How to Import Rainy-Season Items In Nigeria And Make Millions As An Entrepreneur

Credited by Nigerian Punch 

We know that the heavens will begin to bless the land with showers of rain from March. Have you taken a stand yet on how to reap from its bountiful blessings? Then take a ride with us to have a clear view of the business landscape.

My two male church members understood how important the land was after facing their hard life in this country. They need farming to sow for their stomach or for sales during the rainy season.

Now, you are about to look into a business that can fetch you over N2m profit less total cost, within a few months. Let us have Emeka's view about the rains and the products that have high demand during the season. You can not ignore this opportunity.

According to his experience, "Despite the seasonal nature of the business, the sales of umbrella, flip flops, rain-coats, rain-boosts,, rain ponchos, rubber shoes, and sandals, etc have high potential to leverage any entrepreneur into financial freedom, such that I will not know lack ever again".

The level you decide to operate from either as a retailer, a distributor or wholesaler or contractor greatly determines your returns.

Nowadays, no one should limit his/her potential, move and fashion out the connections for deals, seek financial backings and soar.

The Battle For Survival In Business

The Battle for survival is rife or most frequent in the financial sectors. That is exactly what obtains in the manufacturing and other industries. Reasons for the stiff-necked competition are not far-fetched.

One: Competitive manufacturers are producing similar goods with branding as the only visible difference.

Two: They serve the same market.

Three: They are exposed to the same hostile operating environment.

To have an edge over others, many of these organizations are doling out and pioneering consumer-friendly products and packages. 

However, it doesn't last long before competitors bring up closely-knitted alternatives for a share of the market.

Prepare Your Products For The Rainy Seasons

The interesting and rewarding aspect of the rainy season is that it is an avenue for cheap publicity and companies are preparing it with a budget.

For example, if you live in the cities, you must have seen an umbrella with a company name and logo. You must have seen a company's products printed on an umbrella.

The business of supplying branded umbrellas to organisations has come to stay. The large sales of the market during the rainy season are expected to be at a peak. Rain boots, rubber shoes and sandals, including raincoats can be sourced from local producers. 

But anyone who sets up a factory to produce umbrella need to seek government's assistance to banning importation from Asian countries.

Asian umbrellas made with plastics, woods, fabrics and steels are not what we produce locally today. We need to copy this Asian umbrellas as an example. 

How Much Do You Make Money From The Rainy Seasons?

For example, as a major importer a person, cost of freight and other logistics in 2000s, added up, a unit of medium sized umbrella(branded or not) arrived his warehouse at N200.

In the hand of hawkers (retailers), this same size of umbrella was sold for about N350 on cash and carry basis; large quantity buyers can obtain the item for about N220.

The same can be sold on contract to organizations(branded) at N350 or N400 a unit. 

A single deal to supply 20,000 pieces with a mark-up price of N80 was enough to fetch an entrepreneur a profit of N1million.

The one that is able to strive for three contracts within the period is rich already, with about N3 million.

That is how experienced importers of sandals, umbrella, raincoats, etc become a millionaire today. Elected politicians need umbrella, T-shirts, caps for campaign in race. 

That gives you the opportunity to walk as a designer in print or a screen printer or an importer if you know you can get contracts any where.

Through enquires you learn from experienced importers, you will certainly get to know them for business transactions.

Local screen printers will have a swell time branding umbrellas, T-shirts, caps, etc locally. What obtains is to get a sample across to the factory of the manufacturer.

With this, you do not need to travel any distance with physical sample. Simply take a photography of the information and attach it to your e-mail to the factory. Your email will get to them there in seconds.

Import Rainy-season Items As An Entrepreneur

As an entrepreneur, you can decide to import the items yourself. Where your goods are not up to a container load, fill it with assorted made of items which you will sell to the public.

You may engage existing retailers when it comes to dealing with the public or recruit your own sales force. 

This is the time for all preliminary activities, not when the rains have arrived.

While the season lasts and terminates, sellers are able to recoup invested funds if they start early.

However, unsold stocks may only attract cost of warehousing but the items are not perishable; no expiration date, and they are portable to keep or carry. 

Boost Your Profits

You can boost your profits in the trade by exploiting to the fullest the market potentials.

You should have other products alongside umbrellas, raincoats, waterproof boots, sandals, rain jackets, towels, waterproof backpack, mosquito repellents, tissues, rain suits, rucksacks, etc.

Okada riders and pedestrians alike need raincoats, see the burgeoning Okada business as a segment to satisfy with raincoats. 

You can capture the market by providing them with a special brand of umbrella. Write lovely captions like "Am playing my role", "Okada, helping you beat traffic", and so on.

Raincoats can be customized for organisations and institutions. They don't spoil while in store, they are durable too.

You could earn the same measure of profit as umbrella when contracted to supply to companies.

In the riverine area, using rain-boosts is the norm during the raining season, which is an existing market. 

A common feature for rubber sandals nowadays is that school pupils wear them as substitutes to leather sandals. 

Therefore, investing in the rubber sandals trade is not limited by seasonal sales. Meet local producers and book ahead for the products.

Final Thoughts 

Where you decide to trade on these products and to assure yourself of multiple streams of income, you need more hands, especially for marketing.

Employ them and give them targets. Remember to reward adequately for good services where that is the case.

Attending to the needs of corporate entities alone makes you a millionaire within one season of rains.

You need the connections, but never know this opportunity existed until now? 

Wishing you all the best!