Do you want to make money in school as a student entrepreneur? If YES, here are 50 best small business ideas for college students to start on campus. There are several easy to start and manage businesses that a college student can conveniently combine with his or her studies.
Although, most students would prefer to only concentrate on their studies and avoid distraction especially if they are fully sponsored by their parents; or if they on scholarship from the government or from any other source.
The truth is that if a student can create time for social life and also for the internet, they can as well create time to start and manage a business. In recent times, the internet has made it possible for people to successfully launch businesses with little or no stress and as a student, you can leverage on the potential of the internet to launch your business.
There are several internet based businesses and offline businesses that a college student can successfully start with little or no start – up capital within campus, off campus and during holidays. Here are 50 business ideas for college students who are interested in making money while studying;
Best Business ideas for College Students
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Sale of Customized Greeting Cards and Flowers (Bouquet)
As a student, one of the suitable businesses that you should consider starting on campus is to go into the sale of customized greeting cards and flowers (bouquet).
During valentine, customized crediting cards and bouquet are always in high demand on campuses and you can leverage on such celebrations to sell your customized greeting cards and flowers. Besides people celebrate birthdays on campus hence there will always be a market for customized greeting cards and bouquet (flowers).
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Sale of Artworks
Sales of art work within the campus community is yet another highly thriving and profitable business a college student can successfully launch on campus. This type of business is highly suitable for those in the arts department or those who have artistic skills.
Such skills could be painting, sculpturing or carving et al. As a college student, you can successfully organize mini exhibitions where you will invite people to see your art works and also to make purchase.
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Standup Comedy
Another interesting and easy to start business that a college student can successfully run on campus without much stress is standup comedy. Of course, it is not everybody that can become a standup comedian, but if you know that you are gifted in that regard, then you should think towards making money out of it while on campus.
If you are able to successfully do standup comedy on campus and you are able to pay your bills, who knows you might end up doing it full time after graduating. Take out time to study all the standup comedians that you know both home and abroad, and you will find that they are really hard working. It is for this reason that you have got to be really up and doing.
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Sale of Call Cards and Data Bundles
Selling of call cards and data for different network service provider is another easy to start business that a college student can successfully run on campus. Aside from people that subscribe to post – paid packages for their mobile phones / GSM, most people buy call cards and data on a regular basis.
Depending on the country you reside, there are several telecommunications companies that you can deal in their call cards and data bundles.
Selling call cards and data bundles is a simple, easy to establish retail business that does not require any skills. As a matter of fact, this type of business can thrive in any location as long as there are people who make use of mobile telecommunication and the internet.
If you are college student who is looking towards starting a business on campus, one of your options is to start a foot jersey customizing business.
Top football clubs in Europe such as Real Madrid FC, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal FC, Manchester United, Chelsea, AC Millan, Inter Millan, PSG, Juventus, Manchester City, Liverpool FC et al have a fan base that cuts across people from all over the world.
Part of what you would need to get this type of business rolling is a good graphic skills and a business network that can help you access quality jersey at affordable prices.
Another profitable business that a college student can successfully start is forex trading. Trading currencies online could be a risky venture, but it is indeed a very rewarding online business.
If you have good analytic skills and you have sound knowledge on cash flow and the exchange market, you can do well as a forex trader. You can Google forex trading platforms and tutorials to learn how to become a professional forex trader.
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Sell Videos Online
It is now pretty much easier for people to produce amateur videos and as a college student; you can consider producing and selling educative videos. YouTube and other video publishing sites online and some of the internet platforms you can leverage on to sell your videos.
If you can produce videos to teach people how to do stuffs for themselves, and put them online, you will be amazed at the rate people will be placing demand from all over the world for the video.
Freelance writing is yet another easy to launch business that a campus student can successfully run on campus. If you are a skilled and creative writer and you have enough time at your disposal, then you can earn good income from freelance writing business.
