Creative/Innovative Business Ideas

In these times of global financial meltdown, the world's economy seems to be standing on its head. Many countries are owing so much money that it is doubtful they can ever pay up their debts. Natural resources are dwindling, the money market is in disarray and human life is threatened by famine, ecological and atmospheric disasters.

In all these, families are the hardest hit because families are what make up a nation. These realities call for everyone's hands to be on the spindle - I mean entrepreneurship. It is no longer advisable for any woman to be a full-time housewife. Even if you choose to remain a housewife, there are businesses you can do right from the comfort of your home. Why not try your hands on online businesses.

Times are tough and both men and women must work to contribute their quota to the family's income. Detailed in this articles are lists of businesses anyone can start with little capital, in pursuit of financial freedom. This article gives a detail "How to" of how to make many household consumables. One of the businesses that thrive very well in this part of the world is food business. As long as human remains on planet earth, they will always look for means to satisfy their hunger. This means there will always be a market for food-related products.

Learn some or all of the following products. Go into production and see how fast you can achieve financial freedom. Remember the journey of a thousand miles begins with just a single step, and don't forget the biblical injunction - "Do not despise the days of little beginning".

Production of Meat Pie

Ingredients 

Note: The quantity of ingredient you need depends on the quantity you want to produce. This information below is just a guideline. You may need to do a conversion factor, using the guidelines below.

• 8 cups of flour
• 3 teaspoonful of butter
• 1/2 litres of vegetable oil
•  Salt (to taste)
• 1 bulb of onion
• 1 litre of water
• 3 bulbs of onions
• 500g of meat
• 2 teaspoon of ground pepper
• 2 tuber of a big potato
• Baking powder (little quantity)

Production Procedure

1. Chop the meat into piece, peel and slice the onion, pepper, potato and tomatoes into a pot. cook for about 10 - 15 minutes to tender.
2. Mix the baking powder, flour, and salt together. Add butter and seasoning and mix very well. Add little water and mix thoroughly.
3. Cut the pastry with a knife. Then put 2 teaspoonfuls of the sauce (i.e. the mixture of meat, onion, tomatoes, potatoes, pepper, seasoning and salt that you prepared in stage 1).
4. Fold in any shape of your choice and dress it with your fork. Spread on an oiled metal tray and bake for 20 - 30 minutes.

 Economic Viability

Being a fast food product and the fact that a lot of people like eating meat pies, there is a huge market for this product. Return on investment is very high.

Target Market

The best place to locate this kind of business is a busy spot, like bus stops, school areas, or market. You may also consider door to door marketing.

Production of Egg Roll

Ingredients

• 2 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoonfuls of sugar
• 1 teaspoonful of baking powder
• Unboiled and boiled eggs
• 1/2 teaspoonful of salt
• Preservative

Production Procedures

1. Put flour in a bowl, add baking powder and mix.
2. Add butter to sugar, add to flour and mix, add flavour and preservatives.
3. Add little water to form the dough.
4. Put dough on a floured table and spread with a cool bottle (you may fill the bottle with ice water to provide the coldness) flat.
5. Cut into size, arrange cooked egg on roll and roll around and close openings.
6. Fry in deep oil or bake in an oven.

Economic Viability and Target Market

Same as meat pie above.

Production of Cake

Ingredients

• 1kg of flour
• 1/2 kg of butter
• 1/2 kg of sugar
• 2 unboiled eggs
• flavour (to taste)
• 2 teaspoonful of preservative
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder.

Production Procedures

1. Mix sugar and butter to dissolve properly.
2. Add the egg and mix thoroughly in a bowl.
3. Add flavour and preservative.
4. Add flour and baking powder simultaneously and blend till the mixture becomes creamy.
5. Grease your baking tray and heat your oven for about 30 minutes before loading the mixtures.

Economic Viability

There is a lot of market for cake, especially during festive periods. Return on investment could be over 100% annually.

Target Market

Produce handbills/banners or even business cards and distribute around telling people to contact you for their wedding cakes, birthday cakes, or any anniversary. You can also make the ones that sell for about #20 - #50 and market either door to door, schools, churches, any event centres, etc.

Production of Buns

Ingredients

• 2 cups of flour
• 3 teaspoonfuls of sugar
• 1 teaspoonful of baking powder
• 2 teaspoonfuls of egg
• 1/2 teaspoonful of salt
• 1/2 litre of water
• 3 teaspoonfuls of butter

Production Procedures

1. Mix the flour thoroughly with the baking powder.
2. Add sugar, salt and water and mix very well.
3. Add the butter, egg and blend together till it is well mixed.
4. Mould the mixture into crumbs and fry with the heated vegetable oil.

 Economic Viability and Target Market

Same as meat pie above.

