There are many ways to earn money as a college student, with internships and part-time jobs being the most common. However, some Florida Atlantic University students have become their own CEOs, launching small side hustles and businesses to support themselves.
A report from University World News in September 2023 shows that around 17% of college students start their own businesses, ranging from arts and crafts to I.T. solutions. It shows that many begin with small ideas that evolve into real side hustles and campus-based ventures.
While these startups can offer early independence and experience, students must still balance them carefully with academic responsibilities.
Jaylin Tuohey, a freshman biological science major, started her own nail business, offering gel-X nails and press-ons. She said at first, she just wanted to learn how to do her own nails. Eventually, it grew into “Sets By Jaylin.”
“I started doing nails because back home, my mom always did my nails for me,” Tuohey said. “Once moving to college, I wanted to learn to do them myself. All my friends told me I should start posting my nails, so eventually I did, and it led to me doing nails for other people. I just made an Instagram account and started posting, and soon enough, people started booking.”
Tuohey is not the only beautician who has found success running their own page. Evie Wrobel, a freshman majoring in international business, runs “Boca.lash” and provides lash lifts and tints as her side hustle.
Wrobel says her business started the same way many others do: at home, from something she was already practiced in.
“Lash lifts and tints were something that I did at home for my family and friends,” Wrobel said. “I started doing it to myself, and then I just always thought it made me really confident … So I started telling my friends, and started doing it to everybody back home. Then, when I moved here, I just needed a little job that I could do on my own time … So I was just like, how about I spread the confidence at a better rate for students like me.”
Students who have started their own businesses have voiced that word of mouth is the best way to get their businesses out. Another option has been posting flyers around campus, specifically in the breezeway. For others, the campus is another place to make business happen.
Cassian Mitchell and Jeremiah Almonte, two freshmen business majors, started their clothing business, now called “Wednesday Vintage”, during high school, buying and reselling thrifted clothing online. At FAU, they had the idea to set up a shop in the breezeway, which they said has been a success.
“We’ve done online sales for four years now. And then we just started doing the Wednesday market at FAU. This is our third market yet, and we’re out here every Wednesday,” Almonte said.
Mitchell added he wants to make an effort to continually showcase their business around campus, and also, hopefully, expand. “We’re gonna start doing this all through next year, every single Wednesday, we’ll be out here. We plan on expanding, going to [University of] Miami, USF … every other college in Florida.”
Although the ‘grind’ doesn’t stop, students have to remember that they are students before anything else. Mitchell and Almonte both made it very clear that before anything gets handled with the business, school must be taken care of.
“We set super heavy dates for class work, like Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Almonte started. “So we’ll sit down in the morning and just knock out all of our work.” Mitchell continued. “Over the weekend, we source, and then on Wednesdays, it’s the day in between our classes where we just have our event.”
Tuohey also emphasized that maintaining a balance between her business and academics is essential to her success. She explained that having control over her schedule allows her to prioritize school while still running her business efficiently.
“I base my appointment slots off of my school schedule so that way I can make sure I have time to do homework and study for tests while still making an income,” Tuohey said. “It’s perfect because I can control my schedule, so if I need a day off to focus on school, I can.”
For students thinking about starting their own businesses, the process can feel uncertain at first, but it often begins with something small.
Wrobel suggests starting with a close circle and allowing growth to happen naturally over time. She also noted that patience and consistency are key when trying to turn a side hustle into something bigger.
“Honestly, start with your friends first. That’s what I did,” Wrobel said. “I started doing these lashes and tints with my friends before I started expanding with more ads and more Instagram posts and all that stuff. Don’t expect to make money in the beginning, but your business will really get out there with word of mouth. That’s the most important thing.”
Julius Demosthenes is a Staff Writer for the University Press. For more information on this or other stories, contact Demosthenes at [email protected] or DM jay_dem0 on Instagram.
