How to Earn Money Without Investment for Students

The best way to test your entrepreneurial skills is by doing the obvious – start something on your own, however small it may be. Textbooks can only teach you so much; there is a lot more an entrepreneur needs to do, needs to be. Ready to check if you have what it takes to become your own boss? You could try out a few suggestions we have for you during this summer vacation. What’s more? You could earn some money too. Most of these ideas do not require you to make investments, while some might need a small one. Choose one and start your own business today.

Do you have a driving passion for entrepreneurship? Channel your fascination and interest into a career you love. Take the Mentoria holistic career assessment test, to find the right career fit for you based on your unique interests, personality, and ability. 

1. Garage Sale

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Set up a garage sale and sell unused clothes, books, stuff you don’t need/use, etc. Don’t forget to promote the sale by distributing flyers to neighbours and talking about it on social media.

2. DIY Online Seller

If you love making greeting cards, photo frames, or even muffins, you could start an online shop. Find the perfect platform for your products. For craft products, visit Craftsvilla or start a Facebook shop. For fashion products, start an Instagram business page.

3. Online Marketing Service

Learn the basics of online marketing and approach local businesses in your area. You may help them create an online presence and educate them about the opportunities of doing business online. Start by creating their profiles on Google maps and other social media platforms. With some research and understanding, you could even create an e-commerce platform for them.

Hungry for knowledge and skills? Check out Mentoria’s Knowledge Gateway! We’ve got a career library full of tips and advice as well as webinars from industry professionals. Sign up to Mentoria and get lifetime access to the Knowledge Gateway! 

4. Youtube Channel

Can you solve a Rubik’s Cube? Are you a gifted footballer? Love gardening? Use these skills to help people who share your interests get better. Start a YouTube channel, tutor your neighbour or join websites like Skill Share, Udemy, GCF, etc. When you upload a video course on these websites, you will get paid as more and more students join your course.  

5. Digital Art

Alicia Souza, co-founder of Chumbak, believes if you are interested in creating digital art you don’t necessarily need to be an expert at drawing on paper. If you trust your creativity and want to create cool illustrations, learn the basics of Photoshop or free tools like Canva and Picmonkey.  After that, you can immediately start offering your services on Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer, etc. Businesses and individuals post projects and budget on these websites. You can apply to these projects and offer a suitable price for your services. Keep your rates lower for initial projects and gain ratings to build credibility.  

6. Translator

Are you multilingual? If you like learning new languages, you may start a translation business. Because of globalisation, businesses and professionals are always looking for people who can translate books/scripts/audio content from one language to another. Technologies like Google translate aren’t developed enough to translate flawlessly. This is where you can contribute. We suggest that you intern at either publishing houses or your local translation service provider to understand the work. Once you have done that, you may start accepting freelance projects and work from home. Visit UpWork, LinkedIn or Google, a translation service provider like WCS Group which offers jobs to freshers.      

7. Virtual Assistant

The job of a virtual assistant is fairly simple – make calls, book flights, arrange schedules for a busy professional. Hone your communication skills and register on PeoplePerHour, Elance and Upwork to start earning. While registering, list the services you can offer and, likewise, other people will list their requirements. You will rank higher on search results when you take their tests and people rate your services. Each of these websites takes a small percentage of your total earnings.

8. Bookkeeping and Accounting

Think you’re a very organised person? and Like working on spreadsheets? Join websites like Upwork and Indeed to earn easy bucks. Apply for multiple projects and offer a suitable price to land your first few gigs. Taking free certification courses on bookkeeping and accounting will make you more credible and help you land more gigs on these websites.    

9. Blogging

If you have some piled-up thoughts inside you and know how to tell them with correct words, then blogging is a better option than writing a diary. You can blog some intriguing content that you enjoy and that your readers may relate to.

Blogs are a good source of income and a type of low-cost online business for students. It will take some time to generate traffic to your site at first, but once you do, you will see a fantastic response. Consider a certain niche in which you excel. Make a keyword search. You’re all ready to go!

10. Podcasting

Podcasting has become increasingly popular in recent years, with many people launching new episodes on a daily basis. 
You can simply start a podcast that could be an interview with other students and professors, or more like a solo podcast where you talk about the latest news and things going on in the world.
Fortunately, as the industry grows in popularity, many podcast hosts are exploring new and exciting methods to monetize their shows, such as striking profitable arrangements with sponsors and selling products and services to their listeners.

11. Pet Sitter

All of these business ideas are worth exploring, but can it get any better for an animal lover than getting paid to hang out with animals? 

Many pet owners are out working during the day, or their families are relocating to another country for a few weeks. They are willing to pay someone to look after their beloved pets, even if it is just for an hour or two each day walking the dog or taking the dog to the clinic.

12. Delivery Service

Starting your own delivery service is one of many methods to generate money while walking – though if you have a bike, you should be able to complete each order much faster. 

Evenings and weekends are good times for delivering snacks and meal combos, while during the day you might deliver essential documents and letters from one workplace to another that need to be delivered immediately or on the same day.

The first step towards a successful startup is a good idea. Pick the idea that resonated most with you, from the list; or make a list of your own. Once you get the idea down, set a motive, make an action plan and proudly brand your startup on social media.

Kick-start your career discovery journey with Mentoria & be sure to find the right career fit for you. Our 4-step career guidance solution, helps us find the right career fit for you from 3 streams, 850+ courses & 12,000+ careers.