Side Business Ideas for Students to Earn Extra Money

Starting a side business as a student can be an excellent way to earn extra income, gain valuable experience, and develop entrepreneurial skills. With a bit of creativity and effort, there are many potential business opportunities for students to pursue. Here are some of the best side business ideas for students to consider:

Online Reselling

Online reselling has become an incredibly popular side business idea for students. The basics involve purchasing inexpensive items from yard sales, thrift stores, or wholesale suppliers and then reselling them for a profit on sites like eBay and Amazon. Students often start by selling items they already own and no longer need to get comfortable with the process before scaling up.

Some of the top products for students to focus on reselling include:

• Used textbooks – Buy at the end of each semester and sell for next semester
• Clothing and accessories – Find deals at thrift stores to resell as vintage
• Technology – Flip video games, phones, laptops and more
• Collectibles – Sports memorabilia, comics, and rare items

Tips for Successful Online Reselling

• Research selling prices – Use eBay completed listings and Amazon price history tools to find profitable products
• Take high-quality photos – Good photos attract more buyers and command higher prices
• Learn to ship efficiently – Reduce costs by using media mail and free USPS supplies
• Provide great customer service – Respond to questions quickly, pack items very carefully

Online reselling can be an excellent flexible side business for students because you can source and sell items completely online according to your schedule.

Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is a great side business for students who have strong writing skills. There is a high demand for quality written content online, especially for topics you may already study and research.

Some common freelance writing opportunities include:

• Blog posts – Write posts covering news, tips, how-tos, and insights.
• Product descriptions – Create an enticing copy to improve product pages and listings.
• Articles – Publish your articles on sites like Medium or pitch to online publications.
• Ghostwriting – Anonymously writes blogs, books, articles, and other content for clients.
• Copywriting – Craft compelling website content, social media captions, and more.

Keys to Succeeding as a Student Freelance Writer

• Build a portfolio – Create sample pieces highlighting your best work
• Market your services – Create a profile on freelancing sites and pitch clients directly
• Focus on a niche – Develop expertise in a topic area like health, tech, or business
• Learn SEO principles – Optimize your writing to rank well in search engines
• Offer competitive rates – Undercut professional writer rates by pitching low student rates

The flexible schedule and ability to work from anywhere make freelance writing an ideal side business option for students.

Tutoring Local Students

Offering tutoring services to other students in your college or hometown can be a great way to earn money by helping others learn. Focus on subjects to tutor based on your academic strengths and interests.

Some of the most in-demand tutoring opportunities for students include:

• Math tutoring – From basic algebra through advanced calculus
• Science tutoring – Biology, chemistry, physics, and more
• Language tutoring – Help with reading, writing, grammar, pronunciation
• Test prep tutoring – SAT, ACT, SSAT, ISEE, and other major exams
• Essay/paper proofreading – Provide editing and feedback services

Keys to Success as a Student Tutor

• Promote yourself – Create fliers to post around campus, listings online, social media ads
• Be flexible – Offer in-person and online sessions to attract more students
• Set fair rates – Research local tutor rates, consider sliding scale options
• Communicate clearly – Collaborate with students to identify knowledge gaps
• Stay organized – Use tutor scheduling software to manage appointments

Local peer tutoring is a great option for students because you set your schedule and get to help fellow students one-on-one.

Freelance Web Design

Students with website design and development skills can offer their services as a freelancer to local businesses, nonprofits, artists, and more. If you know HTML, CSS, JavaScript, WordPress, and other web technologies, this can be a lucrative side business.

Some of the web design services you can offer include:

• Site development – Build custom WordPress websites from scratch
• Site maintenance – Provide ongoing WordPress support and troubleshooting
• Web design – Create aesthetically pleasing and UI/UX-optimized sites
• E-commerce setup – Install, configure, and customize e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce
• Responsive design – Make sites look great on all device screen sizes
• SEO optimization – Improve site speed, metadata, and URLs for better search rankings

Tips for Succeeding as a Student Web Designer

• Create a portfolio site – Showcase your past work and web development skills
• Offer site audits – Review existing websites and provide improvement recommendations
• Price competitively – Offer student rates significantly below professional designers
• Use contracts – Cover terms, scope of work, timeline, payment schedule
• Provide website hosting – Register client domains and host sites on managed hosting

Web design is a great side business for tech-savvy students as you can take on projects year-round and work remotely.

Social Media Management

Helping businesses, public figures, and creatives manage their social media accounts is a growing side business niche. As a social-savvy student, you can offer your skills at creating enticing content and strategizing hashtag campaigns, giveaways, and more.

Some of the social media management services you can provide include:

• Content creation – Write social media captions and create graphics, videos
• Hashtag research – Identify trending and relevant hashtags to reach more users
• Analytics/reporting – Track growth and engagement metrics and provide monthly reports
• Account management – Post content across accounts, monitor comments, messages
• Ad Management – Create and optimize Facebook/Instagram ad campaigns
• Influencer partnerships – Recruit influencers for sponsored content partnerships

Social Media Management Success Strategies

• Highlight expertise – Showcase your most engaging content examples
• Use social listening – Monitor brand mentions and relevant conversations
• Offer packages – Provide tiered pricing for different levels of service
• Use tools – Leverage social media management apps to save time
• ** Get testimonials** – Ask happy clients to provide references

With the rise of social media usage, this side business allows you to turn your social savvy into income.

FAQs about Side Businesses for Students

What are some good side business ideas for college students?

Some of the best side business ideas for college students include online reselling, freelance writing, tutoring, web design, and social media management. These allow you to work flexible hours from anywhere and earn income using your existing skills.

How much money can you make from a side business as a student?

Income potential depends heavily on the type of side business, the hours you invest, and your ability to find clients. Many students earn $500 to $2,000 per month with online reselling, freelance writing brings in around $15 to $50 per hour, and tutoring can generate $20 to $50 per hour.

What are easy small business ideas for students?

Some easy small business ideas for students include selling used textbooks, snacks, or baked goods, handmade products on Etsy, customized phone cases and t-shirts, and providing services like dog walking and moving help.

How do you balance studying and a side business?

To balance studying and a side business, stay organized using calendars and to-do lists, schedule focused blocks of time for each, stick to regular work hours, use the Pomodoro technique for timed breaks, batch similar tasks, and remind yourself of long-term goals.

Is it hard to start a business while in college?

Starting a college business can be challenging due to a busy schedule and limited funds, but is very achievable with some creativity, time management skills, passion, and determination. Focus on simple online or service-based ideas requiring minimal startup costs.

Conclusion

Starting a side business as a student is a great way to earn extra income while gaining valuable experience. Online reselling, freelance writing, tutoring, web design, and social media management represent some of the best business opportunities for students based on low startup costs and flexibility. By highlighting your skills and offering discounted student rates, you can secure clients and start growing your brand. A student-side business can help cover expenses now while building toward an entrepreneurial future after graduation. With some effort and dedication alongside your studies, the benefits of starting your own student-side business far outweigh the costs.