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Your startup plan — validated idea, costs, registration steps & first-customers plan

The capstone project for Start a Small Business in Nigeria — a free Business course. Pass it and you earn a certificate anyone can verify.

Start the course free Download the project workbook

The project unlocks once you complete the lessons. The workbook is free to download now so you can see exactly what is expected.

What you will submit

A single shared Google Doc link (or pasted text) containing a startup plan with: (1) a one-sentence validated idea plus demand evidence and one price/competitor finding, (2) itemised startup costs with a total, a profit-based selling price, and money-separation, (3) registration steps (Business Name vs LTD, chosen name + backup, TIN/permit note), and (4) a first-customers plan covering operations model, warm-network outreach, trust-building, delivery and payment confirmation.

What to do, step by step

  1. Pick ONE real business idea that sits in your own sweet spot — something with real demand that fits your skills and the capital you actually have. Write it as one clear sentence: who the customer is, what problem you solve, and how you make money.
  2. Show DEMAND EVIDENCE that you validated it cheaply: do at least one real thing (a WhatsApp/community poll, conversations with several target customers about their actual behaviour, or — best — a pre-sale attempt) and record what you found, including one price/competitor finding from a place like Jumia, Instagram or a local market.
  3. Work out the MONEY: an itemised startup-cost list with a total and a small contingency; your selling price with the FULL cost behind it (item + transport + packaging + overhead share) and the margin it leaves; and one line confirming you will keep business and personal money separate (e.g. a dedicated/corporate account).
  4. Write the REGISTRATION & COMPLIANCE steps for your business: whether you'll register a CAC Business Name or a Limited Company (and why), your chosen business name plus a backup (state that you'd run a CAC name-availability search), and a note on getting a TIN and any specific permit your business needs (e.g. NAFDAC for packaged food).
  5. Write a FIRST-CUSTOMERS plan: your operations model (WhatsApp/online, physical, or blended, with a reason), how you'll reach your first 10 customers from your warm network and 1–2 platforms, how you'll build trust (real photos, testimonials, clear terms), and how delivery and payment-confirmation will work.
  6. Put everything in one shared Google Doc (set link sharing to 'anyone with the link can view') with clearly labelled sections — idea + demand evidence, the money, registration & compliance, and the first-customers plan — and submit the link. (If you'd rather, you may paste the full plan as text instead.)

Files to work with

Project workbook (fill in, then submit)The whole brief, an evidence checklist, the grading rubric as a self-check and the link-sharing steps in one file. Opens in Word, Google Docs or WPS.Word · 7 KB

How it is graded

CriterionWeight
Idea is clearly stated in one sentence and sits in a real sweet spot — genuine demand, a fitting skill, and capital the founder actually has20%
Demand evidence is real and specific — an actual poll, conversations or pre-sale recorded, plus one concrete price/competitor finding, not vague claims25%
The money is sound — itemised startup costs with a total and contingency, a selling price built on FULL costs that leaves a real margin, and a clear plan to separate business and personal money25%
Registration & compliance steps are correct and specific — Business Name vs LTD chosen with a reason, a name (plus backup) to availability-check on CAC, and a TIN/permit note15%
First-customers plan is practical — a justified operations model, concrete warm-network and platform outreach, trust-building, and a clear delivery/payment-confirmation approach15%

You need 65% overall to pass. A failed submission comes back with feedback and can be revised and resubmitted.

Before you submit: make your link public

If your work lives in Google Drive or Google Docs, open Share → General access and change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link” (Viewer). Then paste the link into a private browser window: if it opens without sign-in, you are ready. A private link cannot be graded — it is the single most common reason a good project fails.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to finish Start a Small Business in Nigeria before submitting the project?

Yes. The submission screen opens once every lesson in Start a Small Business in Nigeria is marked complete. The lessons are where the methods, the Nigerian context and the worked examples the project depends on are taught.

How is the project graded?

An examiner scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 100 and weights them as shown on this page; you need 65% overall to pass. Most submissions are graded within minutes and you get written feedback on what was strong and what to improve.

Can I resubmit if I fail?

Yes. A failed project comes back with feedback; revise the weak parts and resubmit. A passed project is final — the certificate is issued and cannot be re-rolled.

What do I actually submit?

A write-up of what you did (under 5,000 characters) plus a public link to your work — a Google Drive folder, Google Doc, spreadsheet, GitHub repository or video. The link must open without sign-in; a private link cannot be graded. The free project workbook on this page walks you through all 6 steps.

Is the certificate real?

Yes. Passing this project issues a certificate with a unique verification code. Anyone — an employer, a client, a school — can open the verification page and see that the certificate is genuine and which project earned it.

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Ready to earn this certificate?

Start a Small Business in Nigeria is free and self-paced. Finish the lessons, complete this project, and the certificate is yours to share.

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