Some of the petty trades generate rapid turnover and about 100 per cent profit.

It is holiday time, another occasion for grown-up holiday makers to gather pocket money for the 2014/2015 school year. Many leave their houses daily in search of holiday jobs that are not easy to come by. Apart from holiday jobs in some municipal councils and enterprises that assures students of their back-to-school needs, some holiday makers venture into petit businesses that generate high earnings.

Some of the businesses that give up to 100 per cent gain not taking into consideration the trekking part of it, include the sale of boiled groundnuts, oranges, sachet water and umbrellas. The latter is sold in huge quantity especially as it rains each day in the economic capital.

Leonard Njika, a Form Four student of PCHS Bamenda on holiday in Douala, said boiled groundnuts hawking is profitable. “I buy groundnuts for FCFA 3,000 each day and make a profit of at least FCFA 2,500,” he revealed. Leonard, who has been hawking for about one month now, has already kept FCFA 60,000 in his locally made plank bank. The secret, Leonard said, is to buy good-looking groundnuts.

He said well-washed groundnuts catch the attention of customers who buy more than they previewed. He also recommends that a species of groundnut known as “village groundnuts” is liked by many since they say it tastes better compared to other types. Another student, Sandrine K. who sells peeled oranges says she makes FCFA 3,000 in profit daily in every FCFA 4,000 purchase.

Since oranges are a bit heavy to carry, Sandrine says she stations in busy commercial areas until she sells a reasonable quantity. It is only after then that she starts hawking the rest while tracing her way home.

The sale of sachet water, plastic buckets, shower caps and other petit articles is as well profitable. However, hawkers should beware of the so-called “big boys” who might even harass them after consuming their commodities.