100 Best Ideas for Students Startup a Business in 2023

Starting your business is a great way to generate income while you're in school. However, being a student means that your education comes first, so you need to choose realistic ideas that allow you to focus on both your studies and side hustles. But even if you don't do your homework, there are always case study help services where professional writers can do any writing task.

You can use your free time to become a student entrepreneur. In fact, Mark Zuckerberg developed a program while he was in college, and now Facebook is a part of people's lives. Today, many college and university students are coming up with brilliant ideas, and there are many investors out there ready to provide capital and mentorship.

Whether in high school or college, you can start your side hustle that might grow into a successful business. However, you must be very organized and use your time wisely so that neither of you suffers.

Here are startup ideas you can work on in your spare time.

Photography: As a student, you can invest in a decent DSLR and work with advertising agencies. Businesses flood their social media with images because these are excellent marketing tools, so photography services will always be the same. You also go one notch higher and create a photo booth.

Organize trips: Do you love to travel? If so, you can earn money by scouting out some cities and famous festivals and organizing trips to visit or attend them. You can start with other students and collect a small commission from them. Then, you must create a website and start marketing such places or events.

Mentoring: Any person can mentor as long as they have a unique skill. For example, many people and children seek math, English, art, and music tutors tutors. Research your local area, see people's problems, and start counseling services. For example, many immigrants and foreign workers are looking for native English teachers; you can apply for such jobs and start earning while studying.

Videography: There are a wide variety of opportunities for videographers. These include weddings, birthdays, music or film recordings, corporate events, or advertising. In fact, the need for video content is increasing as people want to capture a special memory or promote a brand online. At the same time, students often neglect the security points of video content and face the vulnerability of their system. For this purpose, many remember to contact NordVPN review or other VPN services for their reference and set up special virus blockers. There are no small details in a successful videography startup. Therefore, a student with an eye for the film can start a video startup.

Laundry service: Students hate doing laundry, and as a student entrepreneur, you can take advantage of their laziness. You can start by washing, drying, ironing, and delivering your fellow students' clothes for a modest price. You can design and print leaflets to market your services, hire more people, and soon, you will have a large business with the necessary equipment and offer laundry services.

Makeup Artist: A student can join the growing makeup artist industry by offering bridal makeup services, prosthetics, and special effects. Still, school students attend prom every year, and they do so by the thousands, so you can be their makeup artist.

Fitness instructor: Many people are looking for a private fitness or yoga instructor, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic, where social distancing is the new normal. Being a personal fitness trainer means you will go to people's homes to coach them in improving their health through exercise, yoga, or meditation. Remember, health and fitness have become people's priorities today due to increased lifestyle diseases.

Budget Nutritionist: You can earn nutritionists by researching and creating a list of cost-effective, healthy meals and sharing them on your social media platform or website. Your followers will share with their friends, and soon, you will have a large following. This will help you get inquiries from people looking for personalized meal plans. Brands will contract you to advertise their products, or you can still partner with a fitness coach and sell your packages.

Flyering: Many businesses seek people to distribute their leaflets and flyers to attract customers. Getting the necessary paperwork will help you distribute leaflets in busy places, private properties, or universities.

Grocery delivery: People are busy, others are sick, fear going to crowded places, and some are still lazy. Amazon has struck a chord with its 2-hour delivery service, and so can you. You can market your general delivery services on social media platforms. Soon, you will be earning a lot of money instead of idling away at university.

Food delivery to the home: People have busy schedules, so food delivery companies are growing in popularity. Since people love homemade food instead of fast food, you can start a homemade food delivery business where you partner with individuals who sell homemade food and work as delivery people. Still, you can be the one who cooks and hires a delivery person. You can choose what works best for you since you are a student.

Gourmet Cooking: Your fellow students are your target audience for most business ideas. Because they need more money to hire a full-time cook, they may choose to make their own pizza, bake a cake, etc. However, things may not work out well because of their tight schedule or fatigue. So you can cook for them for a fee during their weekly dinners or special occasions such as holidays.

Discounts: Start a discount company offering discounts to clubs or famous places. Then, package these offers as a discount card or app and sell them to students or target groups. You can also accept ads on your app or card, which will be an additional source of income.

