\na whole lot of learning experiences<\/a>.<\/p>\n
![\"ryans-istash-trade-show-in-las-vegas-all-chapman-grads-here\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/alumni\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/85\/2015\/08\/Ryans-iStash-Trade-Show-in-Las-Vegas-all-Chapman-Grads-Here.jpg\")
<\/a>Launching my first product, the iStash, at a trade show in Las Vegas with the help of fellow Chapman alumni. (From left to right: Joey Arcidiacono ’12, Matthew Feldman ’12, me, Maxime Gheysens)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Chapman is also where I started learning\u00a0exactly what it takes<\/a> to start your own business. I invented a product called the iStash, while I was a sophomore studying at the Argyros School of Business. It was helped immensely in getting my business off the ground from professors like\u00a0Niklas Myhr<\/a>, the digital marketing master, and Clark Higgins, an experienced product developer.<\/p>\n Because I choose to start my first business while I was still in college, I got a much more accelerated learning experience under my belt. I was able to use my network of professors, friends, and advisors to make my first website, design my first product, learn how to source strategic product distribution channels, and accomplish so much more in such a short period of time.<\/p>\n Choosing the path of entrepreneurship is without a doubt riskier than being content with heading straight into the workforce after college,\u00a0and requires When I catch up with fellow recent Chapman alumni or current students, the question I’m asked by far the most is, This makes perfect sense. With how many businesses already exist out in the world, it can be difficult to come up with the right idea you should be spending your time on.<\/p>\n With that question in mind, I\u00a0put together this massive list to help give you some starting points on\u00a0proven business ideas<\/a> that can be executed on while you\u2019re still in college.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n While being in the midst of studying graphic design is absolutely going to be helpful, it\u2019s also relatively\u00a0easy to learn the <\/p>\n Web designers are incredibly valuable for\u00a0technology companies. Web design\u00a0is all about mastering the art of creating a beautiful, value-driven experience for the people using\u00a0a\u00a0website or app. There\u00a0are always new websites popping up in need of professional web design, and companies like <\/p>\n As a web developer, you’ll build incredibly\u00a0valuable skills that are in extremely high demand. You can get up to speed on building websites in as little as a few months with inexpensive or free online education programs like <\/p>\n If you\u00a0have a knack for connecting with people and the willingness to take on some risk, a commission-based freelance sales role could be a great fit for you. Many\u00a0startups seek part-time and commission-only salespeople, especially when they’re just getting started.\u00a0Sell for nothing but commission and negotiate yourself a good chunk of equity, and you could\u00a0profit big time if the startup succeeds.\u00a0Check out <\/p>\n If you’re an expert at something, there’s likely an audience of people online who would be willing to pay to become an expert in your field – just like you. Lewis Howes shares his strategy for creating and launching successful online courses in this post on his blog, <\/p>\n Packaging your skills and knowledge into a downloadable eBook that delivers value to those seeking to learn a skill, advance in their careers, or start their own businesses, makes for a strong value proposition if you target the right audience. Check out Leslie Samuel’s great guide to <\/p>\n Build up a following on your Instagram account and you could quickly be approached by major brands, gear companies, and other relevant businesses that sell products or services related to the type of content you share on Instagram. If you have hundreds of thousands of followers, you can easily charge anywhere between $500 to $5,000 per post or more. Check out <\/p>\n If you can create a regular audience for your podcast on a specific\u00a0topic, this is a great way to get sponsors. At <\/p>\n Anyone can sell goods\u00a0on <\/p>\n There are countless local business owners that could use some help on reaching more customers within your demographic. Whether you’re studying marketing, business strategy, graphic design, or something else, there’s likely a local business owner who’s willing to pay you to help them solve an issue with their company.\u00a0Start with this <\/p>\n If you already have a website that’s driving in targeted traffic, a great way to make passive income from the content you’re already creating, is through affiliate marketing. <\/p>\n Have a knack for staying\u00a0organized? If you’re a jack of all trades, you should consider working as a virtual assistant. You can find great gigs on <\/p>\n Teaching and tutoring English as a second language is a great way to make a solid side income, not to mention opening doors for you to travel the world if you’d like. While full ESL (English as a Second Language) <\/p>\n If you had a knack for standardized tests and had no trouble\u00a0acing the SAT, ACT or other college exams, why not start tutoring high schoolers\u00a0on the side? Parents of all economic backgrounds\u00a0are more than willing to shell out upwards of $100\u00a0an hour\u00a0to the right tutor, if it means their son or daughter will get admitted to the college or university of their choice. See this quick checklist for <\/p>\n We’re all guilty of spending too much\u00a0time on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest\u00a0sometimes,\u00a0so why not get paid to put your expertise to work? Lots of companies, especially startups or those in retail or travel, have heavy social media