Are you a student with your eye on your future? You might still be learning and studying for qualifications and skills but there is no reason why you can’t plant those seeds of success and launch a business at the same time.

Startup costs can be minimal these days if you launch a business online so there is no need to worry too much about trying to raise a large amount of capital, instead, all you need is a bit of internet know-how and a great idea that you can turn into a source of income.

IT'S ALL ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA

If you are a student you will already most likely have an intimate working knowledge of how social media works and the marketing opportunities it offers. Consider setting yourself up as a social media consultant.

The starting point would be to create a website for your venture and then look for businesses keen to embrace social media marketing opportunities and could do with your input and ideas. Large companies might have the resources to employ agency or full-time people to run their Facebook and Twitter accounts many smaller companies don’t have the resources or technical knowledge to maintain and improve their social media profile.

You may be able to build a decent business as a social media consultant and if you can demonstrate some success in that field it is going to open up more chances to expand your business.

A GOOD EYE FOR DESIGN

You instantly form an opinion when you visit a website for the first time and it can be bad for visitor numbers and business when the design of the site leaves a lot to be desired.

It is not difficult to find a poorly designed website and that means there are plenty of potential leads for your fledgling website design business.

There are many tools that could be used to create a stunning website and logo on behalf of your customers; remember that what you consider to be easy work in terms of building a website can be very challenging for others. Use that advantage to launch a website design business which could soon grow with a regular supply of satisfied clients.

PUT YOUR CODING KNOWLEDGE TO GOOD USE

If you have experience of coding, get involved in app development. It is pretty obvious how popular mobile apps are and you can always find a steady stream of people who are happy to download your app if does something they want or provides some entertainment.

If you have a good idea for an app and some coding skills, collaborate with software developers to get where you want to be. Look at the phenomenal success of a number of apps to see how potentially lucrative it could be if you hit upon a winning idea for your app.

Get started with your basic coding knowledge and then learn ways to improve your coding confidence as you progress with your projects.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS & INSIGHTS

Generate extra cash and build a platform to help you launch businesses by becoming a blogger. If you have definite opinions, can articulate your thoughts in an insightful way with a touch of good humor, you have the qualities you find in most successful bloggers. Take a look at a guide to making money as a blogger.

START SELLING GOODS ONLINE

One of the key issues to launching an e-commerce website is not just creating a storefront but having enough stock and a warehouse to store it in. A quick route to profits where the warehousing solution is taken care of is to start an Amazon FBA business.

When you strike up a deal with the internet selling behemoth Amazon you grab a slice of the selling action through one of the biggest online retailers in the world. That is an amazing opportunity and the fulfilment process gives you the chance to sell thousands of items without having to store them in a warehouse of your own.

These are five examples of putting your existing skills to good use and becoming a successful student entrepreneur.

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September 2017