Many students know how difficult is to live just from a scholarship or from the money their parents send them from home. That is why most of them find part of full-time jobs during their college days. But some of them have an entrepreneurial spirit and are willing to start their own business.
In this article, we explore several startup ideas for students that can make their college days easier while they still enjoy working. Also, if they can maintain successful work over a certain period, that can be a solid foundation for future business ideas and plans.
So what are some of the best startup ideas for students that can earn you some cash?
1. Promote and organize student events
Organizing student events, like outdoor parties or charity concerts, can be a great way to build a sense of community and engagement on campus. And capitalize on the opportunity along the way.
This is one of the most versatile startup ideas for students because there are so many events you can organize around campus. You can team up with student organizations and get involved in club nights, fundraising events, or public talks. Or you can work directly with college administration on organizing workshops, job fairs, or the acquisition of new students.
Some of the skills you need to possess to be successful at this job are:
- Strong organizational skills
- Exceptional communication skills
- Skills related to budgeting and finances
Being successful at organizing student events requires a combination of planning, communication, and teamwork. That is why it is very important to recruit a team of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers. You can find them all over campus and use their skill set that will match yours.
Some of the main tasks when organizing the event within the campus include:
- Identify the goal of the event and set up the date
- Finding a venue (and communicating with the owner if needed)
- Attracting the sponsors
- Advertising the event
- Identifying and hiring vendors
As you can see, promoting the event is very important for overall success. You have many ways of promotion, such as social media, flyers, posters, radio jingles, billboards, etc. You can involve the local community in promotion and logistics if you wish. They can offer a small donation or direct you toward potential sponsors.
2. Start giving tutoring lessons
Tutoring is a business idea as old as academic institutions themselves. From the beginning of high education, some students had a better understanding of certain fields, and they were willing to share that knowledge with peers for money or some sort of favor.
Whatever you’re studying, if you are good enough in your area, you can offer your assistance to younger students or high schoolers.
There are many available options for how you can recruit your pupils:
- Promoting your services on social media
- By enlisting in a tutoring program at your university
- By getting involved in the local tutoring center
- By creating your profile on sites like Fiverr
There are several benefits of this business idea:
- Solid pay
- Flexible working hours
- Working experience aligned with the education you receive
Of course, there are some disadvantages of this business method, so we can conclude that tutoring job isn’t for everyone. There are a few traits you, as a great tutor, must have to ensure that you are providing the best possible experience for your students:
- Patience – everyone learns at their own pace, so you cannot force them too much.
- Good knowledge of human psychology – you need to identify your student’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Strong communication skills – encourage your students to actively participate in the lesson by asking questions, providing examples, and solving problems together.
- Knowledge of exam techniques – you will need to know what you are going to teach your pupils. If you overdo it, they won’t accomplish anything, and you will get a bad reputation.
Remember that the tutoring role requires a lot of time, as you need to use a variety of teaching methods. Every person is different, and they learn in different ways.
3. Starting a podcast
We all remember high school and college radio stations that were a great way to have students busy and get pocket money. New times brought us an exciting innovation called podcasts that can be used by creative people to express their attitudes and thoughts. And it deserves a place on our list of best startup ideas for students.
Good thing is that you don’t need expensive equipment to start a podcast; you will only need:
- A phone to record with (or you can use the good quality microphone and headphones) – the smartphone is the cheaper option, but remember that its microphone will give you lower quality input that you can polish a bit through various voice recorder apps available for iOS or Android. If you have enough money for a microphone + headphones combo, you will have content of better quality. You can find affordable equipment online or at your local electronics store (you can even use preowned equipment).
- A computer/laptop with audio editing software – after you finish recording your podcasts, you will need to mix sound files. One of the best software for that is Audacity, which gives you a lot of options to manipulate sound files. It is open-source software with a bunch of online tutorials, so it is very easy to use.
