Do you go to college or university and want to start a side business? In this situation, now is the best time to think of something new that will start making you money. There are many business ideas and part-time jobs you can do, but some will make you more money than others.
We’ve come up with some of the best business ideas for students that are easy to start and can grow over time.
1. Publish a Website B2b ecommerce Store
Do you know that the COVID-19 pandemic has helped eCommerce in the US grow by about 44%?
The trillion-dollar industry is going to grow even more, and your dropshipping business should take advantage of that. The best thing about dropshipping is that it doesn’t require a lot of money or trouble.
You can just get help which is AliExpress’s official dropshipping tool. It lets you look through thousands of sellers and millions of products so you can find the best eCommerce store for you. All done! After you set up your eCommerce store, all you have to do is market it. You don’t have to worry about inventory or shipping. It has to be one of the best business ideas for college students, and you can even keep doing it after you graduate. Many students start out by dropshipping and then turn it into a real business.
2. Join the affiliate marketing business
You can also take advantage of the rise of eCommerce by becoming an affiliate marketer. You can share your affiliate marketing links on many different sites, such as blogs, YouTube videos, Telegram channels, online forums, etc.
Though, we would suggest that you choose a specific niche so that you can better target a specific domain. There are a lot of affiliate networks you can use for this, like Amazon, Adobe, CJ Affiliate, and Share a Sale.
3. Offer your services for free.
More than 35% of people in the US are part of the gig economy, which is expected to be worth more than $1.8 trillion by 2020.
Freelancing is one of the best business ideas for students because it doesn’t need any money to start. Just figure out what you’re good at, make a portfolio, and start looking for freelance jobs online.
You can also check out sites like Upwork, Fiverr, People Per Hour, Freelancer, etc. that let you work as a freelancer. In the gig economy today, there is a lot of demand for content writing, app development, graphic design, website development, and data analysis.
4. Create a YouTube channel.
YouTube is one of the most popular places to share videos with other people. It has more than 2 billion users. The good news is that anyone can start their own YouTube channel and start making money from it.
You can do this by using the built-in YouTube Monetization feature, which has pretty easy requirements to meet. Later, you can start making money by putting ads in your videos or working with other brands.
5. Get to be a big identifier on various websites.
Can you believe you have something important to say? So, one of the best ideas for students is to become an influencer, which can even lead to a full-time job.
To become an influencer, you need to find a niche and create content that people in that niche will love. The more you grow, the more chances you’ll have to work with brands and make money. Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok are some of the most popular platforms that you might want to use for influencer marketing.
6. Start a website or blog
It’s yet another clever way to make a lot of money that can pay off in the long run. You can start a website about anything you want, from movie reviews to recipes to personal blogs to travel stories.
The aim should be to connect with the individuals you want to reach by giving them good content. You can reach even more people by using search engine optimization and social media channels. Later, you can make money from your blog through affiliate marketing, Google AdSense, brand collaborations, etc.
7. Pet/House Sitting
This is one of the best ways for students to start a business without spending any money. You can easily find pet or house sitting jobs by looking at the local ads and classifieds.
For example, if someone is going away for a while and can’t take their pet with them, you can take care of it instead. Not only that, but there are also a number of profitable ways to take care of people’s homes while they are away. It won’t require any special training, just a good attitude.
8. Set up online classes and lectures.
If you are in college, you probably already know enough about a certain subject. So, it’s easy to make some extra money by telling other people what you know.
This method can be used in many different ways. You can make modules or classes for a subject that anyone can take remotely if you want to. Aside from that, you could also become an online tutor and help your students one-on-one. Not only will it be a fun job, but you can also turn it into a business that makes money in the future.
9. Services for Delivery or Cleaning
We all know that college dorms can get pretty messy, right? Then why not start a business on your college campus and get paid to clean other people’s dorms? You can do it whenever you want, and you don’t even have to make a promise.
One of the best business ideas for students is also to run a delivery service. You can find a delivery partner in your area, like UPS, DHL, or FedEx, and become an official delivery person for your university.
10. Become a Virtual Assistant
In the past few years, there has been a big rise in the need for professional virtual assistants. You can also apply for jobs in your field that have to do with virtual assistants if you want to. Not only would the job help you make money, but it would also help you learn and grow in your field.
When compared to full-time workers, virtual assistants can save a company up to 78% of its costs. Since everyone benefits, if you have the right skills, it shouldn’t be hard to find a good virtual job.
11. Set up or advertise events
You can do things in your local community in addition to looking online for jobs or business ideas for students. For example, you can organise or advertise events like speed dating nights, birthday parties, fundraisers, outdoor picnics, weddings, and so on.
In an ideal situation, you could start by putting on small events at your university and then grow your business. You can also work with other event planners in your city to spread the word about their upcoming events in your college if you want to.
12. Create a Mobile App
Last but not least, if you have a business plan for a mobile app or a big idea, why not try it out? Since making an app doesn’t cost much, it’s easy to come up with a working product with little money.
Even if you only make a prototype of your app, you can use it to show it to investors. This is one of the best business ideas for students because it’s easy to grow once you’re done with school. You never know, a single app could make a huge difference in your career.
Other Choices to Think About
You can also work on other things, such as writing an e-book, running a rental business, reviewing places to stay, uploading podcasts, testing websites, and so on. You can also become a personal trainer online or start a service to help seniors in your area. There is no need to say that the sky is the limit when it comes to business ideas for students.
Last Messages
So, that’s it! After reading this post, I’m sure you’ll have a better idea of some of the best business ideas for students. But building a dropshipping business would be the most scalable and long-term plan.
After all, it will let you own your eCommerce store without having to worry about inventory, shipping, and other background details. You can just use a reliable AliExpress dropshipping toolto automate the whole process. This will give you more time to focus on growing your business like a pro.
