college entreprenuership (licensing, profit, pay, poor)

[TexianPatriot]

I go to college in a town of about 15,000. Half of that population is college students, so needless to say, the job market is pretty soft. I'm trying to figure out marketable skills I have that I could help me keep a roof over my head. I've got about $2000 in capital I can tap if need be. I could do other people's school work. I'm a decent writer, and for the right price, I'd be willing to take on just about any project for another college student. Also, I'm an accomplished cook. Breakfast tacos are easy enough to make, and I figure if I operate on volume instead of margins, I can out compete just about anyone while delivering a superior breakfast snack. I don't know what kind of hoops I'd have to jump through in regards to health standards.

Jerky is another option. I'm an expert at making the stuff, and come deer season, I could probably stay pretty busy after passing out samples of my own around campus. I'd definetly need to buy a bigger smoker if I went that route and got busy.

Any money I can make under the table is good. Being a poor college student (no income tax liability) who is unlikely to see a dime of social security, it doesn't make much sense for me to pay them anyway.

Did anyone do any self employed/entreprenuerial work while in college. I'm just trying to figure out what I can do during these tough times to get by and still have enough time to get my school work taken care of. I only need to make about $500 a month

[chet everett]

I applaud your desire to "be your own boss" but when I look back into the dim memory of my college days I seem to recall having a very hectic schedule. I did work for a couple of mostly retail type businesses in the town I went to college, as well as an on campus job. Those all allowed me to pick and choose the hours that I needed to be in class or doing homework and that is something that you can't do when you have your own business and need to "dance to someone else's tune". See people THINK you are "your own boss" when you are an entrepreneur, but the reality is that when you are in such a role you MUST accommodate the needs of EACH of your clients ...

I would discourage you from selling food as , in addition to the health standards, you need to carefully manage a very perishable inventory and use energy to make the food and/or have a secure place to store finished food. Lots of expensive overhead.

Service oriented stuff is easier than product oriented stuff, and selling information (even recipes...) might prove much more feasible than goods.

Good Luck!

[maf763]

I had a buddy in college who bought a bunch of sturdy plastic cups with the school name & logo on it - they were perfect for keg-drinking and tailgates. He got them for around $.50 a piece and sold them for a buck at football games, the student deli, etc. He did well with the venture, though nowadays (this was over 25 years ago) you probably would have licensing issues with the logo.

[8 SNAKE]

Originally Posted by TexianPatriot

I could do other people's school work. I'm a decent writer, and for the right price, I'd be willing to take on just about any project for another college student.

Terrible idea for a lot of reasons. The most obvious two would be a complete lack of ethics and integrity on your part and the risk of being kicked out of school if caught. I really hope you don't go this route.

Originally Posted by TexianPatriot

Also, I'm an accomplished cook. Breakfast tacos are easy enough to make, and I figure if I operate on volume instead of margins, I can out compete just about anyone while delivering a superior breakfast snack. I don't know what kind of hoops I'd have to jump through in regards to health standards.

No, you can't. If you try, you will quickly learn a valuable lesson in business so I won't completely dismiss this plan because of the learning experience alone.

Originally Posted by TexianPatriot

Jerky is another option. I'm an expert at making the stuff, and come deer season, I could probably stay pretty busy after passing out samples of my own around campus. I'd definetly need to buy a bigger smoker if I went that route and got busy.

This idea seems to have the most merit of any that you've suggested. If you can build your own brand in town and deliver a quality product at a reasonable (and profitable) price, that might work.

Originally Posted by TexianPatriot

Any money I can make under the table is good. Being a poor college student (no income tax liability) who is unlikely to see a dime of social security, it doesn't make much sense for me to pay them anyway.

Again, I urge you not to sell out your integrity for a few bucks. Your integrity and your education are two things that people can't take away from you. Don't give one of them away!