Small businesses can help campus students stay afloat financially

Opinion
By Dominic Omondi | Aug 02, 2022
Money problems on campus can have an impact on academic success because they are stressful and prevent students from concentrating on their studies. [iStockphoto]

Campus life can be difficult or simple depending on what one does in their spare time.

Students have a lot of free time on their hands, and there is probably no better way to spend it than starting a business. New campus students may not have a money problem at first, but most campus students do.

Money problems on campus can have an impact on academic success because they are stressful and prevent students from concentrating on their studies. Starting a business on campus can be a great way to make money and even survive because there will be many expenses such as printing assignments, rent, tuition fees, catering for basic needs, and so on.

Selling boiled eggs and sausages, which requires a small capital and grows with time, is one of the small businesses students should consider starting. Selling second-hand clothes is another business that can be started with as little as Sh2,000, as most campus students prefer cheaper used clothes to new clothes.

Operating a barbershop, and salon can also be lucrative; however, one must ensure that they have the best skills and a strategic location. Printing t-shirts for birthdays and anniversaries is another profitable venture. Seeing as campus students spend a lot of money photocopying assignments and printing handouts, printing and photocopying businesses are preferred around campus. A laptop/desktop and a printer are required.

Campus students are known for their greater love for photoshoots; photography is a good business; all you need is a camera to get started. You can start by volunteering, offering free services while creating a buzz about your skill, and then move on to paid work.

Being a campus student should not be an impediment to attempting to offer a solution to an existing problem. In fact, it is the best time in life to try your hand at business, no matter how small.

Letter from Jane Wanjiru.

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