There are loads of websites you can secure high paying writing jobs. Some of the sites where you can bid for freelance writing jobs are freelancer.com, upwork.com, guru.com and elance.com et al. From these sites you can get writing jobs that can comfortable pay your bills while you are still schooling.
It is observed that ladies spend more on shopping when compared to their male counterparts which is why any business that is geared towards ladies are known to thrive. As a college student if you are looking for a business to start on campus, a business that is easy to start and manage, then you should consider retailing hair extensions and a wide range of hair care products.
It is a thriving business and profitable business that a female student can comfortably combine with her studies. You can move from one hostel to another to market your products to ladies in your campus. The market for these products is really vast.
Although it seems that it is a competitive market, but truth remains that it is one of the best line of business to delve into- as it is a lucrative business.
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Sale of Perfumes
Retailing of perfumes from different designers is yet another profitable retailing business venture that a college student can successfully combine with his or her education. This type of business is simple to start and it is also easy to manage. What you need to do is to ensure that you have perfumes from different perfume designers and then move from hostel to hostel to market the perfumes to students.
Everyone want to look and smell good- so, this is one of the reasons why you have got to adopt a great marketing strategy in other to get a whole lot of people to buy stuff from you.
If you have cash and are looking for a viable retail business to start on campus as a college student, then you should look towards retailing Jewelries and Accessories. Students can comfortably buy necklaces, rings, earrings, bangles et al. It is indeed a viable and profitable business.
As a student, you can conveniently combine this type of business with your studies without stress. Truth remains that women never get tired of accessorizing their styles when they dress up. This is one of the reasons why delving into the trade might be your very best bet.
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Sell eBooks
Another easy way you can make money as a college student is to sell eBooks. There are countless number of subjects that you can write about and of course there will be ready market for such subject. One of the easiest ways to generate money from selling eBooks is to start writing self – help books or books on ‘How To’.
For example, if you are good with graphics, you can write a book on ‘How to create your own logo’ there are loads of people out there that will be willing to pay for such book.
EBooks are cheap and easy to make and from one eBook you can continue to generate incomes as long as the information that it contains is still pretty valid and useful. EBooks (electronic books) are books in soft copies and they can be downloaded online from any part of the world.
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Buying and Sell On eBay
As a college student who is looking towards making money on a campus, you should consider going into buying and selling different goods on eBay. EBay is an internet platform that you can sell your stuff on. All you need to do is to sign up for their services, play by their rules in listing selling your products and be extra careful when dealing with your clients.
If you have got your products ready, do not hesitate to sign up on eBay. This is a very good online platform that helps attract tons of clients daily to businesses.
If you are studying an arts related course on campus or if you are good with graphics, then one of the businesses you should consider starting as a college student is graphics services. There are loads of people out there who are looking for graphic artist to contract their graphics jobs to.
You just have to be proactive and aggressive in marketing your services. One good thing about offering graphics services is that you can sign a long term business deal with just one clients especially if you are good at what you do.
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Retailing of Bed sheets, Duvets, Pillows et al
As a college student who is looking towards making extra money on campus you should consider retailing bed sheets, duvets and pillows et al to fellow students. It is a thriving and profitable retailing business that a college student can conveniently combine with his or her studies. You can easily visit various hostels within your campus to market your bed sheets, duvets and pillows et al.
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Retailing of Shoes, Sandals, Slippers and Belts
Another profitable and highly thriving business that a college student who wants to horn his or her entrepreneurial skills should consider starting is to start retailing male and female shoes, sandals, slippers, and belts et al. It is a simple business that a student can successfully combine with his or her studies.
Just like any other retailing business on campus, you don’t need a shop; all you need to do is to move from one hostel to another to market your wares. The market for this kind of business is also wide. Even though it looks as if the competition is stiff, but truth remains that profit is guaranteed.
As a college student, if you have enough time and are good with various social media platforms, then you can start an online business managing social media handles for several busy business executives, politicians, government officials, pastors, celebrities and public figures.
