Selling to Students

[CharlieB]

Hi

What products would sell best to students at university? Im going to Uni in september and want to find a product in which I could sell to lots of students and build a small business around.

Any ideas?

Thanks

[mthomas]

Consider some kind of dorm room supplies. Dorms are pretty cramped so anything that can save some space would be a plus. Look for some dorm room supplies that you would find useful and look into private labeling them.

Maybe even laptop stands/supplies?

[fishingeye]

You can sell lanyards?Or fashion clothes or shoes and so on.

[dkattis]

Do what I do...

I run different small ventures tailoring to specific occasions. When Valentine's Day cames around, I buy roses wholesale, make a few different packages and sell them to students. This can work quick well if you advertise it. I do this for several times a year for different occasions. Granted it is seasonal, you may be looking to stick with one business year round. Just a thought. Good Luck.

[mikek]

Sell cell phones. People in Uni have their own money and don't need the permission of ther parents anymore. Through word of mouth you could be selling 1-3 cell phones a month. Nice pocket change!
You will notice how people try to be cool with the latest cell phones, selling unlicked ones could net you $50-$100 in monthly profit. My friend used to do this in highschool, and most of his business came from University students who bought $200-$300 phones for lower than store prices. He would make like $20-$50 profit on each phone. And pretty much his business came to him as word of mouth. Friends of friends, stuff like that.

[HarveyJ]

Bongs...

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[discountedclothing]

I suggest school materials, tech gadgets, or foods

[mjohns]

People bring stuff for there dorms and discount stores will under-cut you anyway have a look at dontpanic.com, do something similar to them or even better buy one of there franchises if your uni isnt already supplied by them!

[CharlieB]

Do you need an alcohol license to sell alcohol to students on campus? Or will the fact that there are bars on campus prevent this completely?

[Mega B]

Totally forget about the alcohol idea it just wont happen and yes you would need a licence,i would say stick with your ducks down the thames

[rosszero]

Selling stationery proved pretty popular in the Uni I went to. Students always misplacing pens, notepads etc!

Interesting topic as I'm usually interested in the best ways of advertising products/services to students rather than the products themselves!

[generationy]

Great question! Always try to research, reach out to experts and plan your business before starting it out. Good thinking!

I would say that the most important things to students would be basically anything that they use on a daily basis. Most might think that a t-shirt business might be nice but do you really? Cell phones, educational materials, tutor services etc. are sellable things that can generate revenue for you on campus. Think about things that frustrate your classmates and ways to make that frustration less or even better, disappear. Is there a product or service you could provide to ease that? Think innovatively for the solution. You can always go for the traditional business such as refreshment stand, t-shirts etc. but what will make you stand out is how innovative you are with your idea and business. Good luck!

[Southern_Lenders]

Set up condom vending machines around every corner. lol, only partly joking.

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* Dorm cleaning service?
* Dorm fast food delivery service to students for those all nighter study sessions?
* Dorm equipment rentals? --> mini fridges, cheap laptops, furnature?
* Dorm services to students with pets? --> pet walking, etc...

just a few

[questeds]

I am unsure of the tax laws around NY and the US in general, but an old contact of mine paid his way through Uni by offering book-keeping services to the uni students. Sounds wierd but they work part time jobs here and there, have no idea what to do with reciepts, tax recording etc. You can then also look to offer it to small businesses in the local area as well.

[CharlieB]

Is it realistically possible to sell to students in this day and age with everything being available cheaply at retail price? Everything I think of can be brought cheaper at retail price. Is it better to spend my time coming up with a more specialist idea rather than trying to get business experience by selling to students?