Entrepreneurship 101: Yes, you can be your own boss before you graduate from college

By Susan Sullivan | April 17, 2019

Business majors—really, college students in just about ANY major—can create part-time jobs for themselves while getting hands-on experience and insight into the world of entrepreneurship. 

Starting your own business can be a great gig while you're in college. You can set your own rates and often earn more than a typical part-time job, like waiting tables or working in retail. It's also flexible and can be designed to fit busy schedules. 

Be creative and explore your options! 

In this April 2019 post we found on savethestudent.org, you can get ideas for over 50 cool, low-cost, flexible, and profitable options for your own part-time business. Like what?

• If you're into technology, explore how you can make money from creating your own YouTube videos, blogging, doing voice-over work, graphic design, developing apps, or advertising products on your favorite social media sites. Check out sites like Gumroad and Fiverr.
• Offer to sit for stock photographers or be models for them. Prefer to be behind the camera? Research services like picfair.com, where you can upload, price, and sell downloads and prints of your own images. 
• For talented students who like to create, craft, or upcycle thrift shop items and turn them into unique clothing, jewelry, or home decor pieces, think about selling your work on Etsy. If you're a bookworm, you can write, design, print, sell, and distribute your own great American novel or how-to book on your favorite subject using a service like Lulu.com. 

This post on entrepreneur.com lists low-cost business ideas for college students that cost under $100, including residential cleaning, nanny or childcare provider, tutor, event planner, resume and cover-letter writing services, bookkeeping, and providing delivery or errand services.

Why not work as a virtual assistant, social media manager, podcaster, or T-shirt designer? You'll find these and dozens of other ideas in a 2018 smallbiztrends.com post.

Starting your own business doesn't have to cost a lot of money. You can work part-time and build good professional experiences to include on your resume.

To study entrepreneurship, contact our Office of Undergraduate Admission and ask about our concentration in entrepreneurship for business majors.