You may have started seeing us around Florida State University’s campus or events around Tallahassee. Student-Made Florida State launched on Oct. 15, and we have hit the floor running! Now, you may be asking yourself: what even is Student-Made?
Student-Made is a business that sells products made by students and helps them grow their small businesses. It was founded in 2021 by Lindsay Reeth and Ryan McElhinney, both graduates of Elon University. The couple has expanded Student-Made across the United States to 11 university campuses such as UNC Chapel Hill, Michigan State University, and Arizona State University.
Florida State is one of the newest branches. Student-Made Florida State officially launched on Oct. 15, and so far, we have 12 creators and have had three pop-ups. Our first pop-up was at Market Wednesday. While we may not have made very many sales, my personal victory was pitching Student-Made Florida State to anyone who walked by and getting us to 300 followers on Instagram. Our second pop-up was at First Friday and was SO successful! Our creators had so many sales and it was a great opportunity to network with some of Tallahassee’s local leaders. Our third pop-up was at Alpha Omicron Pi’s philanthropy event, Sisters for Soldiers. We had a great time networking with Florida State students and other small businesses.
Along with access to countless pop-ups, Student-Made creators also have access to student managers with expertise in everything from finances to social media and content creation to how to pitch one’s business. Student-Made has seven managers: Campus, Community Engagement, Events and Partnerships, Content Creation, Finance and Strategy, Social Media, and Website. When creators join Student-Made, they’re not only gaining access to pop-ups, but also a support team and multiple growth opportunities.
How do you even join Student-Made? First, you can find (and follow!) us on Instagram and find the link to our application through our bio. The application is quick and just asks for basic information about you, your business, and why you want to join. After this, we will reach out to you to approve your products. Once they are approved, you’ll get sent your W9 and agreement. After all these steps, you pay our $60 semesterly commitment fee and sign up for Bill.com so YOU can get paid for all your sales! Then, you are officially a Student-Made creator! I know $60 can feel like a lot, but Student-Made takes no percentage of your sales besides a 50-cent Squarespace charge. We just recommend our creators add that to the prices of their products. One last perk of Student-Made is that we do your taxes for you!
Student-Made is a great way to expand or grow your business in a risk-free environment. When you join, you are joining a Florida State community of 12 creators and counting, as well as a national Student-Made community. If you aren’t ready or don’t want to start a business, you can still support us by shopping small! When you shop small and shop Student-Made Florida State, you are directly positively impacting local entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and brands! Happy shopping, and we hope to see you at Market Wednesdays and future events!
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