These business ideas are simple, do not require
much space and some of them require very
little capital. However, this does not mean that
they are easy. Just like any other businesses,
these ideas will require market research and
very good marketing skills. You have to carry
out a proper survey in the campus at which you
intend to set up your business before
launching.
Your target market will primarily be your fellow
campus students therefore ensure that you set
up marketing and advertising models and
efforts that are fully compatible with the
students and their lifestyles.
1.Mobile Phones and Accessories
Students, just like other young people love the
latest mobile phones and their accessories.
Most young people have the latest mobile
phones and will not hesitate to buy new models
as they come up. Great phone models,
especially smart phones, sell themselves
among the youth.
You can either choose to import the phones
online directly or buy from wholesalers and sell
at retail prices to the students. Other phone
accessories such as earphones, batteries,
memory cards, phone covers, power banks,
chargers, usb cables etc are extremely popular
among students. If you include these
accessories in your stock, you will attract more
buyers. The good thing with this business is
that you can do it from your room.
Budget: Minimum capital Ksh100,000
2. Secondhand Clothes
Students love fashion. They enjoy buying
clothes, especially those they can easily afford.
You can go down to Gikomba market and
select some good clothes depending on your
budget.
To add value to the clothes, you can wash and
iron them to attract more customers and
charge slightly more to increase your profit
margin. This business will require regular trips
to restock with better and more unique
selection so be ready to make several trips
depending also on your sales.
A good idea is to talk to students and take
their “orders” before you go to Gikomba. If you
don’t have what someone wants, be free to ask
them what they would like so that next time
you go to Gikomba, you can look for it.
Apart from clothes, you can also include items
such as belts, shoes, socks, bras, caps, bed
sheets etc. You can easily carry out this
business from your room.
Budget: Minimum capital Ksh10,000
3. Movies and Music
Students watch a lot of movies and listen to
music a lot too. You can start selling movies
and music in campus. With a good DVD burner
and screen, you can buy several movies for as
low as Ksh40 each and duplicate and sell to
students. In addition, you can also include
services such as borrowing and exchanging
movies at a small fee.
You can also look for selected latest music and
load to students in flash discs or burn on DVDs
at a fee. As long as you have a big memory
space, you can save hundreds of music titles
and distribute to other students. This business
can also be carried out from your room since it
does not require a big space.
Budget: Minimum capital Ksh100,000
4. Mpesa Services
For those who can get an Mpesa line, this is a
good business to engage in. The problem has
been availability of reliable Mpesa lines. Many
are given out at a fee and sometimes the fee
is exorbitant. Those who give out the lines are
also not very easily accessible.
An advantage of this business is that you can
carry it out from anywhere as long as there is
demand. In many campuses, mpesa services
are always on demand anyway, therefore you
will be assured of customers all the time.
The trick with this business is to always have
enough float. This will make your business
more reliable and help you attract more
customers.
Budget: Minimum capital Ksh50,000
5. Photocopy and Typesetting Services
There are loads and loads of paper work in all
campuses. Assignments, notes, books,
handouts, projects and other documents are
typed and copied all the time.
There is a good opportunity to set up a
photocopy and typesetting business in or near
campus and get good returns. The only
major challenge here is that you will need to
employ an assistant to operate the business
while you are in class. The business will also
require a bigger space and higher capital since
you will need a photocopying machine, a
computer, printer and a stock of photocopy
papers.
Budget: Minimum capital Ksh100,000
6. Government Tenders
The national Government of Kenya and county
governments have reserved some tenders for
companies and businesses run by the youth.
As a university student, this is a good
opportunity to sell goods and services to the
government.
There are requirements for you to fully
participate in these tenders. Some of the
requirements are spelt out on tender
documents while some are not. If you are
interested, please visit the Treasury to inquire
more about engaging in these tenders.
Budget: Minimum capital Ksh100,000
7. Stationery
A campus being an educational institution,
there is great demand for stationery items such
as writing pads, notes books, exercise books,
pens, rulers, envelopes, printing paper and
erasers.
These stationery items are easily available
from wholesalers in major towns. You can buy
them in bulk at wholesale prices and resell to
students within the campus.
The only disadvantage with this business is
that some of the items may be bulky, heavy
and may occupy a little more space.
Budget: Minimum capital Ksh100,000
8. Electronics and Accessories
Apart from mobile phones, students love other
electronics and their accessories. Items such
as music systems, TVs, DVD players, decoders,
iron boxes, flash discs, DVDs, CDs, heaters and
others are popular with campus students.
You can buy these as well from wholesalers or
even import directly and sell to students in
campus. Some of them may occupy more
space and it will depend on your assessment of
demand to decide which ones to buy for resale.
The capital required for this business may be
high.
Budget: Minimum capital Ksh150,000
9. Food Stuffs
We all know food sells, especially when it is
well made and packaged. You can make
selected foods and snacks such as cakes,
mandazi, samosa, chapati and others or buy
sweets, cakes, biscuits, juices from wholesalers
and sell to other campus students.
Packaging and the way the food is presented is
very important. Remember that you will get
stiff competition from the student dining hall
since some of these food stuffs are sold there
and may be cheaper.
Budget: Minimum capital Ksh50,000
10. Tutoring and Coaching
You may be very good at something such as a
subject in class, in sports or even have a talent
such as playing a musical instrument, dancing
or singing. You can teach other campus
students and charge a fee for your efforts.
The moment other students get to know that
you are an expert in your field, those interested
in that field will seek you out. Help them learn
and make money. If it is a subject in class, just
coach them to do their assignment and pass
examination but do not do for them.
This business will require little or nothing in
terms of capital to start. However, you may
choose to invest in some tools depending on
what you are coaching or teaching.
Budget: Minimum capital Nil
In all of these businesses, you can also include
an online presence to reach more customers.
This may include setting up a free blog, using
Facebook, twitter or Instagram. This will help
you market, advertise and engage with your
customers better.
Finally, as you engage in any of these
businesses, remember that your studies come
first. The moment the business interferes with
your studies, then it will do more harm than
good to your future. Your primary aim of being
in campus is to study and pass your
examinations and get a qualification. Business
comes a distant second.
Share other great business ideas for college and university students by commenting below:
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