How to Start a VTU Business with N1,000 in Nigeria

Finding work can be a huge challenge, especially during a pandemic like COVID-19. Some employers are even cutting down salaries. This means that you will need some extra income.

One of the ways you can raise that extra income is to start a side business. What better business to start than a VTU business in Nigeria? Surely, this isn’t the first time you are hearing about this.

VTU businesses cater to customers who need to pay for data bundles, airtime recharge, electricity bills, cable subscriptions, etc. Guess what, you can start this business with just N1000. Read on to learn how.

Explaining VTU and how it works

What exactly is VTU? VTU is an acronym that stands for Virtual Top Up. Many people also know this business as Recharge and get paid. It is one of the most famous businesses among young individuals in Nigeria.

So how does this business work? It involves a dealer recharging the line of the service subscriber through the dealer’s account number. This process doesn’t require the use of a recharge card or USSD code.

Why start a VTU business in Nigeria?

You must be wondering why you should start a VTU business in Nigeria. There are tons of reasons why but let’s share a few with you.

Instant notifications

When you carry out a transaction, the client receives a notification almost instantly. With this, you are sure that there will be no arguments with your clients.

Convenience and security

The VTU business is one that offers you lots of convenience and security. You can run your business from any location and you don’t even need to meet the client physically. The business is also very secure since you have security codes that protect each transaction.

Requires little capital

This business is perfect for individuals who don’t have so much funds to begin. With as low as N1000, you can start a VTU business in Nigeria. We will show you how before the end of this post.

High demand

People will rather make purchases from their homes than step out. VTU business meets this need which is why there is a high demand for its services. Another reason for the high demand is the flexibility of the platform. You can recharge less than N100 using VTU. Of course, you cannot buy any recharge cards from vendors at that amount.

How to start VTU business with N1000

By now, you must be itching to know how to start VTU business with N1000. We will show you how in this section. So far, we have established one fact, this business is one of the cheapest to start and run in Nigeria.

Here’s all you need to start your VTU business:

An internet-enabled device

This business cannot run without an internet connection. You need a device that connects to the internet. Most people make use of a smartphone for this purpose. You’ll also need to subscribe to internet services with any of the service providers in the country.

Instant messaging account

You need an account through which your clients can reach you. Like we stated above, many times, you will attend to customers virtually. As such, you should have Whatsapp, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts.

Funds/Capital

This business isn’t one that requires much capital. With as low as N1000, you can start your VTU business.

A physical shop

Though this is optional, it works well for this business. People tend to trust you more when you have a physical store even if they’ll never come there. You can partner with a phone or phone accessories seller to share their stand if you don’t have enough funds.

Cheapest VTU Platform in Nigeria

For now, the cheapest VTU platform in Nigeria is Jumia. It presents you with an app known as the Jumia One app. Once you register on this platform, you can start running your VTU business. the steps below should make the process easy:

Step 1 – Go to the Jumia official website to register. If you have been looking for how to register as a VTU agent, that’s your clue. Within a few minutes, you should be done.

Step 2 – Download Jumia One to your smartphone.

Step 3 – Log in using your registration details on Jumia (from step 1).

Step 4 – Pick the service you need. There is a wide range including airtime recharge, cable TV subscription, and electricity bills. In this case, we will work with airtime recharge.

After doing these, you are ready to begin your VTU business. Now, let’s show you how to start selling.

Step 1 – Select Airtime from the options on Jumia One.

Step 2 – Choose the service provider that you want to top up.

Step 3 – Provide the phone number of the customer and enter the amount of airtime they need.

Step 4 – You’ll see a confirmation page that requires you to provide your ATM card details. This page also requires you to approve the transaction. After confirming, click/tap on “Pay Now.”

Step 5 – Provide the OTP sent to your mobile phone via SMS to affirm that you initiated the transaction.

Step 6 – The transaction is done and both you and the customer receive a notification.

Do you know that you can make between 3% and 5% of the amount you recharge depending on the amount?

Profitability of the VTU Business in Nigeria

After all the interesting gist about starting a VTU business in Nigeria, you must be wondering about the profitability of the idea. We already told you that you can make between 3% and 5% on each recharge.

If you sell N1000 daily and earn 3% (worst case scenario), you’ll get N30 daily. This means that in a month (30 days), you’d make up to 90% profit. Of course, you should be selling a lot more after your first week. See how profitable this business is?

Conclusion

Now that you have an understanding of the VTU business in Nigeria, you should make efforts to start. The opportunities are boundless so there’s no need to waste any more time.