Become a DJ: Many students become disc jockeys due to increased house parties, student nights, birthday and wedding parties, and other significant events outside the university. If you want to play at your friend's event for free in exchange for feedback, ask them to invite you to their party. If they like it, start charging and ask them to recommend you to others. Still, you can market your business on Facebook and Instagram, and when you gain enough experience, you can partner with event companies.

Nightlife Entertainment: It's a great idea to start a business that supplies venues and promoters with what they need. For example, if you belong to a band or are a DJ with sound equipment, you can become their supplier.

Nightlife Promotions: This starts with being a nightlife promoter for a promo company. Over time, you can become that promo company as you build your following on social media, acquire branding skills, and gain access to a network. You can prepare and present a good proposal to a large venue, and soon, your company will be their promoter and run events in your city.

Campaign: College students have elections, and so you can campaign for a student president aspirant or so. This is because they make a similar effort to a country's presidential candidate, and at times, university elections mimic full-blooded government elections. You can write their speeches, take their videos and share them online, design and print campaign materials, or provide other things related to their campaigns.

Flipping Websites: You can start a business by buying existing websites, growing them between 6 months and 2 years, and then selling them for a higher profit. Your audience grows as you review more companies.

Create a listing and review site: You can create a site and post your personal reviews. You review different companies, and the more they are, the bigger your audience. Later, you can collaborate with brands and become an affiliate marketer or influencer.

Podcasting: Like creating a YouTube channel or a website, podcasting is a profitable niche, especially if you are good at speaking, discussing, and debating. A very successful podcaster can earn as high as $50,000 per episode; however, becoming a professional podcaster takes time and effort. Still, you can start by choosing your niche, creating a podcast name, making podcasts on viral topics, and being of good sound quality and reasonable length. You can invite fellow students and family members as your guests, record your podcasts, and convert them into YouTube videos.

Motivational app: It is possible to create motivational apps that focus on mental health, personal finance, education, starting a business, and many other topics. The primary purpose of such an app is to improve productivity in a positive but fun way. Still, you can get sponsors or brands to run ads on your app and pay you some money.

Print-on-demand items: An excellent urban photographer or cartoonist can quickly turn their skills into a lucrative business while in school. Posters, framed wall art, and greeting cards can be designed and printed. The internet is flooded with several digital templates and platforms where you can showcase your work yourself without printing them.

However, you can print-on-demand t-shirts, tote bags, hoodies, hats, phone cases, and more. You can sell them to your colleagues at school or print t-shirts that represent something your community is proud of or passionate about. Look for a good designer in your area or find one on freelance platforms such as 99Designs, Upwork, Dribble, or Fiverr.

Internship: This is an excellent opportunity to earn money and put what you study into practice. In fact, getting an internship will help you after graduation because it will equip you with the skills you need for your career. So start applying for internships in various companies, such as well-known tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, etc. Remember, there is no limit on the number of internships you can take; it all depends on your free time.

Social Media Manager: As mentioned, you can monetize your social media page. However, with this startup idea, you don't need to create your own account and build an audience; instead, you manage other companies' social media handles. This means you interact with their audience on different platforms. This will help brands focus on their core business as you engage followers, answer queries, run campaigns, and more.

Web Design and Development: Do you understand coding and programming languages well? This could change your life if it does. As a startup, you can help businesses establish an online presence. Try reaching out to businesses in your area that don't have websites because their owners think it's unnecessary; probably 20% of them will accept your offer. Help your local electronic stores, hotels, restaurants, and general stores to have a website because this will help them generate online sales and market their promotions and other offers.

App Development: Mobile apps are growing quickly. Demand for new apps is high, which explains why the Play Store and Apple Store have something new every day. You can start a new venture by creating mobile apps and selling them to companies while still in college.

UI/UX Designers: The demand for user-oriented interface designs is increasing, as is the need for qualified User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) designers. If you have these skills, consider starting a UX/UI design agency.

Online Journalism: Some people are not willing to work in a newspaper or television atmosphere, so they can create a blog or YouTube channel or simply work for an online newspaper or magazine like Forbes.com.

Teach English: Many international students want to learn English before attending a university or college abroad. Still, many workers are looking for jobs abroad, but they need to be proficient English speakers. Therefore, you can create a website and offer writing and speaking skills to students or employees online. In fact, most native speakers make a lot of money teaching their language.

