Benjamin
Is it possible to run a business while in college?
Money is definitely a concern when attending college, but so is time. Is it possible for me to start a business/company while pursuing a degree in business administration at college, or should I wait until after graduation to have more time and less stress? #business #entrepreneurship #college #time-management
4 answers
Josephine Tallarico
Josephine’s Answer
Benjamin - Anything is possible if you set your mind to wanting to achieve it!!! That being said; know that it will not be easy to run a business while attending college; you will need to find the right balance between getting your course work complete and running your business. I have a cousin who started his own business while attending college and that business took off after he graduated, and he has been running his own multi-million-dollar business for over 15 years. Keep Dreaming and Achieving. Good Luck.
Josephine recommends the following next steps:
Alwyn Velásquez
Alwyn’s Answer
Alexandra Grashkina-Hristov
Alexandra’s Answer
Benjamin, this is a great question. I think the answer is, as in many cases, it depends. If you start a business and it goes well and grows, you probably won't have time for anything else but keep up with its growth. However, I think it is realistic to run a small business while in college. For example, if you were teaching private lessons, offering online classes, running your own YouTube channel, or a blog that provides advice on a topic, you could probably do it. In this day and age, we are able to do a lot of business online and work during flexible hours (which in your case would be after classes and other college activities). I would encourage you to think about your business idea, write down a plan and think how many hours a week you expect to spend on your business. Also, a couple of proposed steps are below:
Alexandra recommends the following next steps:
Harry Rosenberg
Harry’s Answer
Benjamin, I'll tell it to you straight, it won't be easy, it will consume a lot of time, effort, and energy, but if that is something you are passionate about than you can 100% run a business while also taking classes and pursuing a degree. Here's a quick story from my time at college from people I personally know that pertain to your question:
Two freshmen roommates went into school with a dream to one day open up a restaurant. At only 18 years old that dream seemed a long ways away however that never swayed them from. Two months into school it came to their attention that although a restaurant wasn't in the picture yet, there was still things they could've done to get a step closer. The two roommates put their money together and purchased a fryer for their dorm. They started making french fries and selling them to all the students in their residence hall along with drinks and candy. This innovation and perseverance ended up paying off as two years later they opened up their first food truck, and two years after that, their first ever restaurant.
I'm not saying everyone will be as lucky and creative as they were in starting up a business in college, but it is definitely obtainable. Make sure you are managing your time well, being very task-oriented and focused. Don't get discouraged if it doesn't happen right away, because it certainly isn't an easy task to accomplish, but if it is something you want to do, by all means go for it! You will have a plethora of resources at college that can help you learn the fine tuning of a business, there will be a lot of great minds that can help you stay motivated and to constantly learn more and more about the process. I will say, if at any time you feel like the business aspect is getting in the way of your grades and schooling, take a break. You go to college to get an education and a degree, definitely prioritize it that way. Best of luck!