While summers typically bring sunshine and a likelihood to loosen up or travel, for school students the season presents a unique opportunity. Starting a small business whilst you’re still in college can assist you to reduce tuition debt and earn real-world experience in the summertime months. It could even turn out to be a versatile side gig once classes resume.
Even higher news: There are methods to design your summer around something you enjoy, where you earn cash online while setting your individual hours. There isn’t any shortage of clever small business ideas for school students. But which one is correct for you?
Ahead, explore low-barrier business ideas you’ll be able to implement with little to no upfront investment or experience. The long run is shiny for many who seize it!
20 business ideas for school students
- Sell handmade goods
- Start a tutoring business
- Sell digital products
- Start a neighborhood service-based business
- Try dropshipping
- Turn out to be a content creator
- Turn out to be a reseller
- Sell print-on-demand goods
- Turn out to be a freelancer
- Create experiences
- Sell at pop-up shops and markets
- Run a summer camp program
- Offer technical services
- Start and monetize a podcast
- Create and sell student resources
- Start a community-focused business or non-profit
- Innovate and develop a brand new product
- Organize on-campus events
- Try affiliate marketing online
- Offer branding and marketing services
Whether you’re fresh out of highschool otherwise you’re on break before your senior yr of faculty, that is your moment. When else in your life will you might have this much time—and youthful energy—to make a leap?
There are many profitable business ideas for school students that require no startup costs, and may even be run from your own home (or dorm room).
1. Sell handmade goods
When you’re creative, take a break from the books to work together with your hands and sell handmade goods. You may sell your products through an ecommerce store, online marketplace, or in-person events like an area market. There could also be opportunities to sell or market your goods on campus, too. Check together with your student administration for rules around industrial activity on school property.
🧼 Success Story: How Katie Carson Construct a Soap Empire on YouTube
Royalty Soaps was born after its founder—then a highschool student—gained a loyal YouTube following for her soap-making content. 👉 Read Katie’s story
2. Start a tutoring business
Help highschool students with summer studies or younger students prep for the school classes you aced last semester. You may advertise your services on campus and across other marketing channels. Use a straightforward ecommerce website to sell time slots and showcase your skills and offerings.
3. Sell digital products
That is among the best business ideas for college students living in cramped apartments or dorm rooms. All you wish is a pc and your creativity. When you’re studying design, try creating templates or printable digital art to sell online. In a music program? Create beats or short music clips to license for industrial use.
4. Start a neighborhood service-based business
What services are you able to offer in your community? Launch a basic website to advertise your availability for child care, pet sitting, delivery, personal shopping, maintenance, landscaping, or cleansing services—there are limitless possibilities for things to sell aside from products. This school business idea is an awesome approach to connect with the area people and construct your network.
5. Try dropshipping
Dropshipping allows you to sell goods to customers without ever having to purchase products upfront or manage inventory. That is an awesome idea for those with skills in design and marketing. The products are less essential than the way you curate, market, and position them. That is one in every of many startup ideas on this list that’s ideal for those living in small spaces like dorms. All you wish is a laptop and an online connection.
6. Turn out to be a content creator
Angelina Li began making her own slime at age 14, documenting her experiments on TikTok. After she went viral, she built Fireflyslime, running the business while attending college.
When you’re already a minor superstar on a social media platform like TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram, consider leveraging your growing audience to earn cash. Do sponsored content or arrange an ecommerce store to sell merch to your fans. When you’re ranging from scratch, the important thing to constructing a following on social media is finding a distinct segment market and creating consistent, engaging content that speaks to your target market.
7. Turn out to be a reseller
If you might have a watch for potential, scour local buy-and-sell sites or thrift stores for interesting and vintage finds. You may curate a novel experience by fixing up old home décor or vintage clothing and selling them on a dedicated website or online marketplace. Able to level up? Fashion students can upcycle old materials like vintage blankets into recent goods to resell.
8. Sell print-on-demand goods
Selling print-on-demand goods is one other great option for starting a business on a low budget, and it’s one in every of the simplest online business ideas for creatives. If you might have artistic skills, you’ll be able to print your designs onto anything from t-shirts to mugs. This business model is an awesome startup idea you’ll be able to launch in your free time and run without much oversight.
