A lot of students out there like to keep to themselves, do their studying for three or four years, make a few friends, and get out of the education rat race as soon as possible. But for some students, they can’t wait to get themselves on the entrepreneurial ladder. They want to so badly that they won’t even let their studies stand in the way of them.
You have to appreciate this moxy, as being an entrepreneur is a hard, hard thing to do, yet these types of students are not phased at all and want to be able to make money as soon as possible by starting up a business. If you are reading this and feeling like it’s not relating to you, then click off if you want! But if you’re reading these words and envisioning yourself as the next big company owner of our time, then this one is for you!
Becoming an entrepreneur isn’t easy, but there are definitely ways to do it while you are in university or college that won’t damage your grades too much. All you need in order to start is determination, patience and a little read-through of this list to help you kick-start your path!
Assess what is popular
A lot of companies really struggle to keep up with what is popular and trendy. They spend a whole lot of money trying to understand the markets, and they often get it completely wrong, which ends up hurting the company’s reputation. If you are in college or university, you have no excuse for not knowing what is trendy and happening. Places of education are often where a fad, service or product are made popular! This is because students are always talking to each other about what music is topping the charts, what clothes are fashionable, etc. They talk about just about everything and how well liked it is.
Don’t see your time studying as just a time to sit on your own and work on your product plans. Do the rounds, socialise a bit, and go out and find out what really is connecting with young people at the moment. The best time to do this is while you are studying, because you are pretty much part of the demographic yourself. Think of yourself as an undercover company agent, compiling the best ways to tackle and win over the student demographic.
Give students what they want
It should go without saying, but students are only going to buy into something that makes their life easier. They have no time for any product or service that exacerbates their day. So bare that in mind when you are designing your product. What do students want? What do they crave? You might end up thinking of online resources where they can plan their whole life, social plans as well as studying plans. This could be useful as students actually have trouble with that.
One of the best entrepreneurial moves in recent years was the occurrence of online essay writing services. These are websites that literally write essays for money. They find out exactly what the student is struggling with and assign them a partner that is going to be of real help. The partner and the student sort it out between them, and the student pays them money at the end of it. This is a great example of where a company has capitalised on something that students really need; they have adapted their business model to suit what students want and what format is appropriate for them, and they have been successful because of it. The main point is, you need to give students what they want in a way that is familiar to them. This is why so many businesses are doing their trading online nowadays, because students spend a lot of their time online. Keep these things in mind when you’re thinking about being an entrepreneur.
The world of entrepreneurship can be a scary, scary-looking place. It is a dog-eat-dog world, so a lot of people think it’s a good idea to start doing it after you’ve finished studying. But so many people have launched their successful companies whilst in college. So why wait? Get yourself started now, because you have a great opportunity at taking a real look at a target demographic and what drives them to purchase and consume things. My guess is that if you don’t take this opportunity you will surely regret it! So have a read, and get thinking.
