For many women, building a business in Nigeria often means hustling in markets or running a small shop, hoping for steady customers. Even then, women balance this with family pressures and NEPA wahala. Yet, many are doing the unexpected to get ahead with their businesses.
The power of automated online businesses cannot be overestimated. Simple websites, Instagram reels and Chowdeck are helping women make a lot of money even without big investors. They use free tools and pure grit to create brands that pay bills and fuel dreams. We spoke to 4 women who will make you rethink how you use social media as a business owner.
“I grew to 8000 followers in six months by posting daily” – Temi*, 26
What kick-started your business?
After NYSC, I was broke, crashing at my aunt’s place in Ikeja. I knew how to make waist beads from cheap glass for ₦2k, ₦3k. One time, I attended a trade fair and sold up to ₦15k, but I spent half of the money on transportation.
It clicked when I later saw one babe selling crochet pieces on IG-Live, people were really flooding her comments with orders, and I asked myself why it couldn’t be me. This was 2022, and I decided that I would do something about my situation, so I shot this unclear Reel with my sister’s phone, put so many taglines and posted it. At the end of the week, I had closed three orders in my IG DMs.
How did social media grow your business?
Instagram basically became my online shop. I grew to 8,000 followers in six months by posting styling tips, customer unboxing videos and generally funny videos about waistbeads, every day. I used my IG stories for flash sales and gave discounts to the first 10 buyers.
Something I’ve noticed is that the algorithm loves consistency, so it got to a point where I started batch creating content. I would schedule them and go about my life offline. Now, 70-80% of my sales in a month are IG leads.
“My revenue went from ₦100k to ₦800k monthly” – Funmi*, 26
What pushed you to go digital?
My baking business started in my mom’s house in 2020, during the lockdown. I was an entry-level banker, but I was so bored. I started by making chin-chin and cupcakes for my neighbours, maxing at 20 orders per week.
In 2023, I posted a video of one of my cakes crumbling on TikTok with a funny caption and catchy music. I went to sleep and woke up with ₦50k views. It was so insane and unexpected for me. My DM was crazy during that period. I had so many orders, and that was how I knew that I wasn’t using social media nearly enough.
How did using Chowdeck improve your business?
After my video went viral and I started getting orders, I signed up on Chowdeck. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made for my business till now. Using Chowdeck means that I don’t have to worry much about logistics, so I can focus on baking.
I went from an average of 10-20 orders weekly to almost 200 because of Chowdeck and TikTok. My TikTok bio links to my Chowdeck profile, so it makes it convenient for people who find me on there. My revenue jumped from ₦100k to ₦800k monthly, and I had to get a few extra hands to keep up with all the orders I was getting.
“I got 20k followers by posting reels of my sewing timelapses” – Ada*, 28
What challenges did you experience trying to scale your business online?
I used to make clothes out of Ankara scraps in Enugu, and in a month, I was making like ₦30k, getting referrals by word of mouth. At some point, I started following fashion content creators on Instagram and TikTok. I was so inspired by the work I saw Toyin Lawani and Veekee James putting out there. They would post their process, and I decided to go the same route. I got 20k followers by posting reels of my sewing time-lapses and outfits.
Content creation with little to no resources was really discouraging, but I continued. Thankfully, my followers started growing steadily, and orders increased. But overpromising caused delays, and it wasn’t really long before I started getting bad reviews. Trolls would also DM with captions like “Nice top”, then ghost me. God, it was so annoying. The cost of data also really drained me. Uploading videos isn’t cheap at all.
So what did you do about these issues?
For one, I started charging 50% upfront to filter trolls and fake orders. I used Google Calendar and Trello to track my orders and delivery dates. I partnered up with a delivery company to help me handle orders outside Enugu.
I did my best to run my business in a way that was organised. I started engaging with most of the comments on my socials, and I think it reduced the way people criticised what I was doing. I even started noticing repeat commentators. I currently make ₦500k every month, so data is no longer an issue. I’m also saving up for my own place.
“My in-laws told me that thrift is a business for the poor…I make ₦400k monthly now” – Ngozi*, 34
What digital tools helped you scale your business?
Definitely Jiji. I used to sell second-hand clothes from bales for like ₦1k-₦2k profit, but in 2021, my younger cousin showed me Jiji. The day I started, I posted 10 items in the morning and sold 5 in less than 6 hours. I added the Facebook marketplace for local pickups. I got a simple website and used GIG for nationwide delivery. I make ₦400k monthly now.
How did your family react to this?
I wasn’t struggling at any point financially; my parents and husband were my backbones. But I wanted more, I wanted to do business and make my own money. My in-laws told me that thrift is a business for the poor. I proved them wrong, obviously.
These four Nigerian women turned their passion, consistency and grit into sustainable incomes. By leveraging viral moments, daily Reels and staying on top of logistic issues, they’ve proven that with creativity and determination, social media can actually pay your bills. If you’ve been skeptical about getting on the social media train, here’s your sign to do it!
Next Read: Ambitious Women Aren’t the Problem, Gender Norms Are