Of course you must display some level of professionalism and expertise before you can be hired to manage social media pages and social media handles for people, but the truth remains that you can make pretty cool cash from this type of online business as a college student.
But you must be ready to strike a balance between your studies and this business because it can take the bulk of your time.
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Video Editing Services
Video editing is yet another thriving and profitable business that a college student can successfully combine with his or her studies.
Although it is easier for people to post amateur videos on social media platforms this days and still get several likes, but if you are in the business of selling resource video materials, then you must endeavor to be professional with the videos you put up for sale.
If you live in Toronto, Canada, you don’t have to travel through the street of Toronto in search of a video editor, from the comfort of your office you can contract the editing of your videos to an expert somewhere in Tokyo, Japan and they will get the job done for you within record time.
So as a college student who has video editing skills, you can list your business on the internet and you can as well source for clients from the online community.
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Sale of Tickets for Sports Events
Selling of tickets for sports events is another easy and profitable business that a college student can conveniently combine with his or her studies. People usually purchase tickets in order to watch live sports events. You can start a business that is involved in selling tickets for different sports events.
You can engage in the sale of tickets for football matches, boxing matches, athletics events, rugby events or any event as longs as people are ready to pay to watch the sports event. This type of business is based on commission; the amount you are expected to make is dependent on the numbers of tickets you sell.
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Sales of Cakes
Making and selling cakes is yet another easy to start food retailing business that a college student can successfully start on campus. If you know how to bake cake, then you should consider starting a business that deals in cake. Aside from the fact that you can retail your cakes yourself, you can also source for weddings, birthdays and special anniversaries to market your cake.
There is indeed a large market for cakes and if you are hardworking you can reap a fortune from this type of business even as a college student. Once you are able to get a hang of selling quality cakes, you can be sure of attracting lots of people to your business per timer.
Another business that is highly thriving and profitable on campus is barbing saloon. If you are good at offering a nice haircut, and you know you have time to spare in the evenings and the weekends, then you should consider opening a mini barbing salon on campus.
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Open a Beauty Salon
Beauty salon is yet another highly thriving and profitable business that a female college student should consider starting on campus. Just like barbing salon business, this type of business can be demanding and time consuming.
So, if you want to successfully combine this type of business with your studies, then you should do all it takes to strike a balance. Weekends are usually the peak period for this type of business so ensure that your weekends are free from academic work.
Another easy to set up business that a college student can start off campus is a boutique business. Boutique is also a typical retailing business and any entrepreneur in any part of the world can successfully open a boutique without much stress.
All that is required to lunch this type of business is a store that is well positioned and money to stock your boutique with different types, colors, shapes and designs of clothes and fashion accessories from different clothing labels / designers.
The truth is that, if your boutique is well located and well stocked with quality clothes and fashion accessories, you are likely not going to struggle to attract customers. You don’t necessarily need to be the person manning the boutique, you can hire a salesgirl.
A Grocery Store is yet another easy to set up business that a student can successfully start off campus. If you are looking for an ideal retailing business to start – a mom and pop style of business that requires low start – up capital to set – up, then you should consider opening a grocery store in an ideal location within your campus community.
People visit grocery stores to restock their homes from time to time. This type of business is simple to set up and it is indeed a profitable business. You might not make huge profits from this type of business, but you are sure of maintaining steady cash flow on a daily basis.
If you choose to start this type of business, ensure that you conduct market survey in order to know the types of products to stock your store with. The truth is that if you stock your store with what the people around do not need, you will struggle to make sales. You don’t necessarily need to be the person manning your groceries store, you can hire a salesgirl.
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Retailing of Music and Movies
Retailing of music and movies is yet another highly thriving and profitable business that a college student can successfully combine with his or her studies.
There is indeed a large market for music and movies and this market cut across people of different faith, race and culture. The united states of America has the largest entertainment industry in the world and products from this industry are basically retailed.
