Higher education is not cheap, leading many to seek business ideas for college students. Whether it’s extra income or dreams of owning a business before graduation, if you identify with either, you’re in luck. There are lots of creative business ideas perfect for college students—but which is best for you?
With a global economy, ecommerce, and a computer/phone in their pocket, student entrepreneurship is on the rise. According to Babson College’s Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2023–2024, young entrepreneurs aged 18 to 24 now show the highest rates of entrepreneurial activity, at 24%, with 21% planning to start a business within the next three years.
In 2024–2025, Total Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) in the US hit a historic high of 19%, signaling a surge of innovation and startup energy among young adults.
College is the perfect time to explore opportunities to help reduce tuition debt and gain real-world experience. Starting a small business provides valuable skills—many are flexible side gigs that fit around your studies.
Even better news: You can build a business around something you enjoy, make money online, and set your own hours. In some cases, it’s possible to make money in one hour,
Ready to start your business? Create your website today or learn more about Shopify’s tools for selling online and in person.
25 business ideas for college students
- Low-cost business ideas for college students
- Flexible business ideas for college students
- Product and retail business ideas
- Service-based and local business ideas
Low-cost business ideas for college students
- Dropshipping
- Affiliate marketing
- Social media management
- Virtual assistant services
- Coaching or mentoring
- Create and sell student resources
Looking to earn extra cash without draining your savings? Here are some low-investment business ideas for college students you can start right from your dorm room or laptop.
📚Read more: 24 low-cost business ideas with high-profit returns for 2025.
1. Dropshipping
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. You can sell anything as long as you know how you curate, market, and position it.
Selom Agbitor and his friend Oliver Zak started a dropshipping swimsuit business one summer, learning ecommerce skills like running ads, managing customer support, and growing social media.
“I didn’t really know what dropshipping was, but it was intriguing to not have to work physical jobs at a college bar or, like, in the cafeteria or in the store,” Selom says.
By the end of the summer, they sold the business and used the experience to launch Mad Rabbit, a tattoo aftercare brand. In just four years, Mad Rabbit grew from a college side hustle to a $56 million business, bagging a Shark Tank investment from Mark Cuban.
Be advised—dropshipping still has costs, and your profit margins will take time to grow.
Many guides say you can get started with $50 to $100 (for domain, Shopify or other platform fees, and a basic theme). But if you go “all in,” like paying for ads, nicer themes, apps, maybe legal setup, you might spend $500 to a few thousand upfront.
As for margins, most dropshippers aim for net profits in the 10% to 30% range per sale, with 15% to 20% as a common benchmark. Some niches or clever marketing can push that higher, but plan as if every sale gives you just a sliver of profit until scale kicks in.
- Time investment: Five to 10 hours per week to set up and maintain your store.
- Relevant platforms: Shopify, AliExpress, Sprocket.
- Skills: Basic design, copywriting, ad management.
2. Affiliate marketing
If you already have an audience on social media, a substack newsletter, or subscribers on YouTube, monetize your reach using affiliate marketing. Embed affiliate links in your content promoting another brand’s products or services and make a commission when it leads to a sale.
- Time investment: Three to six hours per week to create content and manage links.
- Relevant platforms: Amazon Associates, ShareASale, TikTok, Instagram, Bitly.
- Skills: Content creation, SEO, persuasive writing.
3. Social media management
If you know what works on Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn, social media management may be a great gig. Many small businesses and startups need help staying consistent to their brand, creating content, and growing their audience. They simply don’t have the time or expertise to do it themselves.
Offer to create social media content, schedule posts, engage with followers, or even plan entire campaigns. Start with a few clients, charge by the hour or project, and scale as you go. The best part is you can work around your classes and do it remotely.
- Time investment: 10 to 15 hours a week per client, depending on scope.
- Relevant platforms: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Buffer, Sprout Social, Linktree, Later.
- Skills: Content creation, copywriting, analytics, and client communication.
