Shopify is a leading ecommerce store platform that allows anyone to sell their products or services online.
There are a range of business types on Shopify, many specializing in physical products for their customers.
Students can easily start a business by setting up an e-shop/online marketplace. By focusing and narrowing down on products, they'll have a better chance of reaching their first targeted customers 💻
If you want to make money as a student, you can begin by showcasing your products or services and later progress by focusing on market acquisition as well.
Being an independent business owner is something that can only help with future endeavors and it looks great on your resume.
An online storefront can also teach you a lot about the world of business and different business types. Even if this is something unrelated to your studies, this experience comes in handy in different aspects of professional life.
Having an online presence also shows initiative and your ability to create and follow a business plan.
Here are 10 ways you can make money on Shopify as a student.
Important disclosure: we're proud affiliates of some tools mentioned in this guide. If you click an affiliate link and subsequently make a purchase, we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you (you pay nothing extra). For more information, read our affiliate disclosure.
Making And Selling Handmade Products 🧵
Some Shopify merchants start small businesses out of actual hobbies they already have. If you have something you enjoy doing without any reward, you can turn it into a money-making venture when you are in college.
Hobbies such as knitting, painting, carpentry, or crafting can be the foundation of a successful venture in the long run. You are in a better position to sell something you make with your hands due to its uniqueness 🖼
There is a nice market for art online too, so if you are an artist, feel free to share your talent.
Although making handmade products is time-consuming, it is a great way to stand out in the commodity market. You can get a basic plan on Shopify, create a logo, and order some raw materials online and get your activity going.
👉🏼 Ecommerce operation eventually becomes easier as you gain footing and experience.
Blogging 💻
Blogging is one of the best business ideas for students seeking to make some money because it can be done from anywhere. With some knowledge about blogging, a laptop, an internet connection, you can turn any location into a publishing den.
Even if blogging may not be profitable immediately, you can look for effective ways to build your brand and portfolio and use it for content monetization later on.
If you wish to take your career as a blogger to the next level, you can take advantage of countless SEO tools available in the market.
Spotify's tools can allow you to research keywords, analyze competition and perform site audits.
You can add your blogs to the Shopify online store and update your customers about your products. As long as some audiences are keen to learn something, you can pick what you are passionate about and make some money.
Video Hosting 🎥
👉🏼 Video content is as popular as ever, with many users taking hours to watch videos daily.
If creativity is your thing and you're not camera-shy, try giving a shot to creating video content. Start off by creating a theme-based channel and hosting it on your site instead of a social media platform.
It's a great idea to make money. You can offer tutorials, perform music, or talk about something people love to hear.
The idea is to create a channel that can work alongside your classwork without any compromise.
Building an audience and winning customer loyalty to make a profit from the ads requires a lot of patience and persistence. Therefore, you can look for a direct connection to revenue instead of waiting for ads to become profitable.
If your videos closely support an existing product, you are likely to be more profitable. There is an option of creating videos before launching the product.
One of the easiest ways of making money on Shopify is by becoming a product reviewer. You will be paid based on the commission the site pays to its affiliates.
Podcasts 🎤
More people are becoming interested in listening to podcasts. Podcasting is ideal for anyone seeking to build an audience online for their brand and create a profitable business.
Podcasting is cheap and ideal for students who want to make some money while in college and beyond.
All you need is a USB microphone and a recording platform. You can start by acquiring an entry-level microphone and using free and user-friendly recording software.
Later, you can upgrade to a mixer, XLR microphone, and other accessories that can help to improve quality.
Internet is a rich source of information and therefore, you should protect your podcast against loss by identifying your target audience.
Define who your listeners are and customize the content to meet their needs.
Having a podcast also creates nice opportunities for you to market not just your podcast, but any future products or services you may want to offer.
Take time to create quality and unique content and keep editing to make the content more engaging 🔊
Dropshipping 📦
A dropshipping business allows a third party to manufacture and ship a product on your behalf. You only need to set up an online store, price the products and market your business.
Dropshipping products is an ideal option for you as a student because it's cheaper in the sense that you don’t have to stock the goods but they are delivered to customers on request.
Dropshipping is a good way of starting a business on a budget.
The products are packaged and distributed on your behalf and therefore, you don't have to worry about doing any physical labor that would get in the way of your schoolwork.
Shopify allows you to service orders with a few clicks and the suppliers can perfect your products and connect with your customers. Dropshipping business suppliers provide worldwide warehousing and this can let you sell to customers globally.
