Charcoal business is one of the profitable businesses in Nigeria you can easily start and make profits. In this article, I will show you how to start a charcoal business in Nigeria.
Charcoal is a black carbon material which is very light in weight. When wood is burnt, it transforms into charcoal which contains large amount of carbon.
This transformation is known as charcoal burning. Charcoal can also be made by burning other organic materials in the absence of oxygen.
Burning removes water and other volatile components from organic material (animal and plant materials).
Unlike wood that produces large volume of heat when burnt and also brings out large volume of soot and unburnt carbon particle inform of smoke.
On the other hand, during the process of burning charcoal it brings out very little smoke. That is why many people use charcoal for so many things.
Uses of Charcoal in Nigeria
Charcoal is used as a source of heat for different purposes;
- Food vendors use charcoal to roast corn, yam, plantain, fish and beans cake(Akara),
- Charcoal is used by tailors for ironing clothes with a charcoal iron especially if there is no electric power source,
- It is used by most fast food joints, restaurants and bars for cooking with a charcoal stove,
- Suya sellers also make use of charcoal to roast their meat,
- Bread making industry (Bakery) make us of charcoal during the baking of bread.
Apart from the ways stated above in which charcoal is useful to man, there are other ways by which charcoal can be used.
Another way of using charcoal is by transforming it into ‘Activated Charcoal’.
Activated charcoal is not the same with the one gotten from burnt pieces of wood.
When wood is burnt to some extent it becomes charcoal. This charcoal is burnt again at very extreme high temperature to produce activated charcoal.
Activated charcoal can be made by burning wood, coconut shell, sawdust or peat in very high temperature which transforms into a fine, odorless, black powered form.
Through the process of burning charcoal in very high temperature, it becomes extremely adsorbent (being able to absorb other substance).
These materials (wood, coconut shell, sawdust or peat) are know as carbon-rich materials because they contain high amount of carbon.
In hospitals during emergencies cases activated charcoal is used to treat overdose or poisoning.
It is also used to stop the effect of toxin substances in the stomach. When you take activated charcoal the body can not dissolve the charcoal.
What the charcoal does is to magnetize the toxic substance in the body to neutralize the effect of the toxins and then the charcoal is pass out of the body with the toxins through feces.
Activated charcoal can also improve kidney health by acting as a gastrointestinal absorbent helping to filter out undigested toxins and drugs from the system.
When there is gas or bloating in the intestinal tract, activated charcoal help to reduce and prevent the bloating in the stomach.
Activated charcoal can also be used as a water filter.
Over the years people have been using activated charcoal as a natural water filter.
It has the ability to magnetize any unwanted substance in the water such as bacteria, chemicals and toxin substances found in water.
Including drugs that may have been dissolved in the water and any other fungus or bacteria present in the water.
Activated charcoal filters these substances thereby purifying the water, making it safe for drinking.
Also, a lot of teeth-whitening products around us contain activated charcoal.
All of these agent helps to destroy the viruses, bacteria, fungi present in the mouth.
Based on research, activated charcoal can be used for skin care in the sense that it can remove dust, bacteria, unwanted chemicals and harmful toxins from under the skin. And bring them out to the surface of the skin so that they will be washed away easily.
Activated charcoal powder gotten from burning coconut shell in extreme high temperature can be used to treat skin infection.
Charcoal is very convenient and economical in the sense that it is very cheap to afford, it produces less smoke and enough heat that will get things done.
Information, they say is key and knowing this information will give you an access to the door of charcoal business.
How to start charcoal business in Nigeria
To start a charcoal business there are things you need to implement. The lists below are the things you need to put in order to start charcoal business;
1. Capital or fund
Starting a charcoal business doesn’t require much resources.
The way you wish to start usually depends on the amount of capital you have which will determine the level of the business either on a small scale or in a bigger scale.
The level at which you start is not necessarily important.
It is the consistency in running the business which will yield profit on a long run as you start small your business grows.
You can as well seek for loan from banks to start up the business.
2. Survey the market
When starting a business one of the things to do is to survey the market.
This will help you know the areas that need charcoal the most.
It also include carrying out a search for potential suppliers or producers where you can buy charcoal in larger quantities at lesser price.
For instance you may buy charcoal in the rural areas then transport it to the urban areas or cities where you sell the charcoal at a certain price to make profit.
3. Location
Location is very important in this business. If you rent a shop or a space, consider the area and how accessible it will be for people to come close to your store and purchase charcoal from you.
Hiwever, getting a store close to populated area such as the market would be an advantage to your business.
4. Get a Supplier
There are places in Nigeria where one can get charcoal from producers at affordable prices and resale to consumers at a certain amount to make profit.
For instance, you can find the producers of charcoal from anywhere your business is situated by making enquiries.
This producers sell in affordable prices to people especially those that buy on wholesale in bulks(large quantities).
5. Storage
One thing about starting a charcoal business is that you can start it anywhere. If you do not have enough capital to rent a shop nor pay for a space.
You can decide to make use of a little corner within your house to display the charcoal.
Charcoal is easy to store all you have to do is look for a tarpaulin to shield if from the rain and keep it dry.
You can also construct a little kiosk or shade to protect it from the weather.
6. Advertise your business
You have gotten a storage space to keep your charcoal. The next thing is to advertise your business.
Although, in the area you live within your vicinity, when people see that you have started a charcoal business, they will patronize you.
But, it is also necessary to tell people about your business in different locations. This will help your business grow.
Through Advertising people living in far distance become aware of your business. You can advertise through social media such as facebook and whatsapp.
You will be surprised how far people will be willing to go to in order to patronize your business.
Especially, when you have lots of friends on these social media platforms.
With this information above on how to start a charcoal business in Nigeria, you are now aware how business lucrative business is in Nigeria and there is no doubt that you will make enough profit from charcoal business.