College Start-Ups

Most college students see their time at university as the first step in their career path; afterwards, they will go out into the working world and get a job. But some students have great ideas that simply cannot wait until graduation day. With many free resources and technologies available to them, more and more university students are finding ways to start small businesses while they are still in school As a student at the University of Missouri, Brian Laoruangroch used to sell refurbished cell phones on eBay as a hobby. But when Brian realized how much money he could make by buying, fixing, and reselling phones, he decided to create his own website to resell the phones. His parents loaned him money, and he received money from his local government to found a company called Green Mobile, which now has local retail stores and about 20 employees. Brian said balancing work and studies was challenging, but he didn’t forget to pay attention in class. “I was learning important business concepts while I was using them in my own business,” he said. Whitney Williams has always been creative, and she enjoys making things in her spare time. While in elementary school, she sold handmade stationery to people in her neighborhood, and later she expanded her offerings to include one-of-a-kind purses. When Whitney visited Italy as a student at Texas Christian University, she fell in love with the handmade jewelry she saw there. It inspired her to start her own jewelry business. Instead of partying with friends or traveling, Whitney spent most of her weekends for the next two years selling her high-quality jewelry at small shows and private sales. As a result, the Whitney Williams Collection is now produced and sold around the world. Whitney hopes to eventually expand her brand to include shoes, clothing, and accessories.