I’m sure there are a ton of students who have some form of slight business running, professional or not. According to zenbusiness.com, “Launching your business can be personally and financially rewarding. Technology has made becoming an entrepreneur easier than ever in the past.” I, for one, hope to start once I get the materials to do so. However, I also know of people who want to create a small business but don’t know where to start, and from experience, I think I speak for all of us when I say this can quickly become overwhelming. There are a ton of significant factors that would stress any student out when it comes to a small business. For instance, how much time will it take? Can I afford the materials? What the heck am I going to sell? Do people even like this stuff? What if they judge me? What if nobody buys it, and I wasted half my savings on a failed idea? I hope to answer a few of these questions for anyone interested in starting a business endeavor such as a small business.

The most prominent question people have is, what to sell? Some basic ideas include stickers, handmade crochet hats or plushies, jewelry, stationary, etc. You could also handmake jewelry or stickers, and there are a ton of tutorials online that can help you learn how. However, most of these things can be expensive or time-consuming, so people quit before starting. A popular thing to sell for a first-time business is candy. Most people buy it for cheap, and after a while, you get a nice cash flow. Then, you can use that to start a business with more expensive products, like the stickers or jewelry mentioned above.

Now that you have the right supplies for your small business, how do you start? The best way to start is to set up a place to create or package your products; ensure it’s organized and cozy so you like being there! Then, advertisements! You’ll need to ensure people know of your shop and what you sell, and social media is the perfect starting point. Make any accounts on any social media platforms that you want to use. Post a story or video saying, “Hey! I’m selling XYZ! You should check it out!” If you have friends on social media, get them to repost your videos so more people can find out that you have items they could buy. That’s just my opinion, though, you can start however you want.

Did you know that vlogging and creating videos on YouTube, Twitch, etc., is a small business? Once you gain the required subscribers, views, etc., on YouTube, you can apply for their Partner Program. According to our source, Business Insider, “To apply for YouTube’s Partner Program, creators must meet a threshold of 500 subscribers, three public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3,000 watch hours in the past year or 3 million YouTube shorts views in the last 90 days.” However, there are also other ways you can gain your revenue through merchandise and sponsorships. Business Insider says, “YouTubers can earn their money in several ways, from sponsorships to selling merchandise. But revenue from Google ads is a big chunk of many YouTuber incomes.”

There are many other ways to start a small business that I couldn’t list in this small article, but I hope the ideas I’ve listed prove helpful to you! Thanks for reading!