5 Small Business Ideas You Can Start in College
There’s no denying it, College costs a lot, and it can be difficult to balance your work and social life with a regular job. Setting up a small business is a great way to earn some extra money while setting your own hours, and it looks good on your resume to boot! So, check out our list of small business ideas you can start from your college dorm.
E-Commerce
E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods or services over the internet, so setting up an E-commerce business can mean a great variety of things.
If you’ve got a creative streak, for example, then sites such as Fiverr and Gumroad are a great place to start selling digital products such as art, musical compositions, or brushes and pre-sets for photoshop.
If you would prefer to sell physical products, then it can be as simple as creating a storefront on Etsy or a Facebook page to sell your goods through and finding a way to ship your products to customers. Simply googling your location plus courier services, such as Florida Couriers, will return a wealth of options here.
Equipment Rental
If you have items and equipment lying around that you no longer use, such as camera equipment, lighting, or sound gear, then setting up a service renting them out could be a great way to make some extra money.
A lot of college students and young professionals don’t have the cash to buy gear but often still need it for work and projects. So will turn to rental services to get what they need.
As you build up cash from your equipment you can invest it back into bigger and better gear, and set up your own website, resulting in higher rental rates and more customers.
Pet Sitting
From people with hectic work schedules to families going on holiday for the week. There are plenty of opportunities for work in the pet sitting business, and at the end of the day what could be better than getting paid to hang around with animals?
It may be as simple as showing up for an hour or two a day to walk and feed them, or you might be asked to stay in a client’s home for the duration they are away. Depending on your college schedule you will need to set your hours accordingly.
However, if you can only afford a small amount of time, then setting up as a dog walker may be a better option instead.
Dorm Cleaning
Some people at college may have never had to clean up in their lives, having always had parents around to tidy up after them. As such they often don’t want to start at college, creating the perfect opportunity for you to charge for dorm cleaning services.
Simply put an ad out online or go door to door in dorm buildings to get started, then once you have a few clienteles you should be able to build a network from their referrals. Just make sure to charge an hourly rate, college students are a filthy bunch and a deep clean can take far longer than you expect!
Proofreading
Essay writing can be difficult, especially for those with learning difficulties or for those who may not speak English as their first language. Unfortunately, however, college professors do not always have time to help everyone that may be struggling.
If you have a knack for writing and a good eye for catching errors, then setting up as an essay proofreader could be an excellent way to make some extra money and help your fellow student.
Like dorm cleaning, going door to door or posting online on your campuses website or forums should get the ball rolling, whilst positive referrals will allow your services to keep growing.
*This is a collaborative post.