Production of Chin - Chin

Ingredients

• flour
• sugar
• butter
• milk
• vegetable oil
• baking powder
• unboiled egg
• Flavoring agent e.g. nutmeg

Production Procedures

1. Dissolve sugar with a small quantity of water. Break the eggs, beat and add sugar.
2. Add sugar mixture and baking powder to flour and mix with milk or water, mix to a stiff consistency.
3. Knead or work up flour lightly till smooth. Roll flat and smooth on a floured board with a bottle or rolling pin.
4. Cut into shapes and fry in deep or shallow oil until it is attractively brown. Drain to remove surplus oil on a filter.

Economic Viability and Target Market

Same as meat pie and buns above.

Production of Bread

Ingredients

• Flour
• Margarine
• Yeast
• Sugar
• Salt
• Warm water

Production Procedures

1. Add salt and margarine to flour and mix thoroughly.
2. Mix yeast, sugar and salt together with warm water, then pour into the mixed flour and mix until smooth.
3. Cut and put into a loaf tin and bake in a hot oven for 50 minutes, then reduce the heat for 10 minutes.

Economic Viability

Bread is a widely consumed food product out there. There is a big market for this product, anytime, any day. Return on investment could be as high as 200% per annum.

Target Market

Anybody that eats is your target market. I don't think there's anybody that doesn't eat bread at some point or the other. House to house marketing is highly recommended, supermarkets, schools, hotels, etc.

Production of Puff-Puff

Ingredients

• 300g of flour
• 80g of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoonful of yeast
• 1/2 teaspoonful of sugar

Production Procedures

1. Mix sugar, salt and yeast in a bowl and cover for 1 hour
2. Add flour to it and mould in any shape of your choice
3. Cover it for about 20 minutes
4. Fry in a heated oil.

 Economic Viability and Target Market

Same as meat pie above

Production of Doughnuts

Ingredients

• Flour
• Margarine
• 1 egg
• Yeast
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoonful castle sugar
• Oil for deep frying

Production Procedures

1. Sieve the flour into a bowl and add sugar.
2. Cream yeast with little sugar mixed with milk and beaten egg.
3. Make a hole in the centre of the flour in the bowl and pour in the liquid.
4. Mix together and beat until smooth.
5. Cover and put in a warm place to rise for 2 hours.
6. Heat the oil and fry mixture in spoonful until golden brown.

 Economic Viability/Target Market

Same as meat pie above

Production of Biscuit

Ingredients

• 90g of flour
• 70 cubes of sugars
• 70g of butter
• Salt (to taste)
• Yolks of egg

Production Procedures

1. Knead butter, sugar and yolk of eggs very well.
2. Add flour. Roll out and cut into desired shapes.
3. Put on your oven for 20 minutes to heat before baking.

Economic Viability

Biscuit is highly viable economically. It is widely consumed by both children and adults alike, this means there is a huge target market for your products. Return on investment could be as high as 150% annually.

Target Market

Schools, churches, supermarkets, shops, house to house marketing (for a start), etc.

Production of Fish Pie

Ingredients

• 150g of flour
• 40g of butter
• Salt (to taste)
• Fish (small quantity)
• Potatoes
• Curry
• Thyme
• Onions
• Seasoning
• Pepper
• Vegetable oil

Production Procedures

1. Parboil the fish for 5 minutes, drain the water and chop the fish into pieces.
2. Rub the inside of your fry pan with vegetable oil and heat it on fire.
3. Mix the flour and butter very well and add water to make it firm.
4. Add onion, curry, thyme, and fish and leave for 5 minutes.
5. Roll the pastry on a flat clean surface with rolling pin.
6. Then cut into your desired sizes.
7. Put the cut pieces into the oven to bake.

Economic Viability/Target Market

Same as meat pie above

Production of Fish Roll

Ingredients

• 5 cups of flour
• 5 teaspoonful of butter
• 1/2 teaspoonful of salt
• 1 teaspoonful of baking powder
• 1 litre of water
• Well cooked fish

Production Procedure

1. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together.
2. Add water gradually to make the mixture soft.
3. Put the cooked fish in the middle of the pastry and add butter, then bake in a hot oven.

Economic Viability/Target Market

As meat pie above.

Production of Sausage Roll

Ingredients

• Pastry (i.e. a mixture of flour, fat and water or milk)
• Flour
• Mincemeat

Production Procedures

1. Roll the pastry on a flat board until it has a long shape.
2. Cut the pastry into short rolls and make a groove in between.
3. Put the minced meat into the groove and cover it up by rolling the pastry over it.
4. Put in oven for about 30 minutes.

Economic Viability

Sausage roll is very viable economically. Consider the number of gala (the most popular sausage roll in Nigeria), for example, that people buy on a daily basis. Return on investment could be very high, as high as 200% per annum.