If you a college student and you are considering starting a business off campus, then one of the businesses that you can successfully start is retailing of music and movies. In other to stay competitive in this industry, you must be involved in retailing music and movies in all formats; that is in softcopies (downloads) and hardcopies (CDs and DVDs et al).
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Vehicle Licensing Brokerage Services
A college student who is interested in making money can venture into vehicle licensing brokerage services. Vehicle license and other relevant vehicle documents usually expires annually, hence there is room for renewal at least once in a year; it is a crime to drive a vehicle whose documents has expired.
Starting a vehicle licensing brokerage services involves helping individuals and corporate organizations do all the work as it related to vehicle license renewal et al. This type of business can be successfully combined with other related brokerage business.
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Car Advertising Business
Another cool way of making money from the automotive industry as a college student is through car advertising business. If you have a car and you love driving around town, you can turn this hobby of yours into a money making venture.
There are loads of advertising agencies looking for cars that can serve as their moving billboards and they are willing to pay pretty well for that.
The innovation in the advertising industry is evolving and new windows for both conventional and unconventional style of advertising are opening up. Advertisers will do all they can to catch up with their target market and branding cars is one of such option.
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Start a Gourmet Business
Gourmet business is another typical retailing business that a college student can successfully run off campus. If you are looking for a simple but highly thriving small business to start as a college student, then you need to consider starting a gourmet retailing business.
It is indeed a profitable business and if you want to make the best out of this type of business, then position your gourmet outlet around a cinema, football viewing center, sports center and outdoors event centers.
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Offer Voiceover Services
As a college student, your good voice and excellent diction is an asset; with it you can generate extra income for as long as you are willing to work. It is simple, all you need to do is to Google voiceover outsourcing jobs and you will see loads of them.
Ensure that you read through them source for the ones you feel you can handle. As a voiceover artiste, you can sign up with an advertising company and they will help you secure voiceover jobs.
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Sell Software
As a college student who is interested in making money, one of your options is to start selling software; there is a large market for software. All you need to do is to look for a task in the IT world and then build a software to help simplify the task.
For example you can develop a software that will help people manage their clientele base (CRM software); you can develop software that will help people manage their payrolls, accounts, online files et al.
The now famous Mark Zuckerberg the founder of Facebook started Facebook as a student. The fact that there are several big time networking websites does not in any way stop you from starting your own social networking site. It may take time before you start making money from the site, but with diligence, dedication and hard work, you will sure start generating income from it.
Part of what you need to do is to choose a niche or concentrate on a target audience that can make it easier for you to attract people to you social networking site. For example; you can start a social networking site to connect doctors and nurses together, you can start a social networking site that connects people of same ethnic groups or people with similar interest et al.
Another highly thriving and profitable business venture a college student who is interested in making money from the agriculture industry should consider starting is to go into fish farming. Fish are consumed in all parts of the world hence there is a large market for fish.
Over the years, quite a few people have made fortunes from fish farming, as the population is swelling and protein needs are far outstripping the available supply. Before now, people find it easier to rear only catfish, but in recent time fish farmers can comfortably rear tilapias, trout and salmons fish et al. All you need to get started is a space, tanks or ponds, fingerlings and fish feeds et al.
Dogs breeding business is yet another profitable business that a college student can start off campus. Amongst domestic animals, dogs are considered to be one of the closest companion to human. Dogs breeding business is a lucrative business especially in countries where people value dogs. Dogs are used for hunting, for security as pets, for games and in some climes as a major sources of protein.
In essence there is a global market for dogs howbeit different breeds of dogs are used for different purposes. If you are looking towards setting up your kennel, ensure that you source for dog breeds that are highly marketable in your area. It is important to state that it is easier to sell puppies than to sell adult dogs.
Starting a book club is yet another easy to start business in the education industry that a college student can conveniently combine with his or her studies. Book clubs is basically all about a group of people coming together to discuss a book or books that they have read or the books they are currently reading.
