I understand that if you are a university student then you run on limited funds and mostly depend on your parents for basic living expenses. That does not mean you have to be broke while in university. This is the age you could take that leap of faith and start a venture of your own. E-commerce is the most viable industry for all college students. Your university provides you with the knowledge you need to set up a business. Also, you know the technology like the back of your hand. Plus you’re on the top of consumer trends. This is why the question – how to start an e-commerce business while in uni – is bound to strike you sooner or later. This guide will help you know about everything you need to keep in mind before starting an online business. It also contains ideas that you could consider dwelling on.
The e-commerce industry is exploding today. The image above shows how the sales of e-commerce are steadily increasing. Irrespective of the fact whether your venture fails or succeeds, you will have a precious experience that not many people have. You’ll be capable of bringing an experience to the table in your future job interview where other freshers would be left behind. Especially in the post-COVID-19 world, there isn’t a secure job market available out there. With so much being said about the importance of running an online business, let’s see how you go about it and find all the answers to – how to start an e-commerce business while in uni.
Tips On How To Start A Successful E-Commerce Business While Studying
Here are a few tips that you should note down before you take the steps of becoming an entrepreneur.
Educate yourself as much as you can – The teachings in the university are the golden sword for you. Absorb the most and analyse them well. Once you are done with that begin your niche research which will help you arrive at the best idea.
Research market trends, consumer habits and competitors – You cannot afford to dive into the competitive world without knowing what your rivals are doing. Thoroughly research everything about the domain you are going to get into.
Choose a business that has low start-up costs – As a young aspiring entrepreneur, you are going to face difficulty in getting funding. So make sure your dream business is affordable to launch.
Come up with a product or service that has a definitive market – It is a common misconception that your pitch should be ground-breaking. That’s not true. Just be creative and think of a simple idea that has a ready market available. The best way to go about this is to look for a problem that you yourself encounter frequently. Think of an innovative yet easy solution for it and scale it up.
Use social media to your advantage – The best way of marketing in this decade has to be social media. Incorporate social media tools in your business strategy and expand your market.
Don’t forget to protect yourself legally – Most entrepreneurs make this mistake of not familiarising themselves with the laws. Don’t make the same mistake and seek professional advice at the start itself to know about the laws relating to your business.
Strive to deliver an exceptionally personalised experience – Develop an e-commerce platform that makes the customers feel privileged. It may sound difficult but that’s how great businesses are built. Small and quality steps at a time.
With these critical tips at your disposal, the solutions to the question – how to start an e-commerce business while you are at uni – are countless.
Recommended Reading: Financial Advice For University Students
Ideas on How To Start An E-commerce Business While In Uni
Although the niche of your business can be decided only by you based on your expertise, here are some ideas that will warm up your brain to think in the right direction. There are various types of e-commerce businesses existing today. You can set up your own website and implement any one of the following ideas on it.
- E-Commerce Webstore Owner – Nowadays you don’t have to be the producer of goods to run a business. You can simply select a niche and contact the producers in that domain to supply you with the products. This is the easiest answer to – how to set up an e-commerce business.
- Pet Services – This way is innovative and relatively less explored. If you are a pet lover then you will love this idea. You can merely tag your website as a platform where pet parents and dog walkers and other service providers can register. The clients get services such as walking, day-boarding and the service providers earn money. You simply charge a percentage from both parties for developing the platform.
- Offer Home Cleaning Services – This one is similar to the above-suggested service. The only difference is that now you can connect maids and clients through your platform.
- SAAS Business – If you’re a technical person with knowledge of software development then you could simply create the products and list them on your website. How to start an e-commerce website won’t be a challenging task for you.
- Offer 3D Printing Service – This is a common hobby for most students in uni today. All you need is a 3D printer. The prospective clients will approach you with models and you can convert the 2D idea into 3D and earn well.
- Sell Hand-Made Items – If you are into craft then you can make some items and enlist them on your site for sale.
- Offer Content Writing Service – The expertise you hold can be deployed directly to earn you some cash. If it is writing you can always help others out by writing for them and charging in return.
- Digital Product Store – If you know some good writers or you yourself are one then you could also write short novels and list them on your website for sale. Not just books but you can scale up to any digital product. Music and short films are other good ideas.
- Sell Photos – Photos are becoming a need for today’s digital world. No one likes to just read and read. Probably, this is why Instagram made it so far. If you are good with a camera then you could sell the pictures you click on the internet. This is an excellent way on – how to start an e-commerce business studying at college.
- Personal Trainer – You could also use your expertise to help others. The best part is most of the things can be done online which is why your studies won’t be affected either.
These were just a few to help you get started. If you found your idea in these points itself then that’s really great. Plenty of e-commerce business ideas exist in the world today. Some are worth pursuing and others are not. It is up to you – the prudent entrepreneur – to research and find out which ones to try, especially in 2021.
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