9. Turn out to be a freelancer
Make yourself available to tackle freelance work like editing, copywriting, illustration, graphic design, consulting, or whatever it’s that you simply do best. You may arrange a portfolio site or create a list on a site like Upwork or Fiverr. This profitable business idea has low startup costs—and may earn you some serious money.
10. Create experiences
As a hospitality student, you might consider testing your skills by creating experiences. Are you able to construct and sell local experiences to tourists, for instance? Think biking or culinary tours of your city’s favorite spots. University students can offer a novel perspective of the place where they study. In person or virtual classes may fall under this category. Have a skill and a knack for teaching? Advertise DIY workshops or internet marketing courses.
11. Sell at pop-up shops and markets
Grow your individual veggies and make preserves, bake cookies, make handmade goods, or curate vintage. Whatever your skill or interest, consider how you’ll be able to make extra money selling at weekend craft markets, art fairs, or a short lived pop-up shop.
🥪 Success Story: How a Vegan “Meat” Brand Launched at a Farmer’s Market
Brother and sister team Kale and Aubry Walch tested their recipes at an area market before constructing their very own plant-based deli. 👉 Read their story
12. Run a summer camp program
Alleviate parent burnout by offering programming for youngsters in the summertime months. Select one your interests—say math, drama, or wilderness exploration—and create a fascinating camp program for young kids. That is an awesome college business idea for those studying early childhood education or aspiring teachers.
13. Offer technical services
There are several services you’ll be able to offer to fellow students or the area people, including translation services, data entry, coding, transcription services, audio engineering, and tech support. Local businesses can also be in search of help with technical tasks. Advertise your skills in your college campus or reach a wider audience on social media platforms.
14. Start and monetize a podcast
Starting your individual podcast is among the best startup business ideas for school students studying broadcasting or sound engineering. Select a subject you like where you’ll be able to bring a novel perspective and find an untapped audience. When you’ve built a solid listener base to your podcast, you’ll be able to monetize it by selling ads and even your individual merch.
15. Create and sell student resources
When you’re in your second or third yr of faculty, you’ve likely learned a thing or two about easy methods to make one of the best of your time at college. Other students may profit out of your experiences—and be willing to pay for it. Transfer your knowledge to survival guides, essay writing support, study resources, or care packages that you may sell to recent or younger students.
16. Start a community-focused business or non-profit
In case your goal isn’t to earn cash but to realize skills and experience, you could possibly start a cause-based business that provides back to a charity or community organization that you simply care about. Otherwise, your for-profit business can still aim to donate proceeds to a explanation for your alternative. Consider worthy causes which might be near home, like providing support for college students on financial assistance.
17. Innovate and develop a brand new product
When you’re in an industrial design program, you might have access to the tools and software to assist you to develop a product. When you come upon an awesome invention that might solve a pain point, don’t wait until you graduate to bring it to market. Tap into campus resources to launch your online business whilst you’re still in college.
👩🏾🦱 Success Story: An Art Major Developed a Product to Fill a Market Gap
Yelitsa Jean-Charles was dissatisfied by the choices for dolls with Black hair. So she designed her own. She built her successful business, Healthy Roots Dolls, to show a generation to like their curls. 👉 Read Yelitsa’s story
18. Organize on-campus events
Enrolled in a marketing or hospitality program? Put your learnings to work by offering event planning services. You may connect with local businesses to run a job fair or organize a gaggle of other student-run small businesses to host a home made goods market on campus. Generate income to assist you to pay for school by charging booth fees or selling tickets on the door.
19. Try affiliate marketing online
Affiliate marketing online is an awesome approach to earn cash online with minimal effort, when you set it up. That is among the best business ideas for college students with already busy schedules. To start, you’ll need an audience, whether that’s a loyal group of subscribers on YouTube or an engaged Substack email list. You’ll then embed affiliate links in your content, promoting one other brand’s products and making a commission when it results in a sale.
20. Offer branding and marketing services
An ideal college business idea for design and marketing students is organising a mini branding agency to assist other brands create logos, develop a branding package, or plan marketing campaigns. Look no further than local businesses when looking for clients to your marketing services. That is an awesome place to begin when constructing skills like pitching and client communications.
