Carving out the time to create a small business venture has been happening more often with college students today who don’t want to complete their degree with a mountain of debt. Being a college student in the twenty-first century usually means strict budgeting and carrying a lot of debt. As a result, some students are becoming entrepreneurs in hopes of paying for college and maybe even more. Here are the top ten business ideas for college students:
1. Become a Driver
This doesn’t mean get a job as a cab driver. Rather, taking advantage of the opportunity and cash available to those who have a vehicle. There are now many ridesharing services out there, like Uber, that are great for people looking to make some extra money on the side.
The advantage for students is to join a ridesharing service, or perhaps create their own service that can serve their local campus. Students are more likely to trust a fellow student and it’s also more convenient for both parties.
2. Create Your Own YouTube Channel
YouTube has become an international phenomenon, as billions of people from all across the world are now on YouTube almost every day. The big benefit of this fact is that YouTube also pays its YouTubers for successful advertising on their channels.
This reward for content has resulted in YouTube stars making millions of dollars in recent years. Granted, this can take time to build a following first. However, this is a great way to start up a business that has the potential to make a lot of money, with almost zero start-up costs, and most importantly, have fun along the way by creating a channel and the content that appeals to you.
What should the content be? The best answer is that it should be whatever interests you the most. They say writers should write what they know. Well, YouTubers should show what they know!
3. Make an App
It’s amazing how the market of creating applications has somehow evaded being monopolized by big corporations, but luckily, anyone can make an app! Anyone wondering how to create an application will find that there’s lots of help on how to make that happen online in the form of video tutorials, instruction, etc.
So, why make an app? Simple, it’s a great business for a student with a little bit of time and no money. A great idea can generate anywhere from a few extra bucks to piles of cash. An imaginative college student can come with at least a few useful apps, some of them might even zero in on students’ needs…
4. Become a Regular/Online Tutor
This is something that many college students do because there always seems to be a demand for it. Any college campus is a hotbed of people who are having trouble grasping an idea, an equation, or an entire philosophy, and they need your help!
Tutoring is a great way for a student to make some extra money, and they don’t even have to leave the comfort of their campus, in most cases.
5. Blogging
Blogging started out as a corner of the Internet for a person to be able to go online and complain about whatever was irritating them at that moment or on that day. Today’s bloggers, though, have become major influencers, and advertisers have woken up and taken notice.
Becoming a professional blogger doesn’t require any money and doesn’t take up a lot of a student’s time. It’s a great way to have a small business going and watch the money roll in. you can sell your own products/services, sell other people’s products or services, and also monetize your website for getting more users coming to the site each day.
6. Sports Trainer
Not every student is a great tutor, but for people who are more athletically inclined and are on the football, soccer, or basketball teams, there are other options available. An athlete’s job is to be in and stay in great shape.
There is a lot of demand from the more sedentary students on campus to lose a few pounds and get healthier. Athletically inclined students can be trainers for other students just starting out in university, and they can even help out the regular ones who just want to get in shape. It’s not a bad way to fatten up a bank account, either!
7. Party Planner / Promoter
Where would a campus or a university town be without a good party? The honest truth is that students work hard, and so, they also play hard. To blow off all of that stress and steam, people like to throw epic parties that people will talk about for the rest of the year.
But, how do they create that perfect celebration? Why party planners and promoters, of course! Any college student that has a knack for decorating, planning, and promoting, can hock out those talents and make college and frat parties a memorable experience.
8. Freelance Writer
There are plenty of college students who take English, Journalism, or Writing. They’re in those disciplines most often because they are good writers and want to make a career out of writing once they finish university. So, why not start now?
A talented student can write articles, papers, essays, and even dissertations. There are plenty of writing businesses online. There are plenty of online resources like essay writing, or tutoring to help students. If you love writing, this could be a great business for you to start and make some money helping other students. A college student has the opportunity to do this offline or online and the pay is not bad.
9. Babysitter
It seems that people more often hear that high school students who need an extra bit of cash are babysitters, but professional babysitters aren’t like the ones of yesteryear. Lots of parents now pay a premium for people to take care of the most important little people in their life.
A responsible college student can take care of kids, find some spare time to work on essays after the kids are in bed, and make a decent amount of money, all at the same time.
10. Be a Gamer
Twenty years ago parents would tell their kids, playing for hours on their game consoles, to get up and do their homework because playing games doesn’t pay. Things have changed, and there are now big cash prices for professional gamers.
Even professional gamers who post their exploits on YouTube can make some good cash along the way, so anyone who happens to be a professional student and gamer can make this their side business and have tons of fun while doing it!
Conclusion
For all of those university and college students looking to make some extra money, hopefully, these top 10 ideas are helpful to you.
For more great college tips, check out the other blogs on College Basics.
