Do you have any life-giving or hobby-like talents? Creating a small business during your college years is one of the best ways to both express your passions and generate some extra side income. Dig deep into your passions to figure out a good way to market yourself!
You don’t need to have a crazy title, license, or even degree to sell and create. The best way to work is when you love what you are doing! This way, it won’t even feel like work.
Start by creating a social media or advertising platform for your products or services.
Choose a platform that is popular with your audience, and link your account to your personal page!
Create an introduction video or clip, with a little bit of information about yourself and your interests surrounding your small business.
Making business cards, posters and social media posts is a great way to get your business mission statement out to others.
Once you begin gaining clients or selling your inventory, take pictures of your sales or ask your clients to write you a review! Client pictures are super easy, and unless it is a personal matter, people are usually okay with you taking pictures! However, it is important to confirm consent in situations where it is appropriate.
This is a perfect way to get the opinions of real college students and people who are using your product or services.
If you have a small delicate inventory, creating an Etsy is a useful and humble way to sell your product. There are also many other websites such as Poshmark and even Pinterest that allow for selling growth. They are super easy to function and targeted towards both the buyer and the seller audience.
Pop-ups around your college campus and involvement such as student markets will boost your interaction immensely!
Not only is it a great way to promote yourself as a business owner, but you can partner with other small businesses as well.
Some students make enough money at the student market to cover their tuition!
Creating a small business in college gives you marketing, advertising, hospitality, and communication skills as well! This is beneficial to many business fields and majors.
Buying products in bulk, and partnering with beauty supply chains, Amazon, or other wholesale brands will save you a lot of money when you are buying products.
Most companies will offer it to you or send you a private message about it!
Having a written or online calendar for your appointments or spreadsheet sales is a great way to keep track of your business. It is recommended to keep it separate from your schoolwork, or job calendar. Create sticky notes and highlight your appointments and times!
Pricing your work and creating promotional codes and discounts are great ways to get your client’s attention and keep them coming back.
Finally, asking for negative feedback is hard to hear, however it gives you great ideas for improvement. Asking questions like, “How satisfied were you with your service?” odr “What would you like to see done better?” allows for a room for growth and personal improvement. This can be as simple as changing colors, names, or your perspective!
Creating a small business in college is such a great opportunity that everyone should take advantage of!