50 Ways To Make Money Online & Offline

This is a long one but I think it’s a great resource I wanted to share. So here it goes: 50 ways to make money online & offline.

Sell Custom Goods on Etsy

Nowadays, you can sell just about anything on Etsy, a website designed to allow creators and designers to share their artwork with the world. If you have a talent, it can probably be showcased here. One great example involves etching , but you can also sell woodwork, clothing, graphics, books, and games.

What materials you’ll need:

Anything that can help you create your masterpiece. If you etch, you should find an affordable Cricut, as well as Glass Etching Adhesive. If you design clothing, you’ll need to look for fabric and sewing materials. When in doubt, you can usually find everything you need at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores or Michaels Craft Stores.

Create Custom Book Bags

Let’s zero-in on a specific creation, for just a moment. You’re in college, right? You need to make money, but you don’t know where to start. Why not utilize the people around you? Designing custom book bags is a fantastic (and cheap) way to earn cash. All you need is a creative eye, and enough time to bring your ideas to life.

What materials you’ll need:

If you want to make quality book bags, you’ll need a sewing machine (which can be found on Amazon in the Arts, Crafts & Sewing section), as well as some canvas fabric and thread. Again, you’ll find many of your necessities at local craft stores.

Fix Broken Phones

You know how heartbreaking a broken phone can be. Why not get into the business of fixing them yourself? You’ll be hailed as a hero on campus, and you’ll make plenty of extra cash from the ongoing stream of business.

What materials you’ll need:

First of all, you’ll need to read this article about fixing iPhones. There’s more than enough information there to get you started. Secondly, you’ll need to buy a Pro Tech Toolkit, a 54 Bit Driver Kit, and a Magnifier Table Lamp. And, finally, you’ll want to invest some time into learning the craft by practicing with friends and family.

Design T-Shirts

This idea involves entrepreneurial talent and a decent level of design skill. You can help promote causes, design t-shirts for local bands and student groups, and showcase your favorite memes. College students are always looking for ways to express themselves. Why not help them along?

What materials you’ll need:

Obviously, you won’t be able to make these t-shirts in your dorm room. You’ll need to outsource that work to another company, like Teespring or Zazzle. It’s up to you to design the shirt, place the order, and make the delivery. You can also develop stickers for student groups by utilizing Sticker Mule. Market yourself with business cards from websites like Vistaprint.

Become a Content Writer

Hundreds of websites need content for their pages, and you can be the one to supply it. With a little bit of research and a working computer, you can write thousands of words a week and get paid handsomely for it (depending on your client).

What materials you’ll need:

To get started, you’ll need an account on a freelance website like Upwork. Then, you should take a Udemy course on generating website content, just to get familiar with the tone and quality that’s going to be expected of you. Other than that, starting a career in professional writing is fairly inexpensive and material-free.

Refurbish Furniture

Have you ever seen an old piece of furniture that you thought you could improve? With a little bit of elbow grease, you can turn someone else’s trash into your treasure. And you don’t necessarily need to dig through garage sales to find a subject. Using websites like Craigslist, you can easily locate unused items and refurbish them. It’s almost like flipping a house.

What materials you’ll need:

It’s impossible to tell exactly what you’ll need, since there are so many different styles of furniture, and even more ways in which they can be altered. But it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll need basic tools (a hammer, nails, a screwdriver, etc.), paint or varnish, and an electric sander. You can find most of these things at The Home Depot or Lowe’s. You’ll also need a large workspace, such as a garage or a backyard.

Walk Dogs

You probably thought about walking dogs as a teenager but, now, you have the ability to take it to the next level. Pet owners are far more likely to trust their dogs with an adult than a preteen, and that gives you an edge. If you market yourself correctly, you can turn dog walking into a full-time, under-the-table job.

What materials you’ll need:

Marketing is the most important part of this equation. You’ll need a website, which you can create through WordPress or Weebly. You’ll also need business cards and flyers (again, Vistaprint is a great resource), as well as a travel water dish and a few toys.

Start a Babysitting Service

Again, parents are far more likely to trust their children with an adult. Not only

that, but an adult with a certification in CPR. You can start a babysitting service for next to nothing and, if you enjoy spending time with kids, you won’t be anywhere near as miserable as you would be working in an office. Also, tax-free work. Can we even argue with that?

What materials you’ll need:

Start out by making a profile on popular babysitting websites, such as Care or Sitter City. You’ll also want to create a professional website, business cards, and flyers. Finally, you can choose to bring toys or entertainment supplies for the kids, but many parents supply those for you.

Become an Airbnb Host

Did you know that you can rent out your home, or a portion of your home, through Airbnb? That’s right – you can make money on empty space alone. You don’t even need an entire house or a room to rent. Believe it or not, there are plenty of couchsurfers that take advantage of Airbnb on a regular basis.