Target Market

Get people to help you in marketing your products in bus stops or traffic congested areas, go to schools and market your products (school children eat such things a lot), you can even take your products to churches (people buy such things after church services), door to door marketing is also recommended.

Production of Scotched Eggs (Egg Roll)

Ingredients

• 2 cups of flour (depending on the quantity)
• 3 teaspoonfuls of sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoonful of baking powder
• Boiled eggs
• 1/2 teaspoonful salt
• 3 teaspoonfuls of butter
• 1 1/2 litre of groundnut oil

Production Procedures

1. Mix the flour together with the other ingredients except for eggs.
2. Peel the egg and spread the pastry on a flat surface and roll it around the egg. An egg per a roll.
3. Fry in a hot oil.

Economic Viability/Target Market

Same as Meat pie above

Production of Cabbage Roll

Ingredients

• Fresh fish
• Onion
• Carrot
• Green pepper
• Spring onion
• Fresh tomato
• Fresh plantain
• Vegetable oil
• Seasoning
• Salt
• Cabbage leaves

Production Procedures

1. Dress the fish and cut into pieces. Boil with salt until tender.
2. Remove the bones, then pour into a bowl and mix.
3. Carefully chop the onions, green pepper, fresh pepper, spring onion and fresh tomato.
4. Add the chopped vegetables and the seasoning to the flaked fish and mix thoroughly.
5. Wash the cabbage leaves and pour salted boiling water on the leaves to make it tender.
6. Remove from water and drain to dry.

 Economic Viability/Target Market

Not too many people know about this food product.

Production of Pop-Corn

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil
• Sugar
• Salt
• Corn

Production Procedures

1. Pour the corn into a pot, add little quantity of the oil and sugar to taste.
2. Put salt to taste and cover the pot. Open the cover and mix thoroughly once it starts popping.

Economic Viability

Highly viable, as it is widely consumed by both young and old alike. Return on investment is encouraging.

Target Markets

Schools, churches, events centres, house to house sales, get people to hawk it for you, especially in traffic congested areas and at the bus stops, etc.

Production of Pan-Cake

Ingredients

• 125g of flour
• 250ml of milk
• 1 egg
• Sugar
• Pinch of salt
• A little vegetable oil for frying

Production Procedures

1. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, make a well in the centre of the flour and break a fresh egg into the flour. Add little cold milk and stir, add more milk and stir until the mixture is thick and creamy.
2. Beat the mixture well with a wooden spoon till smoothly mixed, cover and leave in cool place for about 25 minutes.
3. Using smooth flat pan, heat pan with oil and clean with a cloth. Return pan to fire, add little oil and pour in with spoon enough mixture to cover pan bottom thinly and shake pan to and fro to level. When cake has set, fry and shake pan gently and loose edges with a broad-bladed knife.
4. Raise to see underneath, when it is brown turn and fry the other side. Fry quickly to avoid being tough. Turn unto sugared paper and sprinkle top with sugar. Heat pan, add little oil, turn off and continue the frying process. Serve while hot.

Economic Viability Target Market

Highly viable, especially in the northern part of the country during cold seasons where to take it along with "Shayi" which mean tea in The Hausa language.

Production of Queen Cake (Rich Cake)

Ingredients

• 113g of flour
• 58 - 85g of margarine
• 56g of sugar
• 1 teaspoonful baking powder
• 1 big egg
• 1 cold milk
• Flavor (which may be vanilla essence)

Production Procedure

1. Mix fat (margarine) and sugar to become creamy. Break the egg and beat very well to get in much air on a plate.
2. Mix flour and baking powder. Add cold milk to a slight dropping consistency. Add flavour if desired in a bowl.
3. Add fat sugar to flour mixture, don't beat hard as flour is now added.
4. Grease tins put the mixture into tins half level and bake in a moderate oven for 15 - 20 minutes.

 Economic Viability/Target Market

Same as normal cake above

Production of Butter

Ingredients

• Palm oil (1 bear bottle)
• 1kg soft cheese
• Salt
• Sodium benzoate ( a preservative)

Production Procedures

1. Bleach the palm oil.
2. Add cheese to hot oil to dissolve.
3. Add sodium benzoate and stir.
4. Allow congealing.
5. Add salt as desired.
6. Package for sale.

    Economic Viability

Very viable economically. It is widely used in cooking and in eating bread. Return on investment is high

Target Market

House to house marketing is recommended for a start, shops, supermarkets, etc.

P.S: Production of most or all of these household consumables requires mixing of flour to form pastry or dough. Sincerely, mixing flour manually is really a herculean task. It involves a lot of stress. Why not save yourself of the stress by getting one of these powerful mixers.