The Ultimate List of Small Business Ideas for Students

List of Fun Business Ideas for Students

Here is the ultimate list of small business ideas for students. This article is perfect for any student thinking of starting a business while in school. Starting a business is a valuable experience that every student and teen should experience in their life. It trains the way you work and think which will help you no matter what you end up doing later in your life.

Read: 7 Reasons to Start an Online Business While in School.

A quick note on 2 important things you should consider before picking your business idea:

The list of things you can start a business on is endless. But it is important that you pick the right thing to work on. It has to be something that you are genuinely interested in. It has to be something that you are really passionate about. Running a business is a LOT of work. If you don’t like what you are doing, it might become really dreadful and draining to work on it.
It is also super helpful to start your business on something that you are really good at.

Thus, your business should ideally be an overlap of your strengths and interests. That is why I have split this list of business ideas into categories that you can pick from:

Content:

Academic Related Business Ideas
Craft & DIY Related Business Ideas
Online Content Creation
Simple Service-Based Business Ideas
Skill-Based Service Type Business Ideas
Media & Design Related Business Ideas
Other Good Business Ideas

Academic Related Business Ideas for Students

1. Academic Tutor

Do you excel in your academics? Tutor your juniors and help them do better for their exams and tests.

2. Proofreader

Are you good at English? Know your grammar inside out? You can offer editing or proofreading services to people for a small fee.

3. University Applications

College applications is not very easy. The biggest struggle for students is writing the college admission essay. If you are good at it, you can help other students by coaching or reviewing their essay drafts. You can also offer services where you train or prepare students for their college admission interview.

Craft & DIY Business Ideas for Students

4. Bakery

Cakes, Cookies, Brownies… There will always be a demand for delicious baked things 🙂

5. Cake Decorator

If you are more creative, you can make aesthetic cakes for special events like birthdays.

6. Gift Basket/Bundle

You can put together items and make gift baskets or bundles.

7. Handmade Anything

Or you sell any handmade products that you know how to make:

Soaps, Bath Bombs, Lotions
Weaved Items (eg. baskets)
Fashion Items (eg. jewelry, clothes, hair accessories, bags, purses, hats, scarfs, tie dye shirts, tie dye shoes) Or you can do embroidery, cross stitching, knitting or crocheting.
Scented Candles
Custom Picture Frames
Custom Tech Accessories (eg. phone cases)
Greeting Cards, Lettering, Calligraphy
Custom Portraits/Artworks
Design Templates, Stencils, DIY kits, Rubber Stamps, Stickers
Dolls, Doll Clothing
Pet Accessories (Eg. Bows, Bandanas for Dogs)
Candy, Sweets

More info on selling handmade items.

Selling handmade items is a great business. It is quite “low-risk” if you know where and how to get customers. My advice is to pick one item and specialize at it. Build a loyal customer base and you can focus on launching more related handmade products.

But there are a few things you need to settle first before you should launch your business.

So, sign up for it if you are serious about your business idea!

Online Content Creation Business Ideas for Students

8. Social Media Influencer

Do you love social media? Do you have what it takes to be an Influencer? Grow your Instagram following and you can eventually work with brands to promote their products and services.

9. YouTuber

YouTube is a great place to create content and grow a following (subscriber count). You can earn from Ad revenue or sponsorships.

10. Podcaster

Over the past decade, podcasts have seen a steady rise in popularity. So, it is a great time to start a podcast! You can start earning through ads and sponsorships.

11. Blogger

Blogging, in my opinion, is a great business opporunity for everyone who have something you are super passionate about.

Do you know a lot about watch making? Create a blog for it.

Do you know a lot about growing on Instagram? Create a blog for it.

Do you know a lot about vegan recipes? Create a blog for it.

As long as you post regularly and consistently about your niche and actively promote on various social media, you can grow your monthly traffic. You can then earn money through ads, affiliate sales, product sales, sponsorships etc.

12. Social Media Manager

You need a good understanding of the algorithm. Your role as a Social Media Manager is to get clients and help them create content and grow their following. Eg. An Instagram Manager will help his/her client with developing a strategy, creating posts and stories etc.

13. Virtual Assistant

This is similar to a social media manager but it is more general. So, you will be required to do more general type of work to assist whoever hired you. Social media might be one of the things you need to manage.

Simple Service-Based Business Ideas for Students

You can do the following as freelance work. But if you want to make it a business, you can build up a base of clients and rope in other students to expand your service.

14. Child Care

Babysitting and child care services are quite simple and don’t require much of a skill.

15. House Cleaner

You can regularly clean/organize houses in your neighborhood/town.

16. Errand Service

You can also offer a variety of different errand services to local customers. Eg. grocery shopping, dry cleaning, packing, delivering snow/leaf removal, lawn-mowing, holiday decorating, grocery shopping etc.

17. Dog Walking

You can offer dog walking services for your busy neighbors on a daily or weekly basis.

Skill-based Service Type Business Ideas for Students

18. Tech Support

This service will especially be useful for the older generation. You can help people set up their new tech or help resolve their tech issues.

19. Business Coach

Know a thing or two about business? You can do consultations to help others start businesses.

20. Teach how to use a particular software

Are you an expert in using a specific software? Eg. Photoshop. Teach people how to use the software from the basics. You can do live calls or organise online classes.

21. Alterations

This is another popular side business as people always have clothes that need alterations. All you need is a sewing machine and a few basic materials.

Media & Design Related Business Ideas for Students

22. Online Graphics Seller

If you have some design skills, you can sell printable, illustrations, online graphics as downloadable files online.

23. Graphic Designer

Or you can do custom graphic works such as designing logos for businesses.

24. Clothing Designer

Or you good at both design AND fashion? Design you own clothes (Eg. tshirts), get them printed and sell them online.

25. Website Designer

Good at coding? Or website designing? Help others build their websites.

26. Photographer

You can start a photography business that specifically caters to a particular demographic. For example, you be a specialized pet photographer. Or you can offer your photography services at special events (eg. wedding)

You can set up your own DIY studio too.

Other Good Business Ideas for Students

These two business ideas might be a little more complicated but they have the potential to reap high profits.

27. Ecommerce Reseller

Ecommerce stores are the craze right now. You can purchase items and then sell them at a profit on platforms like eBay.

Tips for Starting an Ecommerce Site while in College

28. Dropshipping

You basically sell products to your buyers without actually stocking the items yourself. It does has its own risks. But it also has its advantages so make sure to research as much as possible before you make a decision.

And there you have it: The Ultimate List of Small Business Ideas for Students

Do make sure to consider how much of time and money you can afford to spend on your part time business. You may want to choose business ideas with low investment and high profit. If you have a lot of schoolwork, you may want to consider sorting out business ideas after graduation.

However, most of the items in this list are easy business ideas for teens. It is possible for students to start these businesses while in university.

I hope these different business ideas were useful for students like you. All the best in becoming a teen entrepreneur!