Working for yourself in college can be the start of your being your own boss throughout your career. While you’re in college, though, if you have your own business, you can choose your work schedule so that it doesn’t conflict with your classes. You can probably earn more per hour working for yourself than you could for someone else, too.
Here are some business ideas from DevelopIntelligence.com to help you get started.
1.) Niche Blog
If you are passionate about a particular subject, instead of forcing your friends to listen to you gush about it, write a blog. You’ll be more likely to reach others who are into the same topic, and your audience will grow. As it does, you can take advantage of affiliate marketing, which can bring in money. You’ll need to keep your content fresh and current, and it can take some time to build a sizeable audience, but the money from advertising can be good over the long run. You’ll also need to invest in creating videos and social marketing to increase your blog’s reach.
2.) Detail Cars
This business idea is a bit different than the usual start-an-online-retail-business or babysitting recommendation. If you’re passionate about cars, you can build a sizeable clientele who will pay you to clean their cars and detail them to the max. They pay well, and you need to be ready to spend a few hours cleaning just one car. Advertise at golf courses, nice restaurants, and other upscale places. Put flyers under the windshields of high-dollar cars when you’re out and about. Get a website, and tell everyone you know (including professors) about your business.
3.) Computer Repair
If you’re computer savvy, chances are people will pay you to help them find and destroy bugs on their computers. They will also pay to upgrade memory, back up their computers, and probably to learn new software programs they need or want to master. Set up a website, tell people you know about your services, and drop flyers off in neighborhoods. If you’re mobile, people will love not having to bring their computers to you.
4.) DJ
Campus events, weddings, business parties, and all sorts of other events need a DJ to keep the party lively. You’ll need a few thousand dollars to invest in DJ equipment. It’s not the cheapest business to start, but it’s not completely cost prohibitive, either. You may also discover a side business through working as a DJ, too. One person mentioned on ThinkEntrepreneurship.com started out as a DJ, but then he expanded into a shuttle service after he found that fraternities and sororities often had to hire a charter to go to off-campus events. He bought a school bus with a partner and started his own charter service.
5.) Sell
Buy items on Craigslist eBay, or from people on local Facebook groups, and then sell them at a profit. Keep up to date on the latest postings by downloading a Craigslist app and getting notifications of new posts or by getting notifications from Facebook on your phone when someone puts something new up for sale. Buy things you know about or that you can transform into something like new, like old furniture. If you’re into antiques, computer equipment, or car parts, you know what you need to look for and what is a good deal.
These are just a few ideas to get you started working for yourself in college. Take your own ideas, and run with them to become your own boss.