Learn Music: If you are a student with good music skills, you can start and run your startup online, offline, or both. However, you can also work as a part-time music teacher in a nearby school or organization.

Learn Dance: There is an increased interest in dance television shows, and people of various age groups are taking dance classes. You can start offering these classes if you have access to a more significant performance area or a commercial space that can be converted into a classroom. Still, aspiring YouTubers are looking for a space to rent out when they want to shoot their videos.

Offer cooking classes: Can you cook a delicious meal, and are you passionate about cooking? If so, you can build a fantastic business out of your passion. Creating videos and uploading them to your YouTube and other social media channels allows you to offer cooking classes online without much capital investment. You can still create an account with freelance platforms like Upwork and bid on cooking classes. When you gain popularity and get enough capital, you can start your own gym.

Content Marketing: Businesses struggle to build their online visibility. One method to increase their presence online is to publish high-quality content on a regular basis. It is possible to help them generate content that will drive traffic to their website or social media platforms.

Domain Selling and Buying: People want websites and good business domain names. This is an old business, and most valuable domains are already taken; however, you can get a famous domain name and sell it. Still, you can search for exciting blog names that have been dropped or are being sold and start a business selling on-sale or expired domains.

Bookkeeping: Small businesses prefer to outsource their bookkeeping and accounting tasks rather than hiring a permanent resource or making a budget for them. If you are good at bookkeeping and finances, you can be a freelancer or partner with a small accounting agency.

Blogging: Starting a website and adding content does not require coding knowledge. So, a student can choose a web host to create a blog and join the list of over 600 million people on the internet today. More than 3.5 billion searches are performed daily, so you will avoid significant competition when creating your blog. You can write articles about your passion, such as how to bake, clean a pet, gardening tips, etc.

Becoming an affiliate starts with creating a YouTube channel or website and increasing traffic. Next, you can sign up with an affiliate network in your niche market or find brands that can pay you a commission to promote their products or services on your channel or website. So you will place an affiliate marketing link on your content and earn every time a buyer clicks on it to purchase an item from that company or subscribe to their services.

Dropshipping is a viable option for students who run an e-commerce business and don't have room for inventory. This means you can select products you intend to sell from various suppliers and then list them on your website. When a customer buys an item that is still in the supplier's store, you order it from them at a discounted price and then ask the supplier to ship it directly to your customer. A drop shipper is a middleman who makes money by selling other people's products.

Freelancing: Skills such as logo design, photography, videography, video editing, graphic design, writing, etc., can help you earn a good income while studying. You can create an account with popular freelancing sites like Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, PeoplePerHour, and 99Designs and start offering freelancing services.

Ghostwriting: You can start a full-time business if you're a good writer. This means you can write content for someone else who will feature and get credit for your work. For example, you can ghostwrite a book or course, and the other person will offer it as theirs. This is an excellent way to earn money as a student.

Email Marketing: A student who is good at writing emails can start an email marketing business. This idea is excellent if you know how to craft subject lines and create unique email marketing campaigns. In fact, businesses are looking for people to help them with their email strategy, and if you can entice recipients, brands will come running to you for help. You can still work with platforms like Upwork and PeoplePerHour.

Instagram Influencer: Influencers can earn much income from social media platforms. You can become famous by sharing tips from your favorite niche posting yoga poses, travel photos, hairstyles, and fashion photos. This will help grow your following, and soon, brands will start contracting with you for collaboration.

Artist: This refers to making art and showcasing it on eBay and Etsy. In addition to these two platforms, you can create your own website and showcase your art there or partner with interior designers who will recommend potential buyers for your arts and crafts. Your art will be displayed in homes, cafés, and small restaurants to enhance their appearance.

Monetize Your Social Media: The young generation spends a lot of time on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, etc. Did you know you can generate an income when you start a page and build a large following? Meme sites, celebrity sites, education sites, and photography sites have many audiences engaging with them, and starting one can help you earn from ads, promotions, sponsored posts, influencer marketing, and more. To create a social media account, post creative content during your free and grow your audience.

