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There is no shortage of clever small business ideas for college students. Explore low-barrier ideas you can start with little to no upfront investment or experience.
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While summers typically bring sunshine and a chance to relax or travel, for college students the season presents a different opportunity. Starting a small business while youâre still in college can help you reduce tuition debt and earn real-world experience in the summer months. It may even become a flexible side gig once classes resume.
Even better news: There are ways to design your summer around something you enjoy, where you make money online while setting your own hours. There is no shortage of clever small business ideas for college students. But which one is right for you?
Explore low-barrier ideas you can start with little to no upfront investment or experience. The future is bright for those who seize it.
â BONUS: Take the quiz to discover your entrepreneur personality type and get business ideas tailored to your unique profile. Skip to the quiz.
School can give you the academic backing to pursue your dream career, but starting a business teaches you valuable lessons you wonât find in a classroom. There are several benefits to pursuing a business idea in collegeâand itâs not too late to cash in on them.
đ Gain real world experience in business. Sure, business school can teach you theory and formulas, but thereâs nothing like doing business to learn the ropes.
đ Learn skills that may not be taught within the curriculum. Strengthen your skills in empathy, delegation, stress management, customer service, and more. Student entrepreneurs have a leg up on fellow graduates once they hit the job market. The skills you learn outside the classroom become just as valuable as those learned in class.
đ€ Build your professional network. By the time you graduate, you already have a contact list full of people to approach for references, mentorships, and even jobs.
đ©đ»âđ Try out an industry before you graduate. Studying fashion management? Run your own business selling clothes online to get a taste for the industry.
đ Flesh out your rĂ©sumĂ©. As a new graduate, your CV may be pretty sparse. But if you run your own business in college, you can add âCEOâ to your list of accomplishments.
đ° Earn extra cash. Saving to pay expenses and minimize debt is a good idea if you want to lessen the burden after you graduate. A part-time retail job can also be a source of income, but when youâre the boss, the earning potential is up to you.
đ Enjoy an income source that works around your studies. The common struggle of scheduling a part-time job around studying and classes can add stress. Work on your business on a flexible schedule and then go all in on your summer break.
đĄFor parents and teachers: Know a younger student looking for a summer opportunity? Browse age-appropriate business ideas for teens or business ideas for kids and help them start a business that sets them up for success.
Whether youâre fresh out of high school or youâre on break before your senior year of college, this is your moment. When else in your life will you have this much timeâand youthful energyâto make a leap?
There are plenty of profitable business ideas for college students that require little upfront investment, and can even be run from your home (or dorm room).
Help high school students with summer studies or younger college students prep for the classes you aced last semester.
If youâre creative, take a break from the books to work with your hands and sell handmade goods. You can sell your goods through an online store, marketplace, or in-person events like a local market. 
What services can you offer in your community? Launch a basic website to advertise your availability for child care, pet-sitting, delivery, personal shopping, maintenance, landscaping, or cleaning servicesâthere are endless possibilities for things to sell other than products.
Dropshipping lets you sell goods to customers without ever having to buy products upfront or manage inventory. This is a great idea for those with skills in design and marketing. The products are less important than how you curate, market, and position them.
If your goal isnât to make money but to gain skills and experience, you could start a cause-based business that gives back to a charity or community organization that you care about.
If youâre already a minor superstar on a social media platform like YouTube or Instagram, consider leveraging your growing audience to make money. Do sponsored content or set up an ecommerce store to sell merch to your fans.
Selling print-on-demand goods is another great option for starting a business on a low budget, and itâs one of the easiest online business ideas for creatives. If you have artistic skills, you can print your designs onto anything from t-shirts to camp mugs. This business model is a great startup idea you can launch in your free time and run without much oversight.
Make yourself available to take on freelance work like editing, copywriting, illustration, or whatever it is that you do best. You can set up a portfolio site or create a listing on a site like Upwork. This profitable business idea has low startup costsâand can earn you some serious money.
After years of hesitation around travel, people are craving in-person connections. Can you create and sell experiences to tourists, for example? Think biking or culinary tours of your cityâs favorite spots. University students can offer a unique perspective of the place where they study.
