College isn’t cheap, and it can be challenging to balance a full-time job with a demanding school schedule. For future entrepreneurs looking to enhance their skillsets, college is the perfect time to find ways to make money without working as a full-time employee for someone.
Bryn Carden, an experienced entrepreneur studying at Neeley School of Business at Texas Christian University, founded Styles for Smiles and co-founded BF Hats. Through personal and professional experience, Carden believes that inspiring entrepreneurs should try and make an income in college through a small business. Below, she shares five ideas anyone can use to get started:
- Find a Need on Campus and Fill It
A great way to think of a profitable business to pursue on your time is to find a specific need on campus and fill it. Maybe the Starbucks in the library closes before the entire library does. You can fill that need by buying a box of donuts and a box of coffee and selling coffee and donuts at your table while you study in the library during late hours.
- Make and Sell Clothes
There are tons of different platforms college students can use to sell used clothing, clothing that has never been worn, or even clothing you make. Making your own clothing and starting a clothing brand can be done with the help of a platform such as Etsy, a website, and even social media. You can test your creativity by piecing together vintage-inspired styles from Goodwill. If you want to sell the clothes in your closet, try applications such as Poshmark or Mercari.
- Dog Walking or Pet Sitting
Why not try to get some exercise and make money? Offering dog walking services in between classes can put extra cash in your pocket. Also, providing pet sitting services where you visit the pet owners’ home to let their pets out during the day when they are out of town does not take up much time. You can post up flyers around campus and surrounding neighborhoods marketing your business.
- Freelance Writing
If you like to write and would rather make money on your own time in the quiet of your room or the library, freelance writing might be an excellent contract role to start. Companies and bloggers are always looking to hire content writers, and freelance writing can be done anywhere you can take your laptop and get an internet connection. You can also sign up to be hired for your services through Fiverr.
- Make Jewelry
Try stimulating your creativity and using free time to make jewelry and sell it around campus or online. You can host wine night trunk shows to draw customers in or offer inexpensive “How to Make Jewelry” classes. Miss Carden said she used her jewelry creation skills to develop Styles for Smiles. This organization assists in funding cleft palate operations for children through profits it accumulates from bracelet sales. For any college student who also has a passion for philanthropy, merging businesses ideas with charity is an excellent way to build a social enterprise.
About Bryn Carden
Bryn Carden is a young entrepreneur and philanthropist with a passion for real estate and design. She is currently studying at Neeley School of Business, pursuing a major in Finance with a Real Estate Concentration. Besides working towards her degree, she has already begun her entrepreneurial journey as a co-founder of BF Hats and a creator of Styles for Smiles – a company selling bracelets to help fund cleft palate operations for children in developing countries
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