherently complicated and difficult to understand, and it won’t matter for students taking the course to pay anyone to teach them the course.

You need to locate a location within the school to arrange a tutorial, and then remind the course representative to notify the class of an upcoming tutorial session.

Besides using the university campus for running tutorials, some students will prefer having extra one-on-one private home training.

Still, tutorials could be extended online using social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Zooms video lessons.

 

Check Out: Sample Business Plans in Cameroon 

 

#2. Editing and Proofreading

Editing and Proofreading is now a major lucrative small business for individuals and students worldwide. Most students have to need to type their assignments, reports, projects, and thesis.

If you have a personal computer, and good English language skills, you can start up this lucrative small business from home.

The best way to earn faster and long-term is to partner with documentation businesses (printing houses) around town.

With a computer at hand and an internet connection, you can edit and proofread assignments, reports, projects, and thesis for university students for a given price.

Install proofreading software such as Grammarly or download their extension and attached it to your computer for checking of good grammar and spelling errors.

 

#3. Provide Writing Services such as CV Design and Job application letters

People are looking for jobs and therefore need to put together a resume.

Many do not know how to go about this writing venture. Start a side hustle by offering to rewrite resumes for individuals.

CV writing and motivational letter writing is now a lucrative small business you can start from home with just a laptop.

 

#4. Become a Research Assistant

Essay writing is a must-do course for all university students around the globe.  

Most universities in Cameroon and Africa as a whole fail to quality training to students on research methodology.

Seize this opportunity if you have great writing skills and start a lucrative small business in this venture.

Provide assistance to students ranging from HND, BSC, MSC to Ph.D. on their research work such as report writing, proposal writing, long essay writing, thesis writing, and dissertation writing assistant.

 

#5. Start a Dropshipping Business

Dropshipping is a technique of retail fulfillment where a retailer does not hold the items in stock that it sells.
Alternatively, when a store sells a product, it buys the product from a third party and has it sold directly to the buyer.

Drop-shipping is a booming and lucrative small business now which will continue to see success in the near future.

Thanks to the internet, every step of this business can be carried out right from your place, with a surprising easer.
The biggest difference between drop-shipping and the regular retail sector is that the seller does not possess or own any actual product of his own. 
Instead, the merchant purchases the goods his customers need from a third party-usually a wholesaler or retailer-to comply with orders.

To start this business, you will need a personal computer or a good android phone and internet access.

You will need to have as many contacts as you can on your mobile device and also be an active member on social media platforms such as WhatsApp Groups and Facebook where you will be required to market your products.

You can further go ahead to create a Facebook page and display your products or services there.

Read: How to Start a successful Small Business in Cameroon

#6 Become a Real estate agent

This never goes out of fashion and is always in demand. You help people find a house to live in and you get paid. You probably know a lot of people who do this.

Reliability and access to genuine information should be your watchword if you are to succeed in this business. You will need a business card which you can always get for less than 4k. Word of mouth does the rest.

There are two ways to operate as a real estate agent.

The first method is to meet house owners (landlords and landladies) and collect their contact and information regarding the prices of their home (single room, studio, or apartment).

Negotiate with the house owner on how much commission you get on each client you bring to them for the rental services.

Most individuals often make this bargain at 5-10% of the total value of the property.

For example, if a hostel costs 250.000FRS, you get 10% (25.000FRS) as commission for every client you bring to the house owner for rentals.

The second method involves direct charging clients an amount for searching or providing them easy access to get a rental property. You could charge clients base on the type of property.

For example, if you successfully get them a single room you can charge them 10.000frs, a studio you could charge 15.000FRS AND for an apartment, you could charge 20.000FRS.

This is common with platforms such as Julihomes and Digitalrental.

 

#7 Offer Cleaning Services

Until people move into a new home, they usually need a cleaner to clean up the spot. It’s capital that’s waiting to be made.

Cleaning service has become a major lucrative small business in most larger cities such as Buea, Douala, and Yaoundé.

To start with, you’ll need a way to let people know that you’re in company. 
Facebook has made it very convenient to spread the word about any service you provide. 
So you’re making an attractive Facebook profile for your cleaning services, advertising it for a small price, and you’re in the company. You can do this in your spare time, and you don’t need any money to get started, so when people call you for a job, they pay you a deposit fee that you use to purchase the supplies you need.

In the long run, you could create a website or blog and extend your services to include cleaning for events such as weddings, funerals,s and birthdays.

 

You could also further clean offices for companies and big businesses around town and get paid.

 

#8. Manicure and Pedicure Services

Looking good is the dream of every woman in town, thus manicure and pedicure are now lucrative small businesses you can start with little or no capital at hand.

A lot of female students, particularly during the weekends, fix their nails.
You may offer a home nail service fixing business. You can purchase the basic equipment needed for fixing nails with 5.000FRS and charge as low as 1000FRS for each service rendered. This amount may look small but put money into your pocket for a while.
In the long run, when you are well known in town, you have a big business with a minimum of 5-10 clients a day.

Check Out: Sample Nail Business plan in Cameroon: Case study Nadine Nail Salon Mile 16 Buea

#9. Hairdresser business

You should invest in a technical hairdressing course if you’ve always had a passion for hairstyling, and then start working at the hair salon. 
It doesn’t have to be a full-time job; you can work as a student there and earn money effectively.

You can promote yourself on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, and WhatsApp which will generate more clients. Post the best examples of your work, and you are guaranteed to gain people’s interest in your skills.

Hairdressing is just a lucrative small business any girl with a passion for hair can start.

 

#10. Start a Graphic Design Services

Graphics design is another lucrative small business for those who have the skills. There seems to be a shortage of professional graphic designers here, so very few of them are still in high demand.

Again, you can create a portfolio for yourself on Kinaad, Netkipedia, etc. Don’t hesitate to offer free services for people to test your work and give you feedback.

Never hesitate to have a Facebook page to display your designs.

 

#11.  Start a Website Design and Maintenance Services

Lots of businesses now have an online presence. Many high net worth individuals like politicians, chieftains of corporate organizations, and successful business people are now using online tools such as websites to promote their brands and personality.

Thus website design and maintenance becomes just another small lucrative business to venture into.

The demand for website designers has been increased by this trend. 

You’re in for good business if you learn how to use basic design software and create good websites. 

You need to know how to design professional websites, build web graphics, develop web pages, and upload webpages to the server to be effective. Other skills that you will need include registration of domain names and how hosting services operate.
You can add SEO, Google AdSense, Content writing to your bouquet of services as you gain ability.

 

Check Out: Digital Marketing Business Plan in Cameroon: Case Study Kampedia Ltd

 

#12. Start a Blog

Yeah, everyone nowadays wants to be a blogger, but not everybody can be a good blogger, really.

If you have a subject that interests you and that you are fluent in, you just need a little confidence.

Chances are that if your posts are memorable and exclusive, your blog will gain popularity in no time.

Starting a blog on a WordPress or Blogspot website is fully free and you will also have to learn some blogging company pitfalls before starting to earn cash.

There are very few bloggers in Cameroon and Africa as a whole and this gives a good business opportunity to jump into the blogging world with a special niche and target population.