7 Zero-Cost Laptop Businesses You Can Start Today in Nigeria

There are businesses you can start today in Nigeria with just a laptop and the internet. Choose one skill, create a small sample of your work, and speak to real customers before the day ends.

The ideas below need no cash to begin, including fair starter prices for Nigeria. As you get better and produce results, increase your rates.

1) Freelance writing and content

Write blog posts, product pages, captions, or emails for small businesses. A good starter price is ₦15,000 for one 700–900-word blog post, or ₦12,000 for a pack of 10 Instagram captions.

Deliver your work in a Google Doc and a neat PDF, and allow one free round of edits. Look for clients on Instagram and LinkedIn, such as salons, restaurants, realtors, small fashion brands, and SME owners, who post regularly.

Free tools like Google Docs, Grammarly, and Hemingway will help you write faster and more clearly. When you have a bit of traction, offer a monthly bundle such as four blog posts for ₦55,000 to ₦65,000.

2) Virtual assistant (VA)

Help busy founders manage emails, calendars, travel searches, vendor follow-ups, and simple research. Charge ₦30,000 for 10 hours in one week, which is roughly ₦3,000 per hour, and offer a 40-hour monthly package from ₦120,000.

Deliver a tidy inbox, a clear weekly schedule, and a one-page summary of what you handled. Find clients in LinkedIn DMs, Twitter/X, church business groups, and alumni WhatsApp groups.

Use Google Calendar, Gmail filters, and a simple Google Sheet to track tasks. As you build trust, add light bookkeeping or social scheduling for an extra ₦20,000 to ₦40,000 per month.

3) Social media management

Plan, create, and post content for one platform to start, usually Instagram or TikTok. A one-week trial with five posts for ₦15,000 is an easy first step. A starter month with 20 posts and a weekly performance recap can be priced at ₦70,000.

Deliver a simple content calendar, clean captions, the actual posts, and a short weekly note that covers reach, saves, and DMs. New cafes, thrift stores, spas, private schools, and gyms are great places to start.

Canva, CapCut, and a Google Sheets calendar are enough at the beginning. When results improve, offer daily community replies for an extra ₦25,000 to ₦40,000 per month.

4) Online tutoring and mini-courses

Teach WAEC or UTME subjects, Excel, Canva, or beginner coding. Charge ₦3,000 for a one-hour private lesson, or ₦4,000 per person for a small group, which means five learners bring ₦20,000 per hour.

A three-lesson Excel mini-course can be ₦9,000 per student. Provide slides, homework, a short quiz, and a simple certificate at the end. Parents’ groups, NYSC and university communities, and church youth platforms are good places to market.

Run classes on Google Meet, prepare slides in Google Slides, and assess work with Google Forms. Record your lessons later and sell replay access for ₦5,000 per learner.

5) Affiliate marketing

Recommend products you actually use and trust, and earn a commission when people buy through your link. Many programs pay between 2% and 15% per sale. Start by writing one helpful guide, such as “The ₦50,000 home-office setup” or “A gentle skincare routine under ₦20,000.”

Share it on a free site, on WhatsApp status, and in relevant Facebook groups. Be honest about pros and cons and include clear disclaimers so your audience trusts you.

Over time, build a small email list and send a weekly message with useful picks and deals.

6) Dropshipping and e-commerce setup

You can help shop owners fix product photos, listings, shipping rules, and payments, or you can sell a tiny catalogue without keeping stock yourself.

A fair consulting fee for a two-week store clean-up is ₦50,000. That should cover rewriting 10 listings, compressing images, improving menus, and testing the full checkout. If you choose dropshipping, aim for ₦2,000 to ₦5,000 profit per item and be very clear about delivery times.

Show clients a before-and-after report with faster page speed, clearer titles, sharper photos, and a short shipping FAQ. Target Instagram shops with poor listings and Jiji sellers who want a proper online store. As you grow, add simple phone product photography for an extra fee.

7) Digital marketing and basic SEO

Make small business websites faster and clearer and write content that answers common customer questions. A one-week fix that includes a homepage speed clean-up and two SEO articles can be priced at ₦45,000.

A monthly plan with on-page fixes, four articles, and a simple report can start at ₦120,000. Deliver a short speed report with before and after scores, a mini keyword list, updated pages, and the articles. Local services like plumbers, clinics, schools, estates, and caterers tend to see quick wins.

Use free tools such as PageSpeed Insights, Google Analytics, and Google Trends. Add a Google Business Profile setup with new photos for an extra ₦25,000 when clients are ready.