It is cheaper to start and to run a book club, but you have to be creative if you want to make money out of your book club. Aside from the membership fee you will collect from people who want to join your book club, you would have to design strategies on how to generate income from members of your book club and from other related areas.
If you want to make money from your book club, then you should consider starting a sales book club; with a sales book club, you will be able to sell books at a discount price to your members and of course your members will be the first set of people to get newly released books from your stable.
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Become a Translator
As a college student, if you can speak and write two or more languages whether foreign or local languages, then you can comfortably list your services online as a translator.
There are many authors of books and producers of films et al who wouldn’t mind translating their books to local dialects or other foreign languages once they can get someone to do it for them at an affordable fee. You can visit elance.com, freelancer.com, oDesk.com and other freelance sites to source for translating jobs.
Landscaping and lawn care business is one of the businesses a college student can engage in during holidays; it is an avenue to generate income a student. Landscaping and lawn care business is not one of those businesses that someone can start and make big money from without truly working pretty hard and smart.
Any entrepreneur who intends to start his or her own landscaping and lawn care business and making huge profits from it must be very creative and must be ready to go the extra mile to convince clients that he or she can deliver an excellent job and he or she must prove beyond every reasonable doubt that they are competent.
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Real Estate Agency Business
As a college student one of the ways of making money during holidays is to work as a real estate broker. The real estate industry involves the buying, the selling, or the renting of lands, buildings or housing facility et al.
Real estate agency or a real estate agent (broker) is a person who acts as a middleman between the sellers and buyers of real estate / real property. They are involved in searching for sellers who sell properties and buyers who to buy properties.
If you are serious about making as a student, then you should be willing to go all the way to acquire skills that can help your generate incomes during holidays.
One of the skills that you should looking towards acquiring is technical skills; especially in the areas of computers and mobile phones repairs. If you have this skills, you can go into the repair of computers and mobile phones. It is a highly thriving and profitable business venture.
Another thriving and profitable business that a student can engage in during holiday is to offer web designing services. Statistics has it that there are well over 350 million active website on the internet and it is not enough to meet the demand of people visiting the internet; there are still pretty much to learn from the internet hence people are opening new websites on a regular basis.
If you know how to design website, you should not restrict the marketing of your website design services to people you can see and visit within your location. There is a large market within the online community waiting to be tapped. All you need to do is to list your services online and if you are good, you will attract clients from all over the world.
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Ghost Writing Job
If you are creative writer, then you can start your own online business as a ghost writer. There countless number of people out there who are overdue to author at least one book, but they can’t due to their very busy schedule. All you need to do is to collect their thoughts together and help them for a book.
You can indeed write a book on their behalf. Although your name might not appear in the book, but you are sure of being rewarded adequately for your services. It could be a pay off or on percentage based on the number of copies of the book sold within a period of time et al. All the same it is a good way of making cool cash from the connection you can make with people online.
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Ice Block Making and Sale Business
Another business that a college student can successfully start is Ice block business. Ice Block making and sale business is one of the retailing businesses that is easy to start and manage; it is a business that won’t take your time. With effective ice block making machine, all you need to do is to employ a sales girl or sales boy and they will help you handle the business.
So if you are looking towards starting a retailing business that won’t take most of your time; a business that will allow you to socialize and enjoy your holidays as a college student, then you should look towards going into ice block making and sales business.
Tax business is yet another business a college student can run during holidays. When it comes to starting a transportation related business, one of the easy to start business that readily comes to mind is taxi services. With just a car, a college student can successfully launch is tax business.
As a matter of fact with hard work and dedication, a serious minded entrepreneur can grow his taxi business from just one taxi and to fleet of taxis covering an entire city or state. Taxi business is a profitable business in the United States of America and in most countries of the world.
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Editing and Proofreading Business
Editing and proofreading is yet another easy to start business in the education industry that a college student can start during holidays; it requires little or no start – up capital to launch this type of business. The nature of this type of business makes it easier to work from home and for clients who are thousands of kilometers away from your country.