4. Virtual assistant services
Being a virtual assistant (VA) means you’re the behind-the-scenes help for busy entrepreneurs or businesses. You can assist with everything from managing emails to scheduling appointments. It’s flexible, fully remote, and doesn’t require a lot of experience to start.
Figure out your strengths (admin tasks, customer support, social media help) and start pitching. College students make great VAs because they already know how to juggle tasks and meet deadlines.
- Time investment: Five to 20 hours a week, fully flexible around your class schedule.
- Relevant platforms: Upwork, Fiverr, Belay, Google Workspace.
- Skills: Organization, scheduling, communication, professional etiquette, and admin support.
5. Coaching or mentoring services
If you’ve mastered a skill (maybe you nail every single job interview, ace a specific subject, or excel at sports) why not coach others? Coaching and mentoring are about sharing what you know and helping others succeed, so it can be a mutually beneficial way to make money.
Consider one-on-one sessions, group workshops, or even virtual coaching over Zoom. Start by offering help to people in your network, gather testimonials, and grow from there.
- Time investment: Two to four hours a week for prep and sessions, plus some time for promotion.
- Relevant platforms: Zoom, Calendly, Teachable, Kajabi.
- Skills: Teaching, active listening, patience, confidence, and empathy.
6. Create and sell student resources
If you’re in your second or third year of college, you’ve likely learned a thing or two about how to make the best of your time at school. Other students may benefit from your experiences—and be willing to pay for it. Transfer your knowledge by putting together survival guides, offering essay writing support, compiling study resources, or even putting together care packages to sell to new or younger students (or their parents).
- Time investment: Five to eight hours a week creating and marketing materials.
- Relevant platforms: Etsy, Gumroad, Payhip, Canva.
- Skills: Writing, digital design, and understanding student needs.
Flexible business ideas for college students
- Become a content creator
- Start and monetize a podcast
- Online course creation
- Become a freelancer
- Sell digital products
- Sell print-on-demand goods
- Offer branding and marketing services
These flexible business ideas are perfect for busy college students because they’re remote-friendly, self-paced, and easy to manage around your class schedule.
Read: 30 side-hustle ideas that don’t need experience.
7. Become a content creator
Angelina Li started 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.
If you already have a following on a social media platform like TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram, consider leveraging your growing audience to make money. Create sponsored content or set up an ecommerce store to sell merch to your fans. If you’re starting from scratch, the key to building a follower base on social media is finding a niche market and creating consistent, engaging content that speaks to your target audience.
- Time investment: Five to 15 hours a week filming, editing, and posting content.
- Relevant platforms: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Patreon.
- Skills: Storytelling, consistency, editing, and audience engagement.
8. Start and monetize a podcast
If you have a friend you can’t stop talking to and a shared topic you love to discuss, you can buddy up to start a podcast (or go it alone, if you prefer).
It helps to have some broadcasting or sound engineering know-how, but there are editing tools out there to help you get started. Choose a topic you love where you can bring a unique perspective and find an untapped audience. Once you’ve built a solid listener base for your podcast, you can monetize it by selling ads, sponsorships, or even your own merch.
- Time investment: Five to 10 hours a week recording, editing, and promoting.
- Relevant platforms: Spotify for Podcasters, Buzzsprout, Audacity.
- Skills: Speaking, audio editing, research, and promotion.
Read: How to Make Money Podcasting in 2025: 8 Proven Monetization Strategies
9. Online course creation
If you’re good at something—graphic design, writing, or even brewing the perfect cup of coffee—there’s an audience out there willing to learn (and pay you for the pleasure). There’s no better time to package up your knowledge and sell it.
Platforms like Teachable or Gumroad make it easy to turn your knowledge into a course and, with the e-learning market size set to hit $614.87 billion by 2029, there’s plenty of opportunity.
Start with a simple topic you know well, outline a few lessons, and record them with your phone or laptop. Keep it short and actionable, focusing on your insights and delivery; it’s all right if you don’t have the most polished production.
When it comes to how much you can charge for your course, there’s a lot of variation. Many creators launch “mini-courses” or beginner modules priced between $10 and $50.