Offer online courses: People are no longer interested in reading boring books or writing notes; instead, they look for video courses on everything. As a student, you can create educational content in your familiar fields and upload it to platforms. So, a tech student can develop courses, sell them online, and get paid for them. Remember, this is not a one-time thing, but you will continue to earn as long as someone is interested in your content.

Offer a language course: You can start teaching a language via Skype, Zoom, or other teleconferencing platforms. This means you can prepare a language course such as French, Chinese, or Spanish and teach people from anywhere in the world. However, you can do it at the university when you receive international students.

Offer writing services: These include services such as essay writing, sales and marketing copywriting, or proofreading. You can research what professional essay writers do online and then start your business based on this insight.

Offer design services: If you analyze all the 100 startup ideas, you will find they require some design. They need websites, flyers, banners, business cards, etc., so if you're an avid artist or studying design, you can use your skills to earn money in school.

Offer Digital Marketing Services: You can set up a business that offers digital marketing services to local businesses in your area. You can help them run social media campaigns, generate SEO-friendly content, and more.

Become a Virtual Assistant: You can help time-strapped people complete tasks such as managing social media accounts, answering emails, and shopping online. Assisting people online requires a good internet connection and a computer.

Offer transcription services: A class will never be 100%, so you can offer to transcribe the teacher's words for a fee. You can also transcribe court proceedings, medical reports, or meeting minutes.

Offer PR Services: Local businesses are looking for a skilled person to help them write press releases, presentations, pitch decks, and more. You can start a company that offers public relations services while you're still in school.

Translation Services: Students proficient in multiple languages can start offering translation services. Many companies are looking for translators because, while English is the primary language, they have clients who speak other languages such as French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Swahili, and more. So, you can start a business offering translation services and recruit more translators.

Proofreading and Editing Services: A student with impeccable grammar, spelling, and a keen eye can start an online proofreading and editing startup business. You can target individual authors or companies worldwide.

Host Webinars: This business idea can work well when paired with coaching. Still, you can do it alone when you are an expert in a certain area. If you're a fitness instructor or nutritionist, you can host webinars, teach people, and download the recording afterward. You can charge people a small registration fee or download the recording. You can also promote your upcoming webinars on your social media platform and website.

Build a Resume and Resume Writing Business: Many people find writing about themselves and describing their accomplishments challenging. A student can start a resume-writing business to help job seekers write resumes and help them land their dream jobs. In fact, your schoolmates will be your first customers because they need a resume and cover letter for their internship or job application.

Renovation: A student who loves to restore things to their original condition may find this an interesting job. You can dig for antique or vintage treasures and make them look like they did before use or restore them to their former glory. So you will share your passion with others while earning some extra dollars in your spare time.

End-of-tenancy cleaning: Students must thoroughly clean the entire house, scrubbing walls, windows, carpets, appliances, etc. Hiring a professional cleaning company can be expensive, but you can provide the necessary cleaning at a reasonable price. Although this is a seasonal job, it has enormous earning potential.

Cleaning Halls: The business idea is small but self-sufficient. You can market your business around your university or beyond, and soon, you'll have a substantial commercial cleaning empire with multiple employees and a massive list of offices and malls to clean.

Moving service: People are on the move every now and then. Students must move to their parent's homes or other locations at the end of an academic year. Neighbors also move when they change jobs or are transferred. Starting a moving business where you help them pack and load their items into a truck.

Flipping Burgers: You can start a simple burger shop near your school or mobile that you can use during an event or activity at your place. You can buy frozen burgers in bulk, which is very economical, and you will probably get huge margins. The only caveat is that you must have the necessary paperwork and adhere to food handling hygiene.

Start a coffee shop: You can start a coffee shop where you serve coffee and snacks to people, including fellow students. Invest in a cafe with plenty of space to hold meetings while having coffee.

Complete surveys: Complete Checks Companies explore requests to understand their target guests' demographics and preferences. You can get paid surveys online that you complete while sitting on a bus, watching TV, etc. These companies can pay you in cash, gift cards, or vouchers.

New product testing and review: Companies collect reviews before launching their products. You can apply to become their tester in exchange for feedback. This is common with electronics and beauty companies. You can earn a few dollars and get free items from companies that are releasing new products in the market.

Create an accommodation review site: Your fellow students will love it because they need a nice place to stay at university every year. So offering them some reviews will help them find a good place, and they will be ready to pay you for similar information.