presences and are constantly in need of people to help build their brands online. You can find these types of opportunities on sites like <\/p>\n Think blogging is no longer a viable source of income? Think again. Tens of\u00a0thousands\u00a0of bloggers, creating content\u00a0on topics as diverse as scrapbooking, home cooking, travel, film, lifestyle, and more are launching self-employed careers\u00a0thanks to a combination of blog subscribers, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, and other revenue streams. Start with my ultimate free Guide to Starting a Blog<\/a>. <\/p>\n Yes, even the lowly PowerPoint requires outside consulting every now and then. By now, you should be well versed in creating create slide decks. I know I would happily outsource the visual layout of my presentation decks for work meetings, investor pitches, and lectures. Adam Noar from <\/p>\n If you love\u00a0to travel and find yourself randomly searching for airfare sales or browsing <\/p>\n Someone out there is remodeling their kitchen and needs to know which shade of granite will match best with mahogany flooring. That someone will often be happy to pay you for your advice, especially if you\u2019re the kind of person that subscribes to websites like <\/p>\n It\u2019s not exactly a way to make consistent great money, but housesitting\u2014exactly what it sounds like\u2014is a fantastic way to live in exotic locales around the world without paying a dime in rent. Did I mention it\u2019s a way to travel and live rent free? Here\u2019s a list of <\/p>\n No,\u00a0babysitting isn\u2019t just for teenagers and\u00a0college students. Quite on the contrary, if\u00a0you call yourself an <\/p>\n Have a talent for crafting or creating other handmade goods? From bracelets to phone cases, rings,\u00a0furniture, and more, <\/p>\n Similar to selling on Amazon, <\/p>\n Fiverr<\/a> <\/p>\n If you own a camera, starting a freelance portrait photography business could be a very natural way to make a side income. Start with doing free shoots for friends and family to build up a strong online portfolio, then you’ll be able to get paid for photographing professional head shots and celebratory family moments. Check out this <\/p>\n Wedding photographers command premium rates – after all, you are capturing one of a couple’s most important life moments. Many professional wedding photographers charge between $2,500\u00a0to\u00a0$10,000 ( <\/p>\n Believe it or not, some people have such a difficult time\u00a0at dating, that they can\u2019t even handle the online component of it. If you\u2019re a smooth talker, why not leverage that skill into a paid match maker? <\/p>\n Fancy yourself a poet? You can <\/p>\n Sometimes it seems like there\u2019s an app for everything. Yet somehow, new ones keep popping up and selling for lots of money, all the time. If you spot a niche that hasn\u2019t been filled to its potential just yet, and you can <\/p>\n As long as there is still the written word, there will always be editors. Freelance editing and proofreading not only pays a decent hourly wage, it also gives you the chance to read about potentially interesting topics too. You can find lots of postings from companies in need of these services on <\/p>\n Many people give up on their faulty laptops, mobile phones, or cameras without even looking into the cause of their malfunctions.\u00a0If you have the skills to fix them, consider starting a side business refurbishing and reselling used electronics.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Every website owner (including myself)\u00a0hires copywriters to write content\u00a0for things like\u00a0about\u00a0pages, FAQ’s, or blog posts. Hourly wages for novice copywriters are not very high, but with experience and a great portfolio, you can start charging more than you make at your normal job. Pick up this free guide to <\/p>\n It\u2019s not very engaging, or mentally stimulating,\u00a0but online surveys <\/p>\n If you\u2019re a fitness buff and have the right combination of charisma and business sense, working as a part-time personal trainer can be both physically and financially rewarding. Once you build up a reputation and client base for yourself, it could easily turn into a full-time endeavor for you. Check out
\nway more sacrifice<\/a>. However,\u00a0once you’re reaping the lifestyle benefits of being your own boss and skipping your time as an entry-level employee out in the real world, you\u2019ll be glad you started learning what it takes to become a successful businessperson while you were in college.<\/p>\n
\n“How do I know which business I should\u00a0start?”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\n
\n
\nfoundations of graphic design<\/a>
\non your own without much instructor assistance. An increasingly easy-to-use
\nAdobe Illustrator<\/a>
\nand\u00a0websites like
\nCanva<\/a>
\nand
\nVisme<\/a>
\nare making it so that just about anyone with two opposable thumbs,\u00a0a\u00a0bit of creativity, and motivation\u00a0can get paid to create\u00a0or alter images.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nSkillcrush<\/a>
\nand
\nGeneral Assembly<\/a>
\nhave proven online programs\u00a0that’ll get up-to-speed quickly with this career path.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nTreehouse<\/a>
\nand
\nCodecademy<\/a>
\n.\u00a0Once you command a knowledge of HTML, Ruby, Python, Javascript, or CSS, you can start taking on
\nfreelance projects<\/a>
\nto build your portfolio while you\u2019re still in college.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nAngel List<\/a>
\nand see if an opportunity aligns with your interests.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nright here<\/a>
\n.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nselling eBooks online<\/a>
\nand start building your strategy.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nthis young fashion Instagrammer<\/a>