Full courses that deliver more value or more content tend to land in the $150 to -$800 range (for one-time payments), with flagship or outcome-driven programs sometimes going beyond $1,000 or more.
Also factor in platform fees. For instance, Teachable’s starter plan costs around $39 per month plus a 7.5% transaction fee on sales.
- Time investment: 10 to 20 hours to plan and record, then minimal upkeep.
- Relevant platforms: Teachable, Gumroad, Thinkific, Loom.
- Skills: Teaching, video production, and marketing.
Read Shopify’s detailed guide to starting an online course.
10. Become a freelancer
Make yourself available to take on freelance work like editing, copywriting, illustration, graphic design, consulting, or whatever you do best.
You can set up a portfolio site or create a listing on a site like Upwork or Fiverr. Even student or side projects count. Use clear examples of what you’ve done (before/after images, writing samples, branding mockups) so clients see what you deliver. On Fiverr, your “Gig” title and images are your storefront, and on Upwork your profile and proposals are your pitch.
When you’re starting, you may need to undercut slightly to land your first few jobs. Something like $10 to $20 per hour is common for beginner roles in writing, design, editing, virtual assistant services, etc. (Upwork’s rate guide shows many freelancers in admin or writing roles charging in this band).
As you build reviews, increase your rate. Move to $25, $40, or more depending on your niche, speed, complexity, and demand. Offer “extras” or premium tiers for faster delivery or extra revisions. A lot of successful freelancers also move from hourly to fixed-price or value-based pricing once they know how much time tasks take.
One thing to watch out for is platform fees. Upwork takes around 10% of your earnings (on most contracts) as a freelancer service fee.So if you bill $20 per hour, your take-home is closer to $18 after fees.
- Time investment: Five to 15 hours a week depending on client load.
- Relevant platforms: Upwork, Fiverr, LinkedIn, Freelancer.
- Skills: Writing, design, communication, and project management.
11. Sell digital products
Your cramped student housing may not have room for a 3D printer or candle-making supplies, but if you’ve got creative skills and a computer, you can sell digital products online.
- If you’re studying design, try creating Canva templates, résumé designs, brand kits, or printable digital art to sell on Etsy or Gumroad.
- Music or audio engineering students can make money by selling beats, jingles, or background music for YouTube creators and podcasters.
- If you’re studying computer science, you could sell Notion templates, Chrome extensions, or website themes.
- Marketing or business students might package social media content calendars, swipe files, or email templates that help small businesses save time.
- If you’re in education or psychology, you could build printable planners, study aids, or self-reflection workbooks that other students or teachers will love.
The cool thing about starting with digital products is it builds a portfolio that can lead to freelance work, brand partnerships, or even your own business after graduation. What starts as a $5 Etsy download can turn into a full-time income stream if you learn how to market and expand your product line.
Thread Theory creates and sells digital sewing patterns, delivered as PDFs to its customers.
- Time investment: Five to 10 hours a week creating and uploading new designs.
- Relevant platforms: Etsy, Gumroad, Creative Market, Notion.
- Skills: Graphic design, creativity, and basic ecommerce know-how.
12. Sell print-on-demand goods
Selling print-on-demand goods is another great option for starting a business on a budget, and it’s 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 mugs. This business model is a great startup idea to launch in your free time and run without much oversight.
- Time investment: Five to eight hours a week creating designs and managing listings
- Relevant platforms: Printful, Printify, Redbubble, Shopify
- Skills: Design, branding, and social media marketing
Read more about how to start your print-on-demand store with Shopify.
13. Offer branding and marketing services
If you’re a design or marketing student and enjoy using those skills, you can set up a mini–branding agency to help other brands create logos, develop a branding package, or plan marketing campaigns. Look no further than local businesses when seeking clients for your marketing services. This is a great place to start building skills like pitching and client communications.
- Time investment: 10 to 15 hours a week per client.
- Relevant platforms: Upwork, LinkedIn, Instagram, Canva.
- Skills: Brand strategy, copywriting, and client communication.
