Building a business while in college may seem quite attractive today. Not only does it ease the burden of a student loan but also promises a better future for enterprising students. 

Why? The answer is simple: the earlier you start making money and saving it, the more financially secure you get.

However, not every student can brag about substantial initial capital to invest in their business. At the same time, many of them feel uncertain about getting loans from banks or investors.

The good news is that there are low-investment business opportunities that can quickly develop into a successful venture. From an online paper writing service to a small manufacturing company – you can start a business even with a few thousand dollars in cash.

Here are the ideas you should pay your attention to.

Social Media

We don’t have to talk about all the ways social media can generate income. However, we do have to mention it since bloggers and vloggers sometimes earn more than employees of an entire mid-sized office.

If you have a hobby or an idea that you know you can sell online, think about building your brand using social media channels. In addition, you can always benefit from affiliate or influencer marketing, should you build substantial followership.

Website Development

One no longer needs coding skills to construct websites. There are special platforms like Wix and WordPress that make creating web pages easy. Yet, very few people engage in website construction for their businesses.

You can turn it into a perfect opportunity to make money. Find a few businesses, create websites for them, build your brand, and then word of mouth will generate a perfect pipeline of clients for you. All of that requires minimum investments on your end.

source: https://unsplash.com/photos/LtNvQHdKkmw

Book Sharing

With the costs of education rising gradually, book or textbook sharing is getting more and more popular. You can hop on this bandwagon by offering a platform where students can exchange the literature they own and need.

This idea is very much supported by people advocating for conserving the environment. Sharing books is not only reasonable in terms of costs but also saves thousands of trees per year.

Used Clothes Sales

What once was deemed inappropriate, is getting more and more attention today. Again, environmentalists set the trend for reusing or recycling clothes, and people follow this trend.

If you support the idea of giving used clothes a second life, you can create a website for people to sell clothes they no longer wear. Operating for a small commission, you are likely to generate substantial income in just a few months, should your venture become popular.

Delivery Service

You can literally make money from walking if you are ready to do so. In this case, launch something similar to an on-campus delivery service. For example, start delivering small parcels to test the demand. You’ll be surprised how often students need someone to pick up their delivery while they are away.

Such a business requires zero investments if you think of it. However, as soon as it gets popular, you may need to hire a team to help you do the job.

Tutoring

If you are apt at any college discipline, you can make money tutoring others. This occupation is extremely rewarding. First, you share your knowledge while helping others get better in their studies. Second, you learn and earn by teaching, which makes the whole venture even more exciting.

However, of course, to engage in teaching, you have to prove that you are good enough. Start by building your brand and helping your classmates handle some assignments. Then you’ll see your schedule starting to fill up.

Handmade Products

If you are talented in producing handmade items, you can turn this hobby into a successful business as well. There are lots of websites where you can auction your handmade craft and make a substantial income from it.

If you develop your brand and make it recognizable, you can start selling handmade works of others in collaboration or branded with your name. The whole venture takes time to succeed, but when it does, you’ll get thousands of happy clients.

Freelance Jobs

Regardless of the nature of your skills and talents, you can find a way to monetize them if you go online. Thousands of jobs are available to independent freelancers. All you need to do is to build your profile and attract customers.

Even if it doesn’t seem like a business at first, it is, in fact, a foundation for it. You start by completing tasks for clients using a popular platform. Then, you migrate to your own website with your brand name. At this stage, you already have a team that works for you and that needs your guidance. Why not call it a business?

source: https://unsplash.com/photos/iusJ25iYu1c

Photography

If you can’t imagine your life without a camera, monetize this business as well. Start with a few photo shootings per month and take extra classes to become a professional.

As soon as you do that, you’ll see clients pop up and their number grow. This will be a signal for you to establish a studio with a few photographers working together.

This field is very promising today. Even though everyone has a smartphone with a camera, it takes  a lot of skill to make high-quality pics.

Travel Arrangement

If you are an experienced traveler who is good at organizing, why not make money on creating beautiful trips for other students? Some people are afraid to travel on their own, so you can help them build groups and travel together.

Of course, this business idea comes with a huge responsibility. You should always have a plan B in case anything goes wrong. However, it’s also very rewarding to see people smiling when they return from the best travel experience that they’ve ever had.

Final Words

In an era of great opportunities, everyone can make their skills unique assets by monetizing them. It's worth a try for you as well. Getting started as soon as possible is best. Therefore, don't let your student loan debt interfere with your business by making excessive payments. Refinancing your loans is an option, and you can compare student loan refinance rates to decide which is right for you.