Become a Market Research Consultant: Brands are desperately looking for customers, and as a student with some spare time, you can do product testing or conduct market research to help them understand their customers' needs and how to address them. They also want to learn about their competitors, so they will pay you handsomely if you offer them this invaluable insight.

Create your YouTube channel: Hello! Welcome to my channel. Can you say these words with a lot of passion and a smile? Then you are good to go. The demand for live streaming is increasing, and today, YouTube is a powerhouse for content-on-demand. So, choose your niche and make unique and engaging videos. For example, you can learn a language, how to bake, how to crochet, or something else that you are passionate about. So you can invest in a decent camera and microphone and monetize your content.

Enter Online Contests: Watch free-to-enter online contests and earn decent rewards. While you may not win money in some contests, you could win a new car, phone, vacation, or more.

Offer car washes: It is possible to make a lot of money washing people's cars, but you must have the proper permit. Instead of setting up your own car wash, you can start a business washing cars at people's homes or in the parking lot. Since sports clubs and supermarkets have large parking lots, you can approach them and start your car wash business there.

Offer babysitting services: This simply means that you become a babysitter for parents who have busy schedules and cannot afford the high price of daycare. It is an excellent job if you love and enjoy the company of children.

Offer home care: People don't want to leave their homes empty when they go on vacation, especially in areas with a lot of insecurity. Still, other animals have flowers and plants that must be cared for when they are gone. So, a person will leave you at their house and pay you to water their plants, feed their animals, and clean or repair their property while they are away.

Offer Pet Sitting: Get paid to hang out with an animal. Busy pet owners will leave you with their pet during the day and ask you to feed their rabbits, cats, or dogs when they work or when the family goes on holiday. Living with a friendly pet can be fun, and the fact that you'll earn money makes it even better.

Offer pool cleaning: Cleaning a pool is not easy and requires some knowledge. Still, this can be a good job when you have the know-how and experience of drawing pools. You will have to invest in equipment and products, and because of this, you can earn some money, especially in the summer season.

Painting and Decorating: You can improve your painting and decorating skills by watching YouTube videos and then painting for family, friends, and neighbors for a small fee. Next, you must contact your landlord if you live in shared accommodation at the university and other landlords where your classmates live. Soon, you will become a popular painting contractor in the city with a large portfolio to show off.

Start a nail salon: Start offering manicure services to your fellow students and friends at a competitive price. However, you need to invest in high-quality products and regularly watch YouTube videos to see what professionals do. Soon, you will have a huge customer base that will bring you a significant profit.

Start a baking business: Baking cakes, bread, biscuits, cookies, and other goods can be fun. If you love baking and have the necessary equipment, you can turn this hobby into a lucrative business. Create a website for your bakery business and display your products there, or market them on social media.

Start an ice cream stall: This part-time business idea can generate a handsome profit. You can make different flavors of ice cream at home or partner with someone good at it and then sell it at a mobile or fixed ice cream stand near a college or on a busy street. You can also advertise your new ice cream flavors or specials on social media and offer delivery to your neighborhood customers.

Become a hairdresser: Getting service from a professional salon can cost much money. You will be charged more when you enter a high-end salon or request an ambitious style. You can start offering services to your mates at a reasonable price, and soon, you will have a queue longer than you can handle. You only need a decent pair of scissors, and you'll learn a few tips from YouTube video tutorials. Then, you'll start cutting their hair.

Become an event planner: Do you have excellent organizational skills, and are you passionate about planning events? If so, there is a fantastic job for you. You first start by organizing your friend's birthday, graduation party, anniversaries, or other small indoor events. This will help you get many supplier contacts for decoration, music, food, drinks, and venue. Next, you can move to more significant outdoor events such as weddings.

Textbook Exchange Services: This is a classic startup site for college students because it is straightforward to start and grow. You can start by creating an app or website where students in the same institution can upload their used textbooks so others can rent or buy them. This is a less hectic business because the demand for textbooks is seasonal; you're only busy at the start of the semester, and the buying season kicks off until the next one.

Resell used books: At the end of the semester, you can offer to buy your classmates' used textbooks at a fairly low price and sell them either online or to the next group of students taking the same module. This means that you will buy them at a fairly low price and then sell them for a reasonably higher price than you got them, but less than the cost of a new copy.