Product and retail business ideas
- Sell handmade goods
- Become a reseller
- Innovate and develop a new product
- Create experiences
- Sell at pop-up shops
- Start a community-focused business or nonprofit
If you’re more of a maker or seller, these product and retail college student business ideas turn your creativity into cash through physical goods, online stores, or campus markets.
14. Sell handmade goods
If you have a crafty streak, take a break from the books to work with your hands and sell handmade goods, like this idea of making enamel pins.
Creative items like crocheted décor, stitched tote bags, and handmade jewelry can be made easily in a college dorm or home garage, and you can sell your products through an ecommerce store, online marketplace, or in-person event like a local market. There may be opportunities to sell or market your goods on campus, too. Check with your student administration for rules around commercial activity on school property.
Just so you know what you’re getting into: launching a small handmade goods business usually requires a little bit of upfront investment and a steady time commitment.
A basic setup might cost you $100 to $300 for materials, tools, packaging, and some simple marketing (e.g., a domain, listing fees, social media ads). You can get started on the cheap if your craft doesn’t require heavy machinery.
On the other hand, more specialized crafts (jewellery, custom woodwork) can easily push your startup materials to $500 to $1,000 or more.In terms of time, expect to spend 10 to 20 hours per week at the beginning just prototyping, refining your product, shooting good photos, writing listings, and marketing. As orders come in, you’ll spend more hours producing, packing, and handling customer service.
- Time investment: 10 to 20 hours a week crafting, photographing, and fulfilling orders.
- Relevant platforms: Etsy, Shopify, Instagram, local markets
- Skills: Craftsmanship, creativity, and time management
15. Become a reseller
If you have an eye for potential, scour local buy-and-sell sites or thrift stores for interesting and vintage finds. Curate a unique experience by fixing up old home décor or vintage clothing and selling them on a dedicated website or online marketplace. Ready to level up? Fashion students can upcycle old materials like vintage blankets into new goods to resell.
- Time investment: Five to 10 hours a week sourcing, photographing, and listing items.
- Relevant platforms: eBay, Depop, Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace.
- Skills: Trend spotting, photography, and product curation.
16. Innovate and develop a new product
If you’re in an industrial design program, you may have access to the tools and software to help you develop a product. If you stumble upon a great invention that could solve a pain point, don’t wait until you graduate to bring it to market. Tap into your product design skills and campus resources to launch your business while you’re still in college.
- Time investment: 10 to 25 hours a week prototyping and testing ideas.
- Relevant platforms: Kickstarter, Indiegogo, campus maker labs.
- Skills: Product design, problem-solving, and marketing.
17. Create experiences
As a hospitality student, you may consider testing your skills by creating experiences. Can you build and sell local experiences to tourists, for example?
Think biking or culinary tours of your city’s favorite spots. University students can offer a unique perspective of the place where they study. Have a skill and a knack for teaching? Advertise DIY workshops or online marketing courses; you can conduct these in person if you have the space, or take them online.
In Key West, Lazy Dog owner Sue Cooper offers kayak and boat tour experiences to tourists.
- Time investment: 10 to 15 hours a week planning and promoting experiences.
- Relevant platforms: Airbnb Experiences, Eventbrite, Viator.
- Skills: Event planning, communication, and hospitality.
18. Sell at pop-up shops and markets
Grow your own veggies and make preserves, bake cookies, make handmade goods, or curate antiques. Whatever your skill or interest, consider how you can make extra cash selling at weekend craft markets, art fairs, or a temporary pop-up shop.
- Time investment: 10 to 20 hours a week preparing products and managing sales.
- Relevant platforms:Shopify, Eventbrite, Square, PayPal, Instagram.
- Skills: Sales, crafting, and merchandising.
19. Start a community-focused business or nonprofit
If your primary goal is to gain skills and experience, you could start a cause-based business that gives back to a charity or community organization. Alternatively, your for-profit business can still aim to donate proceeds to a cause of your choice, like Bombas, which donates a pair of socks for every pair purchased. Consider worthy causes that are close to home, like providing support for students on financial assistance.