The good news for every enthusiastic podcaster is that is fairly easy to place your podcasts online. There are a lot of prominent platforms like Soundcloud or Buzzsprout where you can publish your podcast. Make sure to promote your podcast on social media and other platforms to try to acquire lots of dedicated listeners.
Starting a podcast can take time and effort, but it is one of the startup ideas for students that will bring you the most fun and enjoyment. You can contact the student union to help you with the promotion of your podcast.
A few tips for the end. Every podcast needs a topic. Choose a topic that you are passionate about, and that will be interesting to your audience.
Decide on the format of your podcast. Will it be an interview-style podcast, a solo show, or something else? Consider how long each episode will be and how often you will release new episodes.
Choose a catchy title for your podcast. Make sure it is easy to remember, and that can be connected to you.
4. Set up a babysitting service
When we are talking about startup ideas for students, this one is something you can do with several of your friends from the campus. If you are naturally good with kids and people find you responsible, you should consider setting up a babysitting service.
The demand for babysitters is constantly present, so you can count on a lot of work if you set up your student’s business the right way.
The benefits of setting up a babysitting service as a university student include:
- It is a well-paid work
- If you want to work with children in the future, it is a great source of experience for you
- You can travel with a family that hire you
As a student, you will have limited availability due to classes, homework, and other commitments. Decide when you will be available to provide babysitting services and ensure to communicate this clearly to potential clients. Also, determine the age range of the kids you will work with.
The hardest part is to get your first gig, so you will need to advertise your services through different channels:
- Offer your services to your relatives or close friends
- Advertise your services on social networks
- Spread the word about your babysitting services by posting flyers on campus bulletin boards
- Join online communities
- Sign up to an agency to gain experience (you can later work as a freelancer to avoid paying a fee)
It is strongly recommended to obtain certification and documentation to boost confidence in your services. Consider getting a DBS check and CPR and first aid certification. That will show your potential employers that you are trained to react in difficult situations.
5. Become a fashion seller on a second-hand online marketplace
Selling preowned clothes on the sites like Depop can be a very exciting business opportunity for aspiring student entrepreneurs. You can start with your clothes, and as your business starts to grow, you can ask for or buy clothes from your friends, family, or colleagues.
There are several advantages for students if they adopt this business plan:
- Saves you from a maxed-out overdraft
- Gives you more space in the closet (and the opportunity to buy new clothes!)
- Promote a circular fashion industry and helps the environment
This is a great option if you love fashion, want to help make fashion sustainable by selling pre-loved clothes, and want to work on your entrepreneurial skills at the same time.
To get started, you will need an account on the seller app/website. You will need to set up a PayPal account to receive payments if you decide to sell on Depop. The great thing is that you do all the work on your phone with just an app installed.
Define your niche to make it easier for buyers to find you. You can pick something like vintage clothing, streetwear, designer pieces, or a combination of those. Take high-quality pictures of all the pieces you want to sell. Also, ensure they are in good condition (you won’t sell unusable clothing as that will make your buyers angry) and create a full description for each item.
After you fill your account with items, start promoting it on social media to attract more buyers. Use relevant hashtags and tag your items with keywords that will help them appear in search results.
Becoming a fashion seller is one of the few income generators that take very little time away from your studies. Some students like Millie Jane have grown their Depop escapades into a net profit of £40,000.
Two pro tips for the end. Don’t wait for too long after you receive an order; buyers like to have their products shipped as soon as possible. Also, pack your items very carefully and include thank-you notes. If you are out of clothes to sell, you can replenish your stock by visiting charity shops.
Startup ideas for students: final words
Whether you are starting your student’s business for the sake of gaining experience or to pay bills, you have a lot of opportunities before you, and we listed only several of them. The key to success is determination and hard work. You will need time to gain people’s trust, so be ready for weeks or even months of low income.
But, with a good marketing strategy on social networks and quality work, these startup ideas for the students we presented can be very lucrative.
Write us in the comments about what other startup ideas for students we should include in our article.