Sell ​​Tickets: As a student, you can record upcoming events, concerts, and shows, buy their tickets in bulk, and sell them for a profit. You can create an account on ticket exchanges or sell them on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, etc. To make it official, you can register your business with the clubs or event organizers to get express permission to sell them.

Sell ​​your notes: You can compile good notes from your study material and earn serious money. So, create a profile, upload your notes, and set a price on a platform like Stuvia. Still, you can give them a free preview to motivate them to pay for your notes and set a fair price because your primary target is students.

Sell ​​Jewelry: Making jewelry is not difficult because it is something you can learn with YouTube tutorials. However, you need to produce in large quantities to get great results. To identify a niche, make jewelry targeted at them and market it where they visit the most, such as on social media.

Sell ​​used clothes online: You can sell your old and friends' clothes online. Still, you can go to a charity shop, look for hidden gems, and sell them online for a profit.

Rent out unused parking space: If you have a house with a parking space outside and don't have a car, you can rent it out and earn some money. This can be a lucrative business if you live near an airport, train station, or highway, and parking is at a premium. Offering your pack at a discount can make you a lot of money.

Natural Cosmetics Maker: You can learn how to make candles, home fragrances, face masks, body scrubs, and soap from natural ingredients, package them, and sell them in your online or offline stores. The claim for your natural cosmetics will rise if they show an expert reply or slave the allowed purpose.

Start an Online Fashion Store: Fashionable people can benefit from sharing their sense of style online. This does not mean becoming a fashion designer; it means curating items from different suppliers and displaying them in your online store using Shopify.

Sell ​​handmade items: There are students with excellent skills in pottery, crochet, and more. You can start crafting these items and selling them locally to friends. You can still open an online store, but you must consider how you will ship and manage the inventory when you get customers abroad. You can simply start on a per-order basis until you generate consistent sales.

Trade on eBay: You can purchase things in bulk, like headphones, chargers, etc, and deal with them on eBay. However, you can make your own items and sell them online, such as handmade jewelry like necklaces and bracelets, items in the crotch, etc. You only need to invest in some envelopes and packages.

Personal stylist: Are you passionate about fashion and style? Turning a textile into an unforgettable mix or costume can earn you money while in college. Remember, you can perfect your skills using YouTube videos and stay current on current trends. You can also create your own social media page and start giving people tips on how to be stylish or where to shop.

Become a sports coach: You can start coaching beginners for a fee. You can start with your university team or a local team and get paid to coach them.

Grow and sell fresh vegetables and fruits: Grow and deal with brand-new vegetables and fruits. You can grow herbs, vegetables, and fruits at home and deal with them with your neighbors, buddies, and others. Still, you can generate a website for them or deal with them on social media. Still, you can create a website or market them on social media. People are looking for fresh products, and those who sell them make a lot of money.

Get paid to stand in line: Everyone hates standing, and you can offer a solution. You can offer to stand in line on behalf of someone outside a venue to get tickets or other places where advance booking is impossible. So, people will pay to endure the misery on their behalf.

Self-publish a book: You can write and sell a good book you are if creative and have excellent writing skills. Some popular categories include cookbooks, poetry books, comics, wallets, and more.

Computer/Mobile Repair: The number of people using electronic devices has grown dramatically in recent years, and this is an excellent starting idea for students. When you have the necessary skills, you can earn money by offering repair services. However, avoid such a business if you do not have the necessary skills and intend to subcontract the work.

Mobile Phone Accessories: You sell a wide range of phone accessories, including earphones, smartphone cases, chargers, screen protectors/screens, and USB-type converters. Your business will grow as the demand for smartphones continues to develop. Also, look for unique original products because this demand is saturated.

Design and sell gadget cases: Creative students can create different cases for electronic gadgets and sell them to their mates. For example, they can design a pencil-like phone case or a binder-like case for laptops. The goal is to keep people's electronics safe and away from robbers. 

Currency trading is a lucrative and fascinating business idea, especially if you are good with numbers. Still, you must be ready to work long hours and take high risks. You can trade cryptocurrency, or what's generally known as bitcoin, foreign currency, stocks, and more.