It is very possible to start a business with no capital. However, it depends on what you mean by no capital. We have this tendency of always thinking money is the key to everything. Money is necessary, but you is more important.

If you plan to start a business, think of you as the initial capital, not money. As yourself what you need to put in before seeking for solutions elsewhere. Once you think money is what is needed for you to start, you may never take the first step.

The passion, the zeal, the sacrifice and everything that it takes to make your business successful starts from you. That’s what I believe! You are your number one business capital (investment).

Raising capital for a business venture has always been a very big problem for every business. Those who want to engage into business in Cameroon are also facing the same problem – just like everyone else.

The business ideas are there, but funds to start is always lacking. At times, it just needs a little passion, persistence and perseverance for you to get your business started and not money.

Is it possible for one to start a business with no capital in Cameroon? That is possible!? Anyhow, checkout these 11 businesses you can start in Cameroon with little or no capital.

1. Internet-base businesses

Today, the Internet has become a great equalizer. It has leveled the playing ground for business. Anyone with a computer connected to the Internet can start making money online. There are many tools that you can use today to start up an Internet-based business with very little capital.

Read Also: 5 Online Business Models You Can Start In Cameroon

One nice thing with online businesses is that it needs very little experience. You don’t need any technical experience to start one. You can also do it from anywhere so long as you connected to the Internet.

Unlike our normal businesses, you may not need capital to start some of them. There are many Internet-based businesses out there that you can start. You will find some of them in this post as I’ll be updating

2. Blog for business

Let me warn you before hand – I am not talking about the get-rich-quick type of blogging. Anyone telling you that is a liar – a very big one. It took me three years to be where I am now.

You shouldn’t even think of starting a blog if you are not passionate about the niche you are going into. If you have a knack for writing, you can become a professional freelance blogger. It won’t restrict you from doing other businesses.

One the other hand, you can do like me – start your business with a blog. If you are passionate about your business and have very little capital, you could start by writing and sharing ideas about it.

This is great for self-development. Writing is all about research and research makes you to learn a lot about what you plan to do. There are many ways you can monetize your blog, no matter what niche you want to engage in.

Today, because of blogging, OpenHub Digital is able to expose your business to the public and potential customers by offering it’s content writing services. We offer offer to our clients high-quality search engine optimized content and social media marketing services.

If you are interested in blogging for business, you can get in touch with us.

3. Start a dropshipping business

Did you for once know that the time you use on social media sharing Likes and Hearts you could also make some money? Yes, you will make some money without sacrificing the fun of networking with friends.

This is not only adding value to yourself but making your network know that you are up to something. This can be done very easily. In fact, you don’t even need to have money to do that.

I consider you already have free data since you are browsing on social media. Take a stroll to the nearest market or commercial center. Get in touch with a local supplier who can accept dropshipping.

You don’t need stock or have to do delivery by yourself. You just have to negotiate with the shop owner and each time you customer places an order, you direct them to the shop or get the shop owner deliver to them.

I will be updating you with many tools you can use to run a dropshipping business. If you want to start now get in touch with us. Send us an email. Meanwhile you can also checkout this post I made on starting a dropshipping business with no capital.

4. Affiliate marketing

Another online business similar to dropshipping where you can share your social media data with and earn some cash in exchange. Affiliate marketing is the process where you earn a commission by marketing another person’s product or service.

As an affiliate, you just have to search for a product, promote it and then earn a part of the profit from each sale that you make. The essential work here is to drive sales that will help you generate online revenue.

Many bloggers use their platforms to earn some money by working as affiliates. It’s just one of the ways you can monetize your blog at the beginning. The sales from the affiliate are tracked through an affiliate link from one website to the other.

I will update you with some of the affiliate sites that I use on this post. So just be checking this out. Meanwhile if you want to start immediately, you can get in touch with us through info@openhubdigital.com.

You can become a freelance writer and provide your services to the many freelance sites like Upwork and Freelancer.

=> Freelance writer

5. Private tutoring

If you are a graduate or a teacher by training who is still looking for a job, then you already have that capital. Your education is your personal investment. This also works for full-time teachers who want to earn extra income.

You can make out extra hours after school for students who need extra classes at home. Take note that home schooling requires very competent teachers because they want to excel in their studies.

You can even organize these students around their neighborhoods at specific hours during the week to teach or coach them. If you are comfortable with technology, you can even organize online classes using various free tools.

You can list your services as a private home teacher in Cameroon for free on Nexus Listings.

6. Job board for home teachers?

As a home teacher, you can even go to the extent of turning this into a business. You can start a job board for home teachers where parents will just need to go online and subscribe for your services.

Teachers can also subscribe on the job board. You can charge membership fees as well as get commissions for sending teachers to specific homes. There are various ways you can monetize this business.

If you are interested in starting a job board for home teachers, you can get in touch with us. We offer HR solutions for companies, job sites and recruiters. If you are looking forward to build a job site, you can get in touch with us.

Our software is packed with powerful features, mobile friendly, secured database with cloud storage, intuitive admin panel and numerous themes. You can login wherever, whenever and with any device.