What materials you’ll need:

First, you need to make a profile. Take tasteful pictures of the space you’re going to offer and come up with a colorful description. The area should be well-decorated and cleared of any personal items. When the guest arrives, you’ll need to provide basic amenities (toilet paper, towels, blankets, lighting, etc.) and enough food for breakfast.

Review and Test Games

It might sound too good to be true – but you can actually get paid to test video games. Check out an awesome tutorial here for more information. You should keep in mind that this method of making money will feel more like an official job, with a regular paycheck coming from a specific company. You can find positions on websites like Indeed, and there’s a ton of information online. Time has a useful article on the subject, as does Business Insider and Game Testers.

What materials you’ll need:

Becoming a game tester and reviewer doesn’t involve a lot of monetary investment. But you’ll need a decent resume, a list of experience, and a website (if you really want to make an impression).

Tutor Students

If there’s a subject that you know quite well, but notice other students struggle with, consider becoming a tutor. You can do this at the college level, as well as the high school and grade school levels. If you plan on becoming an educator, this is an especially rewarding experience.

What materials you’ll need:

Other than the usual marketing tools (resume, flyers, business cards, etc.), you’ll need to take advantage of flashcard applications such as Quizlet. You’ll also need basic school supplies, such as a calculator, a notebook, pencils, graphing paper, and a computer.

Manage Social Media Accounts

Far too many businesses want a strong social media presence, but don’t have the knowledge or the drive to make it happen. In order to satisfy their needs, many companies turn to college students to handle their social media accounts. Don’t believe us? It’s actually more common than you think.

What materials you’ll need:

Statistics are the name of the game, in this business. You’ll need an account on Buffer to help analyze the amount of traffic your social media pages receive. You should also invest your time in an Upwork account, as many businesses hire through that platform. Other monetary investments could include business cards and a professional website.

Make and Sell Custom Jewelry

If you’ve got a knack for creating your own jewelry, turn it into something more than a hobby. College students love unique, thoughtful pieces that aren’t generic or common. Take advantage of the environment surrounding you. Or, you could sell your work at flea markets and local events.

What materials you’ll need:

Other than renting out space for a booth at festivals or events, you’ll need to invest in basic materials. You can use a range of different items to make jewelry, so it all depends on your preferences. As we said earlier, Michaels and JoAnn Fabrics are fantastic for affordable, in-style craft supplies. If you plan on shipping your work to customers, you’ll also need boxes and labels for shipping purposes.

Clean Houses

Another one of those preteen jobs, turned professional. Make flyers and offer to clean houses for a fair price. The bigger the house, the more you make. You can also offer to clean dorm rooms for your friends and classmates. Imagine what college students would pay to have someone else take care of their dishes or dirty laundry!

What materials you’ll need:

You’ll need cleaning supplies, such as all-purpose cleaner, window cleaner, dish soap, rags, wood cleaner, and air fresheners. You don’t necessarily need to bring your own vacuum, mop, or broom. Most households will provide those things for you. You might also find that making an account on Angie’s List is a useful way to generate clients.

Become an Uber or Lyft Driver

If you feel comfortable driving strangers in your car, this might be a viable option for you. Not only do you get to meet interesting people, but you get to make money in the process. Both Uber and Lyft pay their part-time drivers up to $35/hour, and you don’t have to worry about awkwardly asking for tips.

What materials you’ll need:

First of all, you’ll need to be twenty-one. That’s the biggest requirement. After that, you’ll need to obtain a four-door car with at least five seatbelts that’s less than twelve-years-old. You can check out more information on that here. When it comes to upfront costs, you’ll need pack plenty of water bottles for your guests. You’ll also need a decent navigation application (we highly recommend Waze, which is free). Want to learn more? Uber has an awesome and complete guide here.

Knit or Crochet Beanies and Hats

College students love homemade clothing. You can develop a total monopoly in this niche by knitting or crocheting stylish beanies and hats. And, when you’re starting out, you can even have your friends wear your creations as free marketing sources.

What materials you’ll need:

Luckily, knitting and crocheting doesn’t involve expensive sewing machines and equipment. You’ll need a set of patterns, a box of yarn, a basic set of supplies, and a decent needle set. After that, your business should fund itself. As usual, we recommend Michael’s and JoAnn Fabrics for your crafting needs. But you can probably find a few local shops, as well.

Sell Custom Cutting Boards

If you’ve ever been interested in woodwork, this might be the perfect job for you. Cutting boards are unique and fun to make, and college students never think to buy them until they see them. They’re also fairly affordable to build, in comparison to other wood-related crafts. You’ll need your own space for this job, though, so this particular moneymaker might be best for a commuter student. A dorm room just isn’t going to cut it.

