College is the best time to become an entrepreneur. It’s the best time to dive into something new. And if you’ve always had an idea of a business to start, why not do it now? What’s holding you back?
There are always a billion reasons to say no to starting your business. The time isn’t right. There are other priorities. There isn’t the money. The resources aren’t there. The excuses will always be there. But being a college student shouldn’t be one of those reasons.
There are resources specifically for college startups.
Many colleges offer resources and funding specifically for student businesses. From entrepreneurship accelerators to grants to mentors, there is a lot to utilize. Entrepreneurship accelerators are especially useful for those who only have an idea. Within an 8-12 week period of time, they can help grow your idea into a business plan, build relationships with mentors, and have a pitch deck ready for potential investors. And usually, you don’t have to be an entrepreneurship student to access these resources. For many campuses, the only requirement is to be an enrolled student. Mentors are incredibly important in the entrepreneurial space, and many people want to share their knowledge with bright, young students.
There are fewer outside factors during college than after you graduate.
After graduating, there is a lot more to lose in entrepreneurship. Most likely during college, the only other priority is classes. There isn’t the expectation that you’re working full time 40-60 hour a week corporate job to pay rent and bills. There aren’t as many things that are taking up your attention. More time can be focused on your business and creating your minimum viable product (MVP).
There is a market advantage.
A big part of becoming an entrepreneur is selling. With your business, that could be selling a product, a service, or even yourself as a brand. Now count how many new people you meet daily in college. Whether that’s in class, on LinkedIn, in the lobby of the dorms, each of those people is a potential customer. College is the time to meet new people. Why not leverage those connections to be potential customers? If there is a want for your product, college is a great place and time to market it!
Ever want to work for yourself?
That is definitely the dream, right? But having to start at point 0 after graduating is a lot harder than already having established your business during college. By launching your business during college, you’ll learn a lot of valuable lessons and hit some milestones that set yourself up for pursuing your startup full-time after graduation. Who knows, you might even be able to cut yourself a salary higher than what your post-grad job would’ve been.
Starting a business at any time is a scary thing. Many challenges go along with it. But being in college should not be the reason holding you back. Use the opportunities and resources provided in college and go and launch your business!
Opinions expressed by AsianBlurb contributors are their own.
Francisca Li (born 9/15/2001) is a student at the University of Texas at Dallas studying Business with a concentration in IT and Finance. She is a freelance graphic designer and branding expert as well as a co-founder of Orenda Change.