Freelance Writing And Web Design 📝
👉🏼 The demand for writers and graphic designers is on the rise.
If you are a talented writer, you can convert your talent into a money-making freelance service as you study.
Freelancing can allow you to pick small tasks that can fit your schedule so that you don't have to compromise your study time.
Shopify allows you to connect with merchants or potential customers to get writing jobs. You can earn through blog posts, writing product descriptions, business plans, report writing, and more.
It offers an opportunity to choose your niche areas, which could be sports, fashion, health, and craft, among others.
When you register for Shopify’s partner program, you can create content that can help entrepreneurs to succeed in their businesses. You can also choose to engage in graphic design, such as developing business logos and websites.
Although it might sound like you need a degree for this type of work, basic graphic and web design skills can be acquired on online learning platforms like Udemy. Freelance service will always be in demand and has great potential for an online business, especially an ECommerce business.
Digital Subscriptions 📱
Many people want to enjoy the convenience of making online purchases in the comfort of their homes.
With Shopify, you can sell digital products whether they belong to you or somebody else. There is no need to keep stock and so you are not worried about the storage costs.
The digital products you can sell include:
- Apps
- E-books
- Digital downloads
- Video courses
- Digital tools
Shopify allows you to offer different categories of products in the same store. You can also combine digital products with related services to maximize revenue. There are many digital channels to explore on Shopify.
If you don’t have enough time to deal with your products, consider setting up a shop to sell affiliate products. Affiliate programs can help increase revenue.
Most affiliates can give you some creative banner ads to use in your store, either on your website or in Shopify. Digital subscriptions offer a creative way of connecting with customers online.
Print On Demand 📠
Print on demand is a low-risk means of earning extra cash while in college.
You can partner with a supplier who can help you customize products such as phone cases, t-shirts, and other promotional merchandise.
Add your design and allow the supplier to print and deliver the products on request.
This is a cheap way of starting a business because you don’t need to print the items in advance; hence you save on storage costs.
You are not directly involved in logistics and operations and thus, you can focus more on design and marketing for your physical products.
Print on demand is a great business idea for creatives who desire to be directly involved with their product design but are not committed to manufacturing them. It creates a pathway for designers to build a unique brand.
Online Clothing Business 👚
If you have some clothing designs in mind, you can take some time to form a clothing company and convert your passion to profit.
A Shopify store allows you to set up a clothing line using various plugin options that can link your store to clothing manufacturers and apparel printers.
The manufacturers handle all the steps concerning the retail fulfillment process, giving you the freedom to focus on designing and shipping a wide range of pieces.
Creating something that people love is very fulfilling. You can start selling immediately after you create a Shopify store.
Use the available apps to design and deliver your custom-made clothing and enjoy the simplicity of meeting customer needs.
When you transform your creativity into a real and profitable product, you may enjoy seeing your products come to life. The more you create, the more product ideas will come to you and your customer experience will most likely improve.
Selling Food Waste 🍖
Every year, tons of food gets thrown away, including products that have not yet been expired.
Some of the food items that are being disposed off, may be deemed to be of the wrong size or may have small marks. You can pick this wasted food and make some money.
Farmers may be unable to take some vegetables to the supermarkets for sale even if the produce is still fresh. You can ask for such “wonky” vegetables and sell them at a discounted price in your city.
If the farmers sell the products to you at a lower price, you can sell them at market price and make a profit.
The farmers are relieved of the burden of going to the market and they can take more time to produce more crops. You could also consider adding value to the food products by creating a recipe that you can sell.
This idea is smart for students who may not have enough capital to establish a business from scratch, but want profit potential.
Profit potential is the potential a product has to generate good revenue that leads to more leads and higher net income.
Conclusion 💁🏻♀️
Running a business as a student requires willingness, passion, consistency, commitment, and patience. If you have been procrastinating about starting a business as a student, start now.
You can consider the above options, most of which are flexible and may not make you compromise your study time.
As you continue running the business, you can learn about different success and sales tactics you can implement even after college.
Some important things to consider when starting a small business with Shopify, is:
- Your target audience
- What your profit potential could be
- Your business plan
- Marketing channels you would like to use
- Advertising a niche product
- Making sure your customer service is great
An online business can be a great experience for learning how you want your business model to look, your conversion rates, the online marketing tips you'll receive, and how an ecommerce platform is going to give you that little extra profit every month.