If you are interested in running a job board for teachers in Cameroon, send us a mail and we can discuss further.

7. Handyman services

In Cameroon, they are usually called maçon. They are skilled in a wide range of home repairs around the home. They got skills in both interior and exterior repair works and maintenance. It could be painting, plumbing, gardening and so on.

You can find such people around Carrefour Maçon at Bonamoussadi, Douala. Their jobs include plumbing, electricity, gardening, cleaning, and so on. There are enough resources online that can help you to become a professional handyman.

You can read do-it-yourself articles, watch videos on YouTube and read guide books for self-development. There are people who are also born with such skills and others are very lacking even if they acquire training.

List Your Handyman Services on Nexus Listings Now!

8. Handyman business

In every business, there is evolution. You maybe called a jack-of-all-trade and master of known today, but if you love doing it, you can evolve into something better. Just like the home tutor can later on start a job board for home teachers, so a handyman can start something similar.

Many homes usually neglect repair works not because they don’t have money but because they don’t have time or may not know who can do such. I don’t know why I find it difficult to call an electrician to come fit a socket on my wall.

What about calling a plumber to come and tighten the joints of a pipe that drips in the bathroom, This happens to many people not because they can’t do it, but because they feel it’s too small to displace a technician.

However, if people know there is a site that they can click and get in touc with someone who can do this, they will do so. Technology has changed a lot of things and many people use their phones to get services.

If you are interested to start your own freelance site or job board for technicians, send us a mail and we will put you through. Our recruitment software is one of Africa’s number one.

It is not only easy to setup, easy to use, but has an intuitive admin panel from where you can manage jobs as well as see all those who maybe qualified to handle it. If you are interested, we are just an inbox away.

9. Activities that can be Done at the Home of Clients

There are certain activities that can be done at the home of clients. Such activities need little or no capital in the strictest sense. Hairdressing and beauty, massage services at home, and many others. Usually, female students in secondary schools offer services like plaiting during the weekends. It is a weekly job, though payment is not much, it could help them cover some of their expenses.

10. Middleman or Commercial Agent

These are intermediary activities. That is, you work as a middleman or commercial agent on commission. Examples include selling of houses or independent commercial agents.

11. Intellectual Activities – Coaching & Training

This falls in the line of advisory and training services. These are knowledge activities whereby you sell advise for money. Small business advisory services, business plan writing, offering training at home or in offices, etc

12. Home Businesses

There are certain businesses that can be run from home. Naturopath, massage therapy, etc

13. Hairdressing / braiding

There are certain activities that can be done at the home of clients. Such activities need little or no capital in the strictest sense. It’s more about passion, talent, practice. At times you may need to go for a short training to polish your skill.

Hairdressing and beauty, massage services at home, and many others. Usually, female students in secondary schools offer services like plaiting during the weekends. It is a weekly job, though payment is not much, it could help them cover some of their expenses.

I also know a full-time teacher who does braids as her weekend job. Her clients are not only children but high-class women who prefer going natural. In fact she once there are more months she earns double what her permanent job pays her.

14. Software distributor or reseller

A software distributor or reseller is one who sells software or apps to end users. The person in effect becomes a link between the software developer and the user.

This one may seem new, but will be very profitable if you work hard. There are many apps and software out there developed by Cameroonians which many are yet to know.

App developers may not be marketers, reason you rarely find these apps being marketed. I have written about two or three apps / software developed by Cameroonians here and the traffic I get is surprising.

Becoming a software distributor or reseller is not that difficult. You don’t need to be a techie to do that, though you have to understand how electronic software distribution works. You can sign up for an affiliate or reseller program or better still sign a direct contract with the developer.

15. Money transfer services made easy with Touch Pay

Someone got to me on this platform after reading this post. She asked me if I can help her with a business idea which she can start with 50,000fcfa. If she is reading, then maybe this could be a solution.

I am still to find a statistics that shows the role the call box and mobile money transfer business plays in the economy of Cameroon. However, I know one thing – this business puts food on the table of many.

There’s innovation in every sector and this has not left this sector aside. The things we imagine actually bear fruits when we make them practical. There is a sigh of relief for owners and newcomers in this business.

Just imagine doing mobile money and airtime transfers (for all operators) on one phone! Let me put it better – all these transactions just with a touch on your smart phone screen.

I am talking about carrying out …

• MTN & Orange mobile money, YUP, Express Union Mobile
• Orange, Yoomee Mobile & Nexttel airtime transfer
• Express Union, WorldRemit (coming soon) money transfers
• Insurance, service payments & prepaid cards (coming soon)

… using just one phone – your own phone.

If you’re interested in Touch Pay, fill the form below to get more information or checkout You can start this business with 50000fcfa in Cameroon

You may have been wanting to start a business with no capital, however, this needs just a little capital. You can start with Cameroon and extend to other countries in Africa. It’s very easy for you to go international with such a business if you work hard.

If you want to start an electronic software reseller or distribution business, get in touch with us for a ‘Step-by-step software distribution or reseller business model’.