What materials you’ll need:

Aside from a workshop area, you’ll need an electric sander, stencils, and a wood burning tool. Michaels has a fair inventory when it comes to woodwork, but you’ll also want to check out The Home Depot and Lowe’s for heavier equipment.

Cutting boards aren’t your thing? Sell coasters to the sororities. I heard house moms hate water stains…

Make Leather Cuffs

Leather cuffs offer a unique style that only college students seem to understand. If you love crafting but also live on-campus, this low-stress method of earning some extra cash could work for you. Rather than making a series of jewelry options, you’ll be able to focus on one, specific item. If you’re not sure where to start, you can check out an interesting tutorial video here.

What materials you’ll need:

You’ll need, of course, leather. You’ll also need a leather burning tool, adhesive snaps, and a leather cutter. If you need start-up materials, Artbeads is an online platform that has an entire section set aside just for leather jewelry supplies.

If cuffs are too big for you, trendy wrap bracelets never go out of style.

Create Surprise Balls

If you’ve never heard of surprise balls before, you’re probably going to fall in love with this money making venture. Made of brightly colored paper, surprise balls are full of streamers and prizes such as puzzles, rings, jokes, whistles, and stickers. These unique gifts are perfect for birthday parties and large events. If you have the right connections, this fun business can take off pretty quickly.

What materials you’ll need:

First, you’ll need to read a few tutorials on how to make surprise balls. We’ve found that Not Martha and Honestly WTF are quality resources. Most websites agree that you’ll need multiple colors of fine crepe paper, confetti, ribbon, glitter, glue, and an assortment of candy or toys. If you’re located near a party store, this is going to become your hotspot for supplies.

Develop a Digital eCourse

Far more complicated than crafting surprise balls, making a digital eCourse involves patience, dedication, recording, scriptwriting, and research. While you don’t necessarily need to purchase supplies right away, you might spend two or three months crafting a quality product. If you’re not sure how to get started, Teach Good Stuff, Freelance to Freedom, and Problogger offer instructions on eCourse creation.

What materials you’ll need:

Once you’ve written and established what you want to teach in your eCourse, you’re going to need to record your content. That’s going to involve a high-quality webcam (we suggest Logitech) and a microphone (we suggest the Snowball). Once you’ve finished, you’ll need to publish your work. Learning Revolution has some great information about that portion of production.

Work for Fancy Hands

Fancy Hands provides US-based assistants for the self-employed, large company executives, and other business owners who need help managing their time and responsibilities efficiently. If you work well with organization, phone calls, appointment-setting, and other secretarial duties, this is a straightforward telecommunication position that can work for you. You can find more information here.

What materials you’ll need:

The materials you’ll need will depend entirely on the client you’re working with. You’ll need a smartphone, for sure, to help with prompt communication (we suggest an iPhone, but you can also use an Android). You’ll also need a laptop or desktop computer that can easily connect to a WiFi hotspot. Employers may have you download different applications or purchase additional materials, depending on the work they have you doing.

Use TaskRabbit

Do you enjoy running errands? TaskRabbit will connect you to households in your local area that need assistance with grocery shopping, medication pickup, cooking, cleaning, and more. The only downside? TaskRabbit is currently available in nineteen cities, including New York, Portland, London, LA, Houston, and Phoenix. If you aren’t located in any of these cities or suburbs, you’ll be limited to virtual tasks (which are typically very similar to Fancy Hands jobs).

What materials you’ll need:

You won’t need much to get started with TaskRabbit, other than a full tank of gas and a professional outfit. Any costs you incur for shopping will be reimbursed by the household, and you’ll be paid an hourly wage that you set when you create a profile. Check out more here.

Help Other People Move

If you have a large car or a truck, this is an easy way to make money. You can also offer labor, rather than transportation, if you don’t own a moving-friendly vehicle. Moving companies are, generally speaking, overpriced. If a household can hire an outside company or individual to help them move without paying an arm and a leg, they will. You can be that person.

What materials you’ll need:

Obviously, you’ll need to market yourself with business cards, flyers, and a website. You’ll also need heavy-duty gloves and moving blankets (if you own the vehicle being used). You should also plan on using a fair amount of gas between trips.

Try Fiverr Jobs

Similar to Upwork (which we introduced earlier), Fiverr connects freelancers in various categories (such as Graphics & Design, Digital Marketing, Writing & Translation, Video & Animation, and Music & Audio) to employers who need work completed. If you’re successful in any of these niches, you should consider making an account and getting started immediately.

What materials you’ll need:

Fortunately, you won’t need anything but a service to offer and an idea. Fiverr has no basis of commitment, no memberships, and no hidden fees. You’re able to keep 80% of each transaction you complete. However, you should keep in mind that Fiverr sets base fees for their workers. For example, if you market yourself in the Writing & Translation niche, you won’t be able to charge more than $5 per job, unless you add extra services for the client to purchase (which can add up to $25 per job).

