Kickstart Your Own Food Business While in College

Your entrepreneurial spirit can start as early as kindergarten or begin late in your life. Your days in the university as a college student is also a good place to start opening a food business. Food is a commodity that can be easily sold, with the right marketing strategy and, of course, with a delicious serving to offer.

Starting a food business while balancing your studies and your personal life can be challenging, but it is possible. Having a sideline can also help a lot in establishing your financial resource even as a student. Some small food business startups can also lead to lucrative businesses, with the right mindset and opportunities. Here are some tips on how to begin your food business while in college.

Start Small

Running a business requires money, time, and resources. Most students do not have a lot of these to offer. The best tip to make your food business a success is to start small. You can initially offer sandwiches to fellow students, professors, and dorm mates during your startup. It is easy to prepare, requires a small capital, and can be easily distributed at no additional cost.

You can also start with cupcakes, drinks, or snacks as your initial food offering. As you gain customers and as you earn money that can be added to your capital, you can explore other food offerings such as complete packed lunches, salads, meat meals, and other easy-to-serve offerings. Starting too big, without enough resources or manpower to help you during the initial start of your business, can be stressful and may negatively impact your studies.

Network Your Products

Social media is one of the best platforms that can help you network your food products for free. You can simply post your dish online and hope that someone does notice. You can even tell your friends about your food business. You are most likely aware of students in your class who do not have the time to prepare their meals. Mention your business to them or bring some of your products to offer before your class. You can easily get customers through this method, especially during busy mornings.

Make it Instagrammable 

Another tip to take into consideration is your food offering itself. It should be delightful enough to be worth the talk. You’ll be surprised to see people suddenly asking about your food products if what you offer appeals to their palate.

Get Help When Needed

As the demand for your food products increases, you will feel the pressure of balancing your business and your studies. Get help to be able to sustain orders. You can hire a friend who can help you prepare your food or who can help you distribute your products to your clients. As a business grows, you will need people you can trust to help you around. 

If you are planning to expand from your student market, getting help from someone with knowledge or atleast experience can be extremely beneficial. Going big on your food business requires permits, rental agreements, sanitation, and the like. You will need someone who has an idea in these areas. Again, it pays to choose a person you can trust your business with, especially when school demands most of your attention.

Learn How To Prioritize

It can be tempting to set aside your studies as soon as you feel that your food business is already starting to take off. The temptation of earning money can stray you away from your initial dreams of getting a degree or doing good in class. You can still grow your food business and be good in school if you prioritize.

Budget your time accordingly so you’ll have enough time for studies and for your business. Get help, maybe outside school, so you can easily focus on your studies, especially during exams and when you need it the most. You can concentrate on marketing your products and developing a business plan for your expanding business during your free time, summer breaks, and vacation. It’s nice to see your business grow, but it would be awesome if you can do it while excelling in college.

Starting a food business, while earning a college diploma requires double the time and energy. A business will not grow on its own, and you will not grow as a student unless you invest time in studying. It takes a lot of willpower and discipline to be able to handle a business while getting through college. But when you do, it would be one of the best experiences and learning opportunities that you can use as a stepping stone to bigger successes in your adult life.