Roz Campbell was inspired to build Tsuno in college after discovering that girls in many countries lack access to feminine hygiene products.
- Time investment: Five to 15 hours a week organizing, promoting, and fundraising.
- Relevant platforms: GoFundMe, Givebutter, Instagram, LinkedIn.
- Skills: Leadership, organization, and communication.
Service-based and local business ideas
- Start a tutoring business
- Start a neighborhood service-based business
- Offer technical services
- Run a summer camp
- Pet sitting or dog walking
- Organize on-campus events
If you prefer hands-on work or helping people directly, these service-based and local business ideas let you put your skills to use in your community.
20. Start a tutoring business
Help high school students with summer studies or younger students prep for the college classes you aced last semester. Advertise your services on campus and across other marketing channels. Use a simple ecommerce website to sell time slots and showcase your skills and offerings.
A good benchmark for US tutoring rates can help you pitch campus partnerships realistically. Private tutors typically charge $25 to $80 per hour, depending on subject, experience, and location.As a beginner student-tutor, you might start lower, at around $20 to $40 per hour for general subjects, then scale upward as you build credibility.
For more advanced or niche topics (such as upper-division courses, coding, or test preparation), tutors often charge $60 to $100 per hour or more.
If you team up with your campus tutoring center, you can negotiate a split arrangement, where the center takes 20% to 50% of the fee and you keep the rest.
- Time investment: Five to 15 hours a week, depending on the number of students.
- Relevant platforms: Wyzant, Tutor.com, Zoom, Canva.
- Skills: Subject expertise, patience, and clear communication.
21. Start a neighborhood service-based business
What services can you offer in your community? Launch a basic website to advertise your availability for child or elder care, pet sitting, delivery, personal shopping, maintenance, landscaping, or cleaning services. This business idea also gives you a great way to connect with the local community and build your network.
If you’re into odd jobs, cleaning, delivery, or general help, TaskRabbit and Thumbtack are great options. TaskRabbit is best for smaller, quick-turnaround tasks (furniture assembly, errands, cleaning), and you’ll pay a one-time $25 registration fee before you can take jobs.
Thumbtack works more like a lead marketplace. You create a free profile, and when potential clients reach out, you pay a small fee (usually a few dollars) to reply and quote your rate.
For caregiving, Care.com is the biggest player. They facilitate care for children, seniors, adults, people with special needs, and more. You’ll need to be at least 18, upload ID verification, and pay for a background check before your profile goes live. Free listings are fine to start, but more people will see your profile if you have a paid membership ($10 to $20 per month).
- Time investment: Five to 20 hours a week, based on your service and client base.
- Relevant platforms: TaskRabbit, Thumbtack, Care.com, Google Business.
- Skills: Reliability, customer service, and scheduling.
22. Offer technical services
There are several services you can offer to fellow students or the local community, including translation services, data entry, coding, transcription services, audio engineering, and tech support. Local businesses may also be looking for help with technical tasks. Advertise your skills on your college campus or reach a wider audience on social media platforms.
- Time investment: Five to 15 hours a week depending on project size.
- Relevant platforms: Upwork, Fiverr, LinkedIn, GitHub.
- Skills: Coding, data handling, or translation.
23. Run a summer camp program
Alleviate parent burnout by offering programming for children in the summer months. Choose one of your interests—say math, drama, or wilderness exploration—and create an engaging camp schedule for young kids. This can be an especially appropriate business for college students studying early childhood education or aspiring teachers who want to develop real-world experience.
- Time investment: 15 to 30 hours a week during summer months.
- Relevant platforms: Facebook Events, Eventbrite, Canva.
- Skills: Teaching, leadership, and activity planning.
24. Pet sitting or dog walking
If you’re an animal lover, pet sitting or dog walking is one of the most straightforward businesses you can start. Lots of pet owners need reliable help when they’re at work or traveling. If you have a flexible schedule, you may be the perfect candidate to look after Fido while they’re away.
