Innovation and energy are a standard for all college students, but some may not use their full potential during their college years. Many startups start at this stage in life due to the free flow of thought and creativity that is cultivated in universities, and the fact that college students can avoid the constraints of families, bills, and jobs 9 to 5 years ago. your time in college matures to start a business.
With the amount of college debt that students are racking up these days, it’s the perfect time for an ambitious young man to think entrepreneurially. And while many students will not have the ability to invest thousands of dollars in a business, technology can provide several opportunities for college students to launch a business for very little startup costs. College students can (and should) take advantage of their carefree living situation to embrace and develop a business that teaches them the fundamentals of running a business. And if they are lucky, their ventures may even provide some security for their current and future finances.
Business ideas for college students
With a full number of courses in college, it is difficult for many students to find the time to commute to a job or even have a set schedule with a local company, but the following businesses can be started and operated from a college dorm or apartment with a minimal investment except your own time and skills.
Let’s take a look at some easy-to-start and manage startups that college students with limited resources can launch.
1. Tutoring
This is the classic university project. Everyone has a subject in which they excel, so use that experience to make some cash on the side. You can advertise through social media and get paid by the hour or by assignment. Not only will you earn money, but you’ll feel great about helping others with their grades. But don’t forget to look beyond your college for tutoring services. If you did well on the SAT or ACT tests , you could go to local high schools and offer your services.
If you are organized and can find a reliable team, you might also consider recruiting other students with different majors to form a full service tutoring agency. . Help your team find clients and collect commissions when paid for services.
[twenty20 img1=»4678″ img2=»4679″ width=»300px» offset=»0.5″]2. Trade Market and Sale of Textbooks
College books are an expensive but very necessary part of the learning experience. And finding specific books at a price that won’t break a college student’s bank can be next to impossible. If you can make friends with computer majors and are decent with a camera and writing, consider starting a dorm room textbook exchange website that is specific to your college.
If you don’t have friends to develop a website for you and you don’t mind not having your own domain, some social media sites have options where you can start a free book exchange group, and others can join quickly and easily. By collecting a small percentage of the final sale, you could easily earn money on a daily basis while helping your fellow students.
3. Digital Marketing Services
Are you an expert in WordPress or other CMS platforms? Do you understand how it works SEO And do you feel like you can launch a killer SEM campaign? Do you have a strong knowledge of social media and a large number of followers on the main social networks? Are you an amazing designer designer or image editor with amazing Photoshop skills? If so, there may be several local businesses, student clubs, or school organizations that can use your services.
Create a tone that highlights your expertise in website building and social influence. Then get out there and go, and call up local stores that have little to no web presence. If you can offer quality at a fraction of the price of larger, more established companies, you may be able to set up a marketing agency that can make you cash during and after college. Don’t be afraid to approach your school administration or student clubs – they are more likely to take advantage of a fellow student than a stranger.
If you prefer not to interact directly with customers, you may consider affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing has become a huge (and quite complicated) industry, but the essence of the system is that you help merchants sell their products to consumers online, and in turn, you get a reduction in your profits. . Once you get the hang of it, affiliate marketing can allow you to bring in multiple streams of income with minimal effort, all from inside your bedroom. To learn more about how affiliate marketing works, check out this article.
4. Staffing and internships
For busy college students, looking for a decent side job or summer internship can be time consuming and stressful. The reality is, however, that many local businesses are probably looking for skilled workers and eager to fill their positions, but don’t have the time or insight to properly recruit for those positions. That’s where you come in.
Connect with local companies (and perhaps eventually national companies) and ask if they are interested in gaining access to a qualified list of candidates for your open position. If you have the resources, you can create an online network for companies and university students and compare them based on interest. If you don’t, you can manage staff manually by posting available jobs to student networks and recruiting on behalf of the company, then preserving the list of candidates. In return, perhaps you charge the company a small hiring fee for each worker successfully placed in a job.
Helping a classmate launch their career is not only rewarding, it can also be lucrative. Not to mention, it can also be a stepping stone to your own career as a recruiter or headhunter.
5. Promotional Services
Like the marketing idea highlighted above, if you are well connected on social media and can write a compelling copy or solid press piece, consider launching a promotional service for students, college clubs or local businesses. Go to your school’s fraternities, sororities, and academic and social clubs and offer to promote them on social media, bulletin boards, flyers, and the college newspaper. You can even offer to plan promotional events, contests, or competitions to increase the “buzz” around their organizations. Contact these clubs at the beginning of the school year (when Burst Week starts and clubs are trying to attract newcomers), and if you do it right, it could prepare you for many promotional opportunities throughout the rest of the year, including referrals. word of mouth for other non-school related events.
Also, go around to small local businesses and volunteer to create flyers and posters that advertise upcoming deals or events. You can even consider offering their services for free, and after proving their worth, you can charge when they return for more. And as a marketing service, if you’re good at what you do, you could prepare yourself for a rewarding career in public relations once your education is over.
6. Transportation / delivery / additional work services
One trend developing in big cities is the concept of collaborative consumption, and bringing that concept to a small college town could only translate into big profits. Typically, sharing sites are market places where regular users offer their services for a fee; These services can include walks, pick up and deliver groceries, do manual jobs for elderly clients, take care of pets, etc. Websites cut a percentage of the bill, and both users and webmasters enjoy profits.
Although it is possible with the right CS students and some marketing acumen, it can be difficult to develop a site that connects students willing to do odd jobs with those seeking help. If that’s out of your reach, offering your personal services to others through social media, on Craigslist, and other job boards can be an easy way to make a quick buck. You can offer to:
- Deliver food
- Catering student events
- Start a dog walking service
- Repair bikes
- Post party cleaning
- Repair someone’s computer for cheap
- Running a laundry / cleaning business for students
While these odd jobs may not configure you for your future career endeavors, they offer a good way to make extra money without dedicating all the little free time that you may have to your business.
Prepare for success
It can be tempting to just enjoy college and not think about the expenses you are incurring, but you can help offset some of the costs with your own entrepreneurship and determination. A college education doesn’t come cheap, so finding ways to help cover some of the costs can ensure that you won’t have a mountain of debt to deal with later in life. Don’t limit yourself to the university campus, but take a walk around the area and see which businesses and other organizations can use your services.
Beyond just putting more cash in your pocket, launching a startup is the launch of a successful career. And that’s what college is all about: When you get through frat parties, the only thing that matters is your purchasing power in the real world. If you can show initiative, commitment, and creative problem-solving skills (regardless of the level of success for your new company), employers will be more willing to offer you a job than another candidate who worked in retail throughout University.
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