If you are a good editor and you have eyes for details, then you should consider visiting freelancer.com, elance.com, oDesk.com et al to enroll and become a member. From such platforms, you can get enough editing and proof reading jobs that you can handle.
Another easy to start and profitable business in the education sector that requires little or no start – up capital is home tutors services. A college student can conveniently start home tutor services during his or her holidays especially if they have flair for teaching and imparting knowledge.
Parents engage teachers to teach their children at home hence there is need for the services of teachers. So if you are good at teaching, then you should consider starting home tutor services during your holidays.
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Sale of Children’s Educational Materials (Toys, DVDs, CDs and Pads et al)
Another profitable and thriving business in the education industry that a college student can successfully start during holidays without any form of technical skills is retailing of children’s educational materials. Materials such as kinds learning pads, story books, Lego, jig saw puzzle, educative video games, educative CDs and DVDs et al are highly sellable as long as you position the business is a location where there are loads of children.
You can as well take your goods to schools to market. Retailing children’s educational materials is indeed a profitable business and anybody can start this type of business. As a matter of fact, you would not need any specially license or permit to run this type of business.
If you are considering starting a retailing business during holiday as a college student, then one of your options is to start retailing books of different genre from different authors. There is a large market for books especially if you have done your homework before selecting books to retail.
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Vegetable Farming
Starting a vegetable garden is one of the businesses that a college student goes into during holidays. Spinach, lettuce, pumpkin, broccoli, cabbage, and cucumber et al are all vegetables that are consumed in every part of the globe and can also be cultivated in every part of the world.
This goes to show that there is a very large market for vegetables. So if you are looking towards starting an agricultural crop cultivation business as a college student, then one of your options is to go into vegetable farming.
Just like most agriculture produce, vegetables are perishable crops hence proper arrangement must be put in place to ensure that they are sold as soon as possible after harvest. Usually, farmers ensure that they make arrangement with buyers before harvesting their crops; it is safer and cost effect. It is only when they can’t secure buyers that they take their crops to farm markets et al.
A typical agro allied related services business that a college student should consider starting during holiday is to offer fumigation services.
Fumigation is done to eliminate unwanted insects, and weeds et al. It is a highly thriving and profitable business venture that is easy to set – up and manage. If you looking towards starting a fumigation services business, then you need to apply to the appropriate authority in your country to secure the required chemical handling permits and license.
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Parrot Breeding Business
Breeding and selling of parrots is a business that a college student can successfully start and manage during holidays. Parrots are interesting birds that are loved by many because of their display of intelligence. Starting a parrot breeding business might not be easy initially, especially when it comes to sourcing for parrot.
But one thing is certain, if you are apple to kick start the business with good spices of parrots (the talking species) then you will not struggle to sell and make good profits off them.
There is a large market for parrots although it is rear to see people who eat parrots, but almost everybody that purchase parrots keep them as pets, they are funny and interesting pets to keep as companion. If you are lucky to have an intelligent and lively parrot in your home, there won’t be any dull moment.
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Rabbits Farming
Rabbit’ farming is yet another highly thriving and profitable livestock breeding business that a college student who is interested in the agriculture business should consider starting during holidays. There is no law prohibiting the keeping of rabbits in Towns and Cities.
A backyard can serve as a good source of additional income, food and employment; thus reducing poverty, hunger and idleness.
Rabbit do not compete with humans for food, as kitchen leftovers, cut grasses and formulated or compounded feed can sustain them. Rabbit keeping does not require much capital for investment and maintenance. As little space is needed, most rabbits could be kept in the backyard or in the abandoned sheds.
It is true that students may not have ample time to really man their businesses, but it is equally true that starting a business from the campus is one of the best ways to make great profit.
As such, if you are really keen on delving into business, then you have got to take the business ideas that you have earlier on read here seriously. Truth remains that when you are equipped with the right information, you will be able to do really well in a trade.