Set your own hours, keep it local, and market yourself in your neighborhood or on apps like Rover. It’s low-cost to start, and it’s a great way to make money while spending time with furry friends.
Create a profile that highlights your experience with animals, the services you want to offer (like dog walking, pet sitting, boarding, or drop-in visits), and your availability. You can also set your own rates. Most beginners charge around $20 to $30 per walk or $30 to $60 per night for boarding or sitting, depending on your area.
Rover asks for a quick background check (usually about $25) and photo ID verification before your listing goes live. Once approved, you can start accepting bookings right through the app, which handles scheduling, payments, and reviews for you.
Every booking made through the platform is covered by the Rover Guarantee, which includes up to $25,000 in vet care for any accidents or injuries that happen during a sit, as well as coverage for property damage or lost pets. It’s not a full-blown insurance policy, so you’re still responsible for using common sense and clear communication, but it’s a good backup if something goes wrong.
- Time investment: Five to 15 hours a week, flexible around your schedule.
- Relevant platforms: Rover, Wag!, Care.com, Google Calendar.
- Skills: Animal care, communication, and reliability.
25. Organize on-campus events
Enrolled in a marketing or hospitality program? Put your learnings to work by offering event planning services. You can connect with local businesses to run a job fair or organize a group of other student-run small businesses to host a handmade goods market on campus. Generate income to help you pay for college by charging booth fees or selling tickets at the door.
Most universities ask you to get approval from the student affairs office, campus events team, or student union before hosting any kind of market, ticketed event, or partnership with outside vendors to cover things like liability, security, and safety.
If you’re organizing something with money changing hands (like charging booth fees or selling tickets), you may also need to register as a student organization or club to handle transactions through the school’s approved channels.
Be advised that before selling raffle tickets, a 50/50 game, or other games of chance, you may need to apply for a gaming license—even for a one-night event. Google your state’s gaming commission to be sure.
Once you’ve cleared those hurdles, look for collaboration opportunities. You could team up with the marketing department, the campus entrepreneurship center, or student government to co-host the event. They often have budgets, promo channels, and staff support you can tap into. Some schools even have student vendor programs that let you use campus spaces to sell goods or host pop-up markets for a small fee.
- Time investment: 10 to 25 hours a week planning and promoting events.
- Relevant platforms: Eventbrite, Facebook Events, Canva.
- Skills: Organization, teamwork, and event marketing.
Quick comparison: Investment, time, and earning potential
| Idea | Startup cost (estimate) | Weekly time commitment | Potential monthly earnings | Required skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dropshipping | $50–$500 or more | 5–10 hours | $300–$3,000 or more (depends on ads/effort) | Marketing, product research, web, CS |
| Affiliate marketing | $0–$200 | 3–6 hours | $100–$2,000 or more (audience-dependent) | Content, SEO, analytics, copy |
| Social media management | $0–$100 | 10–15 hours per client | $500–$3,000 or more per client | Strategy, copy, design, analytics |
| Virtual assistant services | $0–$100 | 5–20 hours | $400–$2,000 or more | Organization, comms, admin tools |
| Coaching/mentoring | $0–$200 | 2–4 hours + prep | $300–$2,000 or more | Subject expertise, coaching, empathy |
| Create and sell student resources | $0–$150 | 5–8 hours | $200–$1,500 or more (after launch) | Writing, design, research |
| Content creator | $0–$200 | 5–15 hours | $100–$3,000 or more (ads, sponsors, merch) | Storytelling, editing |
| Start and monetize a podcast | $50–$300 | 5–10 hours | $100–$2,000 or more | Speaking, editing, research |
| Online course creation | $0–$300 | 10–20 hours to build, 1–2 hours to maintain | $300–$5,000 or more | Teaching, video, marketing |
| Freelancing | $0–$150 | 5–15 hours | $300–$4,000 or more | Niche craft, communication, project management |
| Sell digital products | $0–$150 | 5–10 hours | $200–$2,500 or more | Design, copy, ecommerce basics |
| Print on demand | $0–$100 | 5–8 hours | $200–$2,500 or more | Design |
