Some of what are now the world’s most successful businesses were started in garages, basements, spare bedrooms and dorm rooms- which goes to show that the sky really is the limit. Whether you’re planning on smashing the glass ceiling, setting yourself up for the future or just want to earn a little extra pocket money while you study, a dorm room biz is a great option. But what does it take, what do you need to do to make it work this day in age?
Come up with a business idea
First things first, you need to come up with an idea that works for you and your situation. A dorm room biz needs to be flexible since it’s something you’ll be working around your studies, and it also needs to be space efficient. When you’re living in a tiny dorm room, you won’t have a whole lot of space for stock and equipment! Some ideas to get you started are blogging, freelancing, YouTube, social media and creative marketplaces. These are all ideal for small, dorm room businesses with the potential to earn plenty of cash if you work hard and stick it out.
Outsource
Just because you don’t have tons of space and manpower yourself doesn’t mean you’re limited when it comes to business. If you have an idea that requires these things, it’s perfectly possible to outsource and pay a third party company to do it for you. You could go as far as having items manufactured, shipped to a warehouse and then a fulfillment company pick and pack them- and control everything from your dorm room. Outsourcing it also useful for getting your business out there as you can hire people remotely who have skills that you don’t. For example, you could hire a marketing company to promote your site, or an IT support company like https://www.quicktech.ca/ to deal with your IT services. This frees up time for you to tackle the jobs that you’re good at and interest you.
Organize your time
If you’re at college or university, your priority should be your studies. Having a dorm room business is great, but at this stage it’s only a side hustle while you get your qualifications. To ensure that you’ve got the time to do both, you need to be organized. Set out a study schedule, and be sure to include time to socialize in your week- you don’t want your whole university experience to be locked up within four walls. Work out when you’ll have time to spend on your business, and that way you’re much better prepared to fit everything in.
Did you run a dorm room biz, or is it something you plan on doing when you go off to college?
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