In stationery business, the term stationery encompasses every bit of paper that your company uses in communicating with its customers and associates. That means letterhead, envelopes, invoices, shipping labels, calling cards, calendars and presentation folders — to name just a few.
steps needed to start the stationery business
Budget –
Starting a stationery business is very cost-effective one needs to have a budget of 200 thousand to 1 million naira before starting the business the amount of money needed in the business solely depends on the scale of the business. the scale of business meaning whether you would want to start small or starts big and also location plays a huge role in the budget of the business as well as size of the shop. Most shops can cost as high as 500,000 to rent and others as low as 100,000 to rent. These factors are solely dependent on location and size of the shop. Other landlords may choose to make their properties easily accessible to any class of tenants by opting to take a monthly rent instead of a yearly one which can be very helpful to businessman seeking to get low cost shops for themselves.
Another factor to consider when getting a shop is the cost of furnishing, furnishings such as shelves, electronics, chairs and any other effects needed to make the shop fully functional and comfortable may cost a deal of money. Payment of staff salaries is also a factor to consider but the average stationery shop rarely needs more than two people to run it on a day-to-day basis.
Business Registration –
Registration of businesses in Nigeria is very important not just from a legal standpoint but also from the view of the customer a registered business is a trusted business. This alone gives the customer much confidence to buy as much as they would want without fear of being swindled. registration of business is also important if you plan on being in the business for a long time, from say 2 to 20 years. The tax system in Nigeria is slowly getting intense and the tax offices such as FIRS are steadily making it difficult for individuals who own businesses that aren’t registered to function peacefully. Business registration is therefore important for the businessman in order to function and run his business with complete peace of mind. However, if you will be manufacturing your own product, one of the requirements by the Nigerian law is that you are registered as a business before you commence production. You can do this by learning how to register with CAC visiting the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) via CAC official site and with a meagre amount of money and a few days, you will be a fully registered business.
Renting a Shop –
A very important factor to take note of when going into the stationery business is that one needs to rent a space that is closest to the customer. In a manner of speaking the businessman has to bring the business to the doorstep of his customers. The perfect location would be a place where more than 2 to 5 schools or offices are in close proximity to each other, this would make it ideal in order to reach a larger customer base with very little effort. workers, parents and children should be able to access the stationary shop without having to go far away from their workplace or their school or place of work. After this has been sorted out one now needs to rent a shop according to the budgets at hand so as not to overspend on rent. It is important to work with them your budget and get the best out of it as stationery shops rarely need much aesthetics.
Design and Furnishing –
Stationery shops don’t really need excessive furnishing, one just needs to focus on a number of shelves, a showcase, a store and also the electronics and wiring.
Purchasing Stationeries –
When the furnishing is done the next step is the purchase of stationeries from a dealer that deals in wholesale buying from a retailer would not help in getting the amount of profits needed to give the business a turn over. When buying stationeries one needs to have in mind the needs of a wide customer base both the rich customers and the poor customers.
Business Strategies –
Business strategies when running a stationery business are just like every other business.
- Sending proposals to schools and offices is a good way to let people know that you exist and you can provide the needs.
- Offering discounts put you in direct competition with any other stationery shop in the area, this technique is used to destabilise the market in your favour.
- Doing giveaways mostly works with schools and is a great way to win the hearts of students, for example giving one pen, sharpener or eraser free when a certain amount of books are purchased from you.
- Attending school parties and having a stand in the party arena.
The stationery business is one that is very profitable even though capital-intensive but with hard work and a good business acumen and innovation success is definitely certain.
How much does it cost to start a stationery business?
The cost to start a stationery business costs significantly less money than most businesses, ranging anywhere from N10,000 to N70,000.
Is stationery business profitable in Nigeria?
Stationery business is very profitable, the profit is from 30% and above. It is very possible to sell a book you bought #50 at the rate of #150 especially if you imported the item. Wholesale stationery dealers make a lot of profits because they sell in volumes.
top 10 stationery suppliers in Nigeria:
We will now consider the top ten stationery suppliers in Nigeria and these are:
1. QPM Stationery Nigeria
This is one of the biggest online stationary suppliers in Nigeria. QPM Stationery Nigeria offers Wholesale and Retail Stationery, Educational Materials, Office Supplies, Office Equipment & Machines and a variety of business, graphics, communication etc. services to Nigeria plus International customers.
QPM is welled equipped with the most modern equipment and business machines, staffed by highly trained and well-motivated employees. As such, QPM Stationery and Business Center Nigeria is guaranteed to provide you with Quality Stationery, Support, Office Machines, and Office Supplies that your business needs to succeed in a competitive Nigeria and global market.
So, do you need office and stationery supplies at a very moderate and affordable rate? If yes, then QPM is the answer.
2. Starbase Ventures
Second on our list is STARBASE VENTURES. StarBase Ventures NIGERIA is an up to date and fast growing marketing and distribution company that have and maintains a source of bulk purchase and supply of office and school stationeries based on customer’s request. This equally means that they serve as a B2B & B2C platform for all local and international manufacturers or suppliers who want to leverage from our resources to increase sales world-wide. StarBase ventures is a highly certified company so you one should not have any doubt in mind while shopping with this company.