| Branding and marketing for small businesses | $0–$200 | 10–15 hours per client | $1,000–$5,000 or more per client | Brand strategy, design, copy |
| Sell handmade goods | $100–$1,000 | 10–20 hours | $300–$3,000 or more | Craftsmanship, photography, sales |
| Reseller | $0–$150 | 5–10 hours | $300–$2,500 or more | Thrifting, pricing, listings |
| Innovate/develop a product | $200–$2,000 | 10–15 hours per week | $0–$10,000 or more | Design, testing, budgeting, project management |
| Event services | $50–$300 | 10–15 hours per event | $300–$2,000 or more per event | Hospitality, logistics, sales |
| Pop-ups and markets | $100–$600 | 10–20 hours | $300–$3,000 or more per event | Merchandising, sales, booth ops |
| Community business | $0–$500 | 5–15 hours | $0–$2,000 or more | Leadership, fundraising, ops |
| Tutoring business | $0–$100 | 5–15 hours | $300–$2,500 or more | Subject expertise, teaching |
| Neighborhood services | $0–$200 | 5–20 hours | $300–$2,500 or more | Customer service, reliability |
| Offer technical services | $0–$200 | 5–15 hours | $500–$3,000 or more | Coding, data, translation, QA |
| Run a summer camp | $200–$1,000 | 15–30 hours (seasonal) | $1,000–$6,000 or more per session | Curriculum, leadership, safety |
| Pet sitting or dog walking | $0–$100 | 5–15 hours | $300–$2,000 or more | Animal care, reliability |
| Organize on-campus events | $50–$500 | 10–25 hours (4–8 weeks plan) | $500–$5,000 or more per event | Event planning, budgeting, outreach |
The benefits of starting a business in college
- Gain real-world experience
- Build your professional network
- Try out an industry before you graduate
- Flesh out your résumé
- Earn extra cash
- Enjoy an income source that works around your studies
- Prepare for your future
School can give you the academic backing to pursue your dream career, but starting a business teaches you valuable lessons. Here are some key benefits:
Gain real-world experience
Running a business helps you practice and hone your technical skills—e.g.,design, photography, website design—and learn new ones. To work for yourself, you’ll need to learn the basics of registering and setting up your business, keeping track of your revenue and expenses, customer service, filing taxes, and handling operations. It’s a crash course in responsibility and multitasking, and sure to be valuable whether you continue your venture or take a different path when you graduate.
Build your professional network
While setting up your business, it’s easy to cultivate a contact list full of people to approach for references, mentorships, and even jobs. This network can include suppliers and companies you’ve worked with, faculty, other students, and members of the local business community.
Try out an industry before you graduate
Studying fashion management? Run your own business selling clothes online to get a taste of 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 new graduate, your CV may be pretty sparse. But if you run your own business in college, you can add “CEO” or “Founder” to your list of accomplishments. It also provides opportunities to share successes and lessons learned in interviews.
Earn extra cash
Starting a business can help you save for big future expenses (like a car or a down payment) and minimize student debt. A part-time retail job can also be a source of income, but when you’re the boss, you can set your rate, hours, and schedule.
Enjoy an income source that works around your studies
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.
Prepare for your future
One of the biggest takeaways from the FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early) is that the sooner you start planning for retirement, the sooner it can happen. Earning income through a small business in college means that you may be able to start saving and investing now.
How do I start a business as a college student?
A few short steps can help you come up with a business idea and get your business started.
For most of the ideas above, you can open an online store in minutes and get a feel for marketing and analytics tools before committing to a plan. Learn as you go with free entrepreneur resources like the Shopify blog. Remember, before you register your business, check whether you need a business license and choose a suitable LLC name.
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:
- What am I good at?
- What skills do I have that could benefit others?
- Can any of my hobbies or interests become a small business?
- What’s important to me and what are my values?
- How much time do I have to commit to a small business?
- How much will it cost to start a business?
- How can I leverage resources at my college to help me start a business?
- What are my goals?