The advantages of beginning a business in college
School can offer you the tutorial backing to pursue your dream profession, but starting a business teaches you priceless lessons you won’t find in a classroom. There are several advantages to pursuing a business idea in college—and it’s not too late to money in on them.
Gain real world experience
Sure, business school can teach you theory and formulas, but there’s nothing like doing business to learn the ropes. Experience helps make your résumé stand out from the competition.
Learn hands-on skills
Strengthen your skills in empathy, delegation, stress management, customer support, and more. Student entrepreneurs have a leg up on fellow graduates once they hit the job market. The talents you learn outside the classroom turn out to be just as priceless as those learned in school.
Construct your skilled network
By the point you graduate, you have already got a contact list filled with people to approach for references, mentorships, and even jobs. This network can include faculty, other students, and members of the local business community.
Check out an industry before you graduate
Studying fashion management? Run your individual business selling clothes online to get a taste for the business. Have an interest in working with animals? Try your hand at starting a pet business, offering services to pet owners like dog walking or cat sitting.
Flesh out your résumé
As a brand new graduate, your CV could also be pretty sparse. But should you run your individual business in college, you’ll be able to add “CEO” to your list of accomplishments.
Earn extra money
Saving to pay expenses and minimize debt is a superb idea if you desire to lessen the burden after you graduate. An element-time retail job can be a source of income, but once you’re the boss, the earning potential is as much as you.
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 online business on a versatile schedule after which go all in in your summer break.
Gain job opportunities
Your experience running a business will expose you to other people and businesses in your industry. When you make an awesome impression, these connections may lead on to job offers after you graduate.
Prepare to your future
Certainly one of the most important takeaways from the FIRE movement is that the sooner you begin planning for retirement, the sooner it will possibly occur. Earning income through a small business in college signifies that you might have the option to begin saving and investing now.
💡For folks and teachers: Know a younger student in search of a summer opportunity? Browse age-appropriate business ideas for college students in Shopify’s guides to business ideas for teens and business ideas for teenagers and help them start a business that sets them up for fulfillment.
How do I start a business as a school student?
Getting began is as easy as making the choice to do it. For many of the ideas above, you’ll be able to arrange a web-based store in minutes and get a feel for the tools before committing to a plan. Learn as you go together with free entrepreneur resources just like the Shopify blog.
Which business idea for school students is best for you? In brief, your startup should reflect your interests and leverage your strengths. Ask and answer questions like:
- What am I good at?
- What skills do I actually have that may benefit others?
- Can any of my hobbies or interests turn out to be a small business?
- What’s essential to me and what are my values?
- How much time do I actually have to commit to a small business?
- How much will it cost to begin a business?
- How can I leverage resources at my college to assist me start a business?
- What are my goals?
The answers to those questions can even turn out to be a foundation for your online business plan and brand guidelines.
Graduate ahead of the category
There are infinite small business ideas for college students of all ages. College students should especially benefit from this exciting phase of life to explore all possibilities for the long run—and graduate with a leg up in your classmates. Whether you sell services or products online or find unique opportunities in your field of study, you could possibly be making a living now doing what you like.
Feature image by Alice Mollon
Business ideas for school students FAQ
What’s one of the best business idea for school students?
One of the best business idea to pursue whilst you’re still in college is the one that matches best together with your schedule, skills, and interests. There are quite a few services you’ll be able to offer that may profit 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.
What can I sell as a university student?
University students can sell anything, provided you check age restrictions for selling products like alcohol and understand local laws that govern the services or products you’re selling. Creatives can sell prints through a photography business or dabble in jewelry making. Sell your skill through consulting or paid online courses. The chances are limitless!
What are low price college business ideas?
Low price business ideas for school students are those who don’t require upfront inventory, specialized equipment, or other costs to start. For a small fee, anyone can start a business by organising a straightforward website to sell goods or services. Try the Shopify Starter Plan to stand up and running right out of your social accounts.
What’s the simplest business to begin in college?
The best businesses to begin in college is one with a business model that permits you to have a versatile schedule, a low barrier to entry, and low initial investment. These include affiliate marketing online, selling digital products, virtual assistant services, and dropshipping.