3. Office Everyday
Office everything is another uprising online stationery shop in Nigeria. They supply all stationery materials including envelopes, cut papers, continuous form paper, letterheads, business cards, cases, invitation cards, writing implements plus other office supplies at both wholesale and retail rates. You can also take a good advantage of their current discount on every of their product, order for your stationeries now and get a wonderful price slash on every item you buy. Office everything is also a protected and certified online shop, so have no doubt while having any transaction with them.
4. Office Land
Office land Nigeria are suppliers of foreign and locally made stationeries. They are suppliers of both wholesale and retail products. Office land supply very high quality products ranging from envelopes, cut papers, continuous form paper, letterheads, business cards, cases, invitation cards, writing implements plus other office supplies like office chairs, tables, cameras, cd’s, decoration texts and many other materials at both wholesale and retail rates. You can equally take advantage of their current discount of about 5% on every product purchased with them.
5. Gloo
Gloo is an electronic retailing service and corporate procurement engine dedicated to delivering direct to the doorsteps of her customers, on a same-day basis and at very affordable prices, a wide variety of high quality brands of supermarket goods. Gloo provides her clients very convenient, very efficient and very affordable means of shopping for supermarket goods, saving them irreplaceable time, needless stress and valuable money, thereby enriching their lives with the happiness these savings facilitate.
Gloo is more than an online ecommerce site, their most interesting feature has to be the same day delivery system (meaning you don’t have to waste your time waiting for your goods after ordering them).
6. Wholesome Nigeria
Wholesale Nigeria term their self the number one online wholesale super mart in Nigeria. Well, I don’t know how true that claim is but I just know they are one of the best online suppliers of stationeries. They stock a wide range of products in different retail market spheres including kid stores, clothing stores, supermarkets, electronic shops, party shops and beauty shops. Wholesale Nigeria came into existence with the mission of supplying quality wholesale and retail products at a very moderate rate and in time.
7. Vanaplus
Vanaplus is a member of the Vanaplus Group. Vanamus are known for stocking quality Stationery, Office, School & General Supplies, Computers & Accessories, Books, Gifts, Media and so much more. They deal with renowned brands of the above-listed categories, they have numerous customers that have been relying on their sales support and warranties. Came into existence in Dec. 2004, The Company has since grown into a significant member of the Vanaplus Group. Their mission of existence in the corporate world is to have an impact on living and life as a whole. Allow Vanaplus take you on an expedition through their very best available in stationery, computers, and office, school & general supplies with value-added services, prompt delivery, and great customer experience.
8. Adautin stores
Adautin stores Nigeria term their self as the biggest online wholesale super stores in Nigeria. Well, I don’t know how true that claim is but I just know they are one of the best online suppliers of stationeries. They stock a wide range of products in different retail market spheres including kid stores, clothing stores, supermarkets, electronic shops, party shops and beauty shops. Adautin stores Nigeria came into being with the mission of supplying quality wholesale and durable retail products at a very moderate rate and in time.
9. Plus 1 Store
Plus one stores stocks a wide range stationery materials such as, envelopes, cut papers, continuous form paper, letterheads, business cards, cases, invitation cards, writing implements plus other office supplies at both wholesale and retail rates. Their prices are moderate and also their quick delivery system makes them one of the most reliable online stationery store.
10. Starnet
The last but certainly not least on our list is Starnet. Well stocked with stuffs like cut papers, continuous form paper, letterheads, business cards, cases, invitation cards, writing implements plus other office supplies like office chairs, tables, cameras, cd’s, decoration texts and so much more.
The list to what they supply is just endless and their delivery system is equally very fast. Enjoy your stationary shopping today with Starnet.
Steps To Buy Stationery Online
Buying the right stationery may prove very difficult especially if you don’t have any knowledge about exactly or the specific quality you need. In this very century stationery are becoming much more easier to buy because of the presence of internet. The internet has now make it quite easy to buy just whatever you want with a very few steps, in fact you now can have fun while shopping, the stress of getting to walk far distance in looking for what you want have been drastically cut down. We are going to show you the various steps to take should you intend to buy stationery online. Before you start you surely need an internet enabled device, say, mobile phone, tablet or computer.
STEP 1: Enter The Site Adress On Your Browser
Open your browser, with your mobile phone, computer or tablet and type in the site address on where you have enter URL/Search, that is, www.jumia.com.ng for people shopping around Nigeria and www.jumia.com for others. The site will display as configured for your device (mobile, tablets and computer).
STEP 2: Login or Register
If you already had an account with the online shop (jumia) then you need to login, if not, then you need to register and confirm your account. Click on the login button (usually on the top right side of your screen). If you fail to login before you start shopping, you surely will be asked to login or register before you complete any purchase.
STEP 3: Go to Categories
This is where you will have to select the category of things you want to shop. Usually on the left side of your screen, select HOME & OFFICE from the list of items displayed there. After selecting home & office you will have another menu displaying like furniture, kitchen, appliance, tool and home improvement. Under them are other stuffs to select from.
STEP 4: Check and Add Item Cart
Select the item that you want, check out the price and specification if the stationery meet your requirement then click on BUY, that will automatically add the selected product to the shopping cart. You can check and select as many items that you want.
STEP 5: Click on the Cart to Confirm Your Purchase
The cart is usually located at the top right corner of your screen. Click on it and all the items you selected will display and the total amount. You also have the freedom to remove the ones you feel is irrelevant or you don’t need them again. Click on confirm buy, usually on the bottom right of your screen. A form will be displayed asking for your credential (your current location, phone number and others).
Next up is delivery, usually after three day depending on the product supplies.