\nwho makes a significant income from brand sponsorships.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nCreativeLive<\/a>
\n, I regularly pay $50\u00a0to\u00a0$250 (or more depending on audience size) per episode for a 30 second advertisement on relevant podcasts like
\nThe Tim Ferriss Show<\/a>
\n, the #1 business podcast right now. Naturally, it helps if you already have an online audience you can tap for listening to your regular podcast, but that hasn’t stopped thousands of people from building successful businesses on the back of podcasting. Listen to this great episode of the Conscious Millionaire podcast for an interview with John Lee Dumas on
\nhow to make money podcasting<\/a>
\n.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nAmazon<\/a>
\n, provided you have products\u00a0to sell. If you\u2019re the type to hit all the local garage sales each weekend, there\u2019s all sorts of valuable things that can be resold online. If you want to step your Amazon selling game up, check out this detailed guide to
\nAmazon Clearance Arbitrage on SideHustleNation<\/a>
\nfeaturing an interview from Travis Scott of
\nStuffParentsLike.com<\/a>
\n.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n18-step checklist<\/a>
\nto becoming a local business consultant from Karyn Greenstreet.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nClickbank<\/a>
\n,
\nSkimlinks<\/a>
\n,\u00a0and
\nRakuten<\/a>
\nare\u00a0all great affiliate marketing tools and networks\u00a0that can help you\u00a0make\u00a0money from the content you already produce.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nElance<\/a>
\n,
\nIndeed<\/a>
\n, or become a
\nZirtual Assistant<\/a>
\n. It can be an awesome way to rub shoulders with some very important people, build up your professional network, and you’ll be able to\u00a0work from anywhere.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\naccreditation<\/a>
\nis recommended, as long as you\u2019re a native speaker, there are people in countries such as Hong Kong or the UAE who are\u00a0willing to pay upwards of $25\/hr for you to teach them English via Skype.
\nIndeed<\/a>
\nand
\nLearn4Good<\/a>
\noften have remote english tutoring\u00a0jobs posted, check back frequently.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nstarting an SAT tutoring business<\/a>
\nfrom the Work At Home Mom. Whitney over at Rookiemoms also has a cool story to share about a
\nstay-at-home mom making\u00a0$40\u00a0an hour<\/a>
\nhelping kids out with homework.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nFlexjobs<\/a>
\nand
\nCareerBuilder<\/a>
\n.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nPresentation Panda<\/a>
\nis living proof\u00a0that you can turn\u00a0your\u00a0passion for slideshow presentation design into a legit side business.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nLonely Planet<\/a>
\n, why not carve out a niche for yourself as a private travel agent? Take my friend and fellow Chapman\u00a0grad\u00a0Mark Jackson’s lead\u00a0with what he’s doing to build a
\ntravel consulting business<\/a>
\n. Start with word of mouth recommendations from friends who know they can count on you for the cheapest flights, and don’t forget to\u00a0set up an account with
\nPlansify<\/a>
\nto start\u00a0getting paid\u00a0for your travel expertise in your free time.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nContemporist<\/a>
\n.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nfour great websites<\/a>
\nfrom the legendary Nomadic Matt, to start your housesitting search.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nAu Pair<\/a>
\ninstead, you can make some pretty good side money working nights and weekends.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nEtsy<\/a>
\nis one of the world’s largest independent marketplaces that\u2019s perfect for anyone who is creative and willing to sell their handmade creations. Consider these
\n5 steps to starting an Etsy store<\/a>
\n, from Handmadeology.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\neBay<\/a>
\nis a place to make money selling just about anything you can think of, with the added excitement of using the auction selling model to\u00a0sometimes get way more than you expected for that antique baseball card you picked up at a local street fair.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nis a great place for first-time freelancers who might not have tons of experience and want to build up a portfolio of their work. You’ll be able to complete simple tasks ranging from logo design, to creating animations, or even
\ndrawing a company logo on your forehead<\/a>
\n.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nmen’s portrait photography class<\/a>
\non CreativeLive.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nor more<\/a>
\n) to shoot a wedding. The
\nComplete Wedding Photography Experience<\/a>
\nwill give you everything you need to launch your wedding photography business.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nPeople are paying<\/a>
\n.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nearn $300<\/a>
\nfor every poem you write that this greeting card company publishes.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nlearn\u00a0the coding skills<\/a>
\n(or know someone who already has them),\u00a0you could be on to something. Just make sure you
\nvalidate your app idea<\/a>
\nbefore jumping too far in.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nUpwork<\/a>
\n.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\nlaunching a freelance writing career<\/a>
\n.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\ndo pay out<\/a>
\n, believe it or not.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nthese tips to a successful personal training business<\/a>
\nby the American Fitness Professionals.<\/p>\n\n
\n