Do you fancy yourself an entrepreneurial thinker? With summer coming soon, you are wondering, what can I do to have a memorable summer this year?
With so many options available to you, like summer camps and vacations to getting a summer job, what options are out there for entrepreneurial-minded students?
At GEAR UP, we are focused on providing resources and opportunities to help students achieve their dreams, especially if one of those dreams is to become a successful entrepreneur! We’ve put together a list (it's not exhaustive) of ideas to get your creative gears turning including how to start a small business, provide local services, and create content for your community! Check it out.
Lemonade Stands
If you can pull together lemons, sugar, water and a table, you are well on your way to setting up your community lemonade stand. Lemonade stands can make up to $450 over the summer! This can be the beginning of your college fund or that thing you have been dreaming about for a long time.
Some of the most important things to consider when setting up your lemonade stand are:
Find a yummy lemonade recipe and test it out with your friends/family before selling
Choose the highest traffic location in your community to set up your stand (bring a good table and chair, or if you are handy, build one!)
Make sure you have a table and all ingredients/supplies to provide a great experience for your customers (i.e. napkins, cups, change for payments etc).
Design good-looking signage that can be read from the road and attract people to come over.
Lawncare
If you were your family's yard mower like I was, you will be well-equipped to start a local lawn care business. Mowing yards can be an enjoyable way to make summer income, get outdoors, and feel proud of helping out your community. And if it takes off, you can make a significant living running a lawn care business.
Some of the most important things to consider when setting up your lawn care business are:
You can start with a push lawnmower and weed eater as your basic equipment.
Flyers and business cards can be handed out door-to-door to gather your first customers in your neighborhood/community.
Shadow an entrepreneur
There is no better way to test out being an entrepreneur than spending time with one! If you know of any family members or friends that run their own business, ask if you can spend the day watching what they do. This job shadowing is a great place to start to help you get ideas of entrepreneurial careers.
Some of the most important things to consider when setting up a mentorship are:
Reach out to them and tell them you admire their success and would like to grab a cup of coffee or quick lunch.
Prepare questions to ask about their business, personal life, and what they were interested in when they were younger.
Regularly follow-up to have catch-up conversations and keep building the relationship.
Schedule a time to work alongside them in the field.
Start a Podcast
With the rise in podcasting taking the world by storm, the time has never been more ripe to share what you know with the world and gather a following! There are amazing tools that make it easy to set up and share your podcast on major channels. Check out this helpful ‘get started tutorial’ by NPR.
Some of the most important things to consider when setting up your first podcast are:
Who is the audience that you plan to attract? Think specifics like “gamers 12-25 years old that play Fortnight on a nightly basis”.
What is the specific skill or storyline you will be sharing with your audience to inspire them to follow your podcasting journey?
Get a set of startup tools like a computer, microphone, and quiet place you can do your recordings.
Invite guests, family, and friends to join your podcast and let you interview them.
Buy stuff at yard sales and sell on eBay or FB Marketplace
There is a fancy word out there called Arbitrage, but essentially it means buying something for a low price and selling it at a higher price. People experience this all the time without even knowing it. Think of the last time you bought an ice cream cone for $5. That ice cream cone costs the maker close to $1 dollar to make including all of their costs of ingredients and shop. They sell it for $5, and the extra is the profit they can use to take care of their family, grow the shop, or give back to the community. And this is something you can do as well!
Here are some things to consider when setting up you side business:
Look for local yard sales in your area, and see what they have for sale, as the saying goes “One man's trash is another man's treasure”.
Find items at local thrift shops, and look them up on eBay while in the store to see how much they sell for, if it is higher than the asking price at the thrift shop, you may have a good purchase to resell!
Look through your attic and closets for things discarded, and see if they have any value online.
Use online sales channels to promote your products including: Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Letgo
Have your own yard sale at your house
These are just a few of the many ideas of ways to sharpen your entrepreneurial skills over the summer. Try one out, it never hurts to try. As the saying goes: “Try and fail, but never fail to try!”
Written by Entrepreneurial Program Coordinator, Jonathan Carpenter
lemonade stand