If you have an eye for potential, scour local buy-and-sell sites or thrift stores for interesting and vintage finds. You can curate a unique experience by fixing up old home décor or vintage clothing and selling them on a dedicated website or online marketplace.
Grow your own veggies and make preserves, bake cookies, make handmade goods, or curate vintage. Whatever your skill or interest, consider how you can make extra cash selling at weekend markets or a temporary pop-up shop. 
Alleviate parent burnout after years of balancing child care and schooling with at-home work. Choose one your interestsâsay math, drama, or wilderness explorationâand create an engaging camp program for young kids.
There are several services you can offer to fellow students or the local community, including translation services, editing help with essay writing, transcription services, and tech support. Local businesses may also be looking for help with digital marketing. Advertise your skills on your college campus or reach a wider audience on social media platforms.
More Resources:
Getting started is as easy as making the decision to do it. For most of the ideas above, you can set up an online store in minutes and get a feel for the tools before committing to a plan. Learn as you go with free entrepreneur resources like the Shopify blog.
Which business idea for college students is best for you? In short, your startup should reflect your interests and leverage your strengths. Ask and answer questions like:
The answers to these questions will also become a foundation for your business plan and brand guidelines. 
What makes you tick? Ahead, weâll hone in on your unique personality type and offer college business suggestions curated just for you.
â Start here: Take our quiz to reveal your entrepreneur personality type and continue here to discover the best business ideas based on your interests and preferences.
Find your type
For Outsiders, starting a business in college could provide some financial peace of mindâallowing you to focus less on money and more on graduation.
Pick a business that doesnât interfere with your dedication to your studies. Make your own hours and set boundaries so you donât get overwhelmed. And remember to carve time out for social pursuitsâthe lessons you learn by joining teams or clubs or attending campus events could be just as valuable to your future.
As a Mountaineer, youâre the most likely of all signs to start a business while youâre still in college. The benefits are obviousâand that boss title is great for bragging rights.
Youâre a natural performer. And even though youâre satisfied to call all the shots, you definitely thrive surrounded by people. Why not leverage your natural charm and leadership abilities to run your own student business?
If youâre not already running several businesses from your dorm room, Firestarter, weâd be surprised. But if you havenât used your talents to start a business in college, thereâs no time like the present!
You get bored quickly if things arenât challenging, fast-paced, and a little risky. With that in mind, look for businesses you can spin upâor foldâquickly. Choose anything that allows you to be relatively hands off so that youâre nimble enough to pursue new ideas.
Among all the signs, youâre the best at managing your time and budget. Starting a small business during your summer break is therefore ideal for you, Cartographer. You get to be the boss and the extra cash will help minimize debtâyour natural enemyâbefore you graduate.
Youâre best suited to starting a small business that you can reasonably manage alone on top of your studies. Look for low-risk and low-cost business ideas for college students like you that can be run from home.
The constraints of a typical student job can feel restrictive to Trailblazers like you. And since youâre a natural at balancing a million things, why not add a little side hustle into the mix?
A small business will allow you to act out your ideas, pour your creativity into a passion, and pivot whenever something shiny catches your eye. Design a working environment that youâve always dreamed ofâno dress code, no set hours, and lots of collaboration. Youâre the boss, after all.
There are infinite small business ideas for college students. Take advantage of this exciting time in your life to explore all possibilities for your futureâand graduate with a leg up on your classmates. Whether you sell products or services online or find unique opportunities in your field of study, you could be making money now doing what you love.
Feature image by Alice Mollon
Photography by Pexels
The best business idea to pursue while youâre still in college is the one that fits best with your schedule, skills, and interests. There are a number of services you can offer that would benefit your built-in audience of fellow students. Profitable business ideas with low upfront costs include on-campus tech services, print-on demand sales, and maker businesses.
University students can sell anything, provided you check age restrictions for selling products like alcohol and understand local laws that govern the product or service youâre selling. Creatives can sell prints through a photography business or dabble in jewelry making. Sell your skill through consulting or paid online courses. The possibilities are endless!
Low cost business ideas for college students are those that do not require upfront inventory, specialized equipment, or other costs to get started. For a small fee, anyone can start a business by setting up a simple website to sell goods or services. Try the Shopify Starter Plan to get up and running right from your social accounts.
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