The answers to these questions will also become a foundation for your business plan and brand guidelines.
If you’re launching during the semester, take it slow and steady.
- Weeks 1–2: Brainstorm and pick your idea. Research your market, set a tiny budget, and test the tools you’ll need (like Shopify, Etsy, or Fiverr).
- Weeks 3–4: Create a simple logo, set up social media, and tell a few friends, professors, or classmates what you’re working on.
- Weeks 5–6: Launch a “beta” version. Open your store, post a service listing, or take your first client. Keep it small: one or two products or test clients.
- Weeks 7–8: Gather reviews, post results, and start marketing more widely. Use weekends to refine things like pricing, communication, or packaging.
If you’d rather go all in during summer break, use the extra time for a sprint:
- Week 1: Finalize your business idea and do quick competitor research.
- Week 2: Register your business (if needed), buy a domain, and set up your store or service page.
- Week 3: Create and upload your products or portfolio, set up payments, and test everything.
- Week 4: Launch publicly, start marketing on social media, and connect with potential partners or campus contacts before the new semester starts.
- Weeks 5–8: Track sales, experiment with promotions, and document everything you learn so you can keep it running part-time once classes start again.
Time management tips
Balancing classes, deadlines, and a side business for college students isn’t easy, but it’s totally doable if you stay organized and realistic about your time.
- Treat your business like a class. Block out specific “work sessions” in your weekly schedule just like you would for lectures or study groups.
- Use your slow times wisely. Make the most of weekends, mornings before class, or breaks between semesters for bigger projects.
- Keep a simple to-do list. Use free tools like Notion, Todoist, or Google Calendar to stay on track and prioritize just three to five key tasks a week.
- Combine learning and working. If you’re writing an essay on marketing trends and running an online shop, use one to inform the other.
- Give yourself permission to pause. Some weeks, school will win. Other weeks, your business might take center stage. The whole point of starting now is to learn how to juggle priorities, not perfection.
Leverage campus resources
You don’t have to build your business alone. Most universities are packed with free (or almost free) resources to help you get started.
- University incubators and entrepreneurship programs. These often offer grants, mentorship, and even seed funding for student startups. Look for programs through your business school or innovation lab.
- Entrepreneurship or marketing clubs. Join or partner with student clubs that match your business goals. You’ll meet potential collaborators, gain access to campus events, and sometimes even get free promo through school newsletters or social media.
- Career centers and alumni networks. Career centers can connect you with mentors, résumé support, and local partnerships. Alumni networks are goldmines for advice because lots of grads love helping current students, especially when they’re building something entrepreneurial.
- Free software and library databases. Take advantage of your student status and email. Many schools give free or discounted access to tools like Adobe Creative Cloud, Notion, or HubSpot. Library databases like Statista or IBISWorld can give you market data that real businesses pay hundreds for.
- Student organization partnerships. If you’re hosting an event or launching a product, see if you can team up with existing student groups. They already have audiences, mailing lists, and access to spaces.
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Business ideas for college students FAQ
What is the best business for a college student?
The best business idea to pursue while you’re still in college is the one that fits best with your schedule, skills, and interests. There are a number of services 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.
Can a student run a business while taking a full course load?
Yes, but it takes solid time management and prioritization. Start small, focus on a business that’s flexible (like freelancing or on-demand services), and set boundaries so your academics don’t suffer.
How can a business be marketed on campus?
Take advantage of word-of-mouth marketing, social media, and campus bulletin boards to spread the word. Get involved in clubs or events where your target audience hangs out and offer discounts or free samples to build buzz.
How much time should be dedicated to a business while in college?
It depends on your business and schedule, but most student-run businesses start with five to 10 hours a week. Focus on consistent, intentional effort rather than overwhelming yourself with long hours.
What is the easiest business for a college student to start with little money?
The easiest business for a college student to start with little money is a service-based business (like freelancing, tutoring, or pet sitting), because it mainly relies on your existing skills and time instead of upfront costs. All you really need is a laptop, an internet connection, and a way to promote yourself (like social media or a simple website).