Sell Used Items Online

This can go above and beyond selling old items that once belonged to you. You can also collect items from your friends and family members, recycling centers, or classmates who might consider trashing them instead of reselling them. Read a great success story here.

What materials you’ll need:

Other than shipping supplies, you’ll need a first “wave” of items to sell. From there, you can grow your collection through marketing and communication. Amazon and eBay are both online platforms specifically utilized for the sale of new or used items. It would be in your best interest to sell through one of them, since they’re both wildly popular with consumers.

Become a Personal Shopper

If you love to shop, this job is perfect for you. Despite the stereotypical personal shopper positions, you won’t necessarily be shopping for the clothes of rich, old ladies. Personal shopping has really taken a turn in the past decade. Read more about it here and here. Entrepreneur also has a wonderful article about starting a personal shopping business.

What materials you’ll need:

Other than a full tank of gas and a measuring tape, you won’t really incur any costs when you start this business. You may choose to spend money on a professional website, business cards, or flyers. But you can also place an advertisement on Craigslist for free. Since personal shoppers can only handle a limited number of clients, it won’t take long for you to get comfortable in your work.

Be a YouTube Video Blogger

If you have something to say the world, start saying it. Because, eventually, you can be handsomely paid for it. While you won’t start out making money, you’ll be able to reap the benefits of advertising once your channel reaches a certain number of subscribers. Google will directly pay you a portion of their income from ads placed on your videos. How do you think YouTube stars survive without day jobs?

What materials you’ll need:

Like eCourse production, you’ll need a webcam (again, we suggest Logitech) and a microphone (another quality option is the Yeti). The rest of your starting materials depend on what you want to do in your videos, and how you want to market yourself. This is a far less professional platform than, say, Facebook. The most important thing is that your video is interesting and creative, not expensive.

Try Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based form of marketing, in which a business will reward you for each visitor or customer brought to their website because of your personal marketing efforts. For example, YouTube stars that receive money from advertisements placed on their videos are actually taking part in an affiliate marketing program.

What materials you’ll need:

Once employed by a business, you can start marketing to your followers through a social media scheduler and advertisements. You should be smart and creative about your efforts, because affiliate marketing is hard work. While there aren’t any upfront costs to get started, you’ll need to spend quite a bit of time pushing the product before you see any payoff.

Blog!

In the same way that you can get paid for advertisements on YouTube, you can get paid for placing advertisements on your personal blog (assuming your traffic statistics meet Google requirements). This isn’t going to happen overnight, so you’ll need to spend several months (or even years) building your brand, story, and website. The more you post, the faster your blog will grow in followers.

What materials you’ll need:

First of all, you’ll need a website. This can be created through WordPress or Weebly (which we discussed earlier), or you can utilize Squarespace. The most important part of the process will be purchasing your own URL, which is vital to making a quality blog or website. The more popular your blog, the more return you’ll get for your investment.

Create a Niche Marketing Website

So, how do you make money from a website without waiting months or years for your traffic to be high enough? You create a niche marketing website. This is basically a website that utilizes SEO keywords to place your link at the top of the Google search page. Even though your website won’t actually offer or sell any products, it’ll be visited so often that Google will pay you hundreds of dollars each month to place advertisements on your page.

What materials you’ll need:

Other than starting your website, which can be done through a horde of different resources, you’ll need to spend hours each week creating useful content for your page. Choose a smart and thoughtful set of keywords that have proven popular through Google and incorporate them six or seven times in each article you produce. Within five or six months, your website will earn you a decent amount of traffic and income.

Flip Websites

Before we talk about flipping websites, you need to check out Flippa, the most popular place on the internet for doing so. You’ll learn quite a bit just by checking out their page. Flipping websites

involves buying and selling domains for a profit. Basically, your job is to purchase the website of a company that wasn’t so great to begin with. Start an AdWords or AdSense campaign, upping the value of the site, and then sell it for far more than you bought it.

What materials you’ll need:

First, we suggest reading this tutorial on how to flip websites. Then, you’ll need to pool together enough money to make your initial purchases. Similar to flipping houses, you need to be smart about your decisions. Some websites are beyond help. Others have potential. It’s up to you to pinpoint the difference between the two.

Become a Window Cleaner

If you like cleaning, but aren’t prepared to take on an entire house, consider cleaning windows. Most homeowners hate cleaning windows because it involves going outside and thoroughly washing each pane. On homes with many different windows, this can be a challenge. You can really make a market for yourself in this business, with recurring customers and references.

What materials you’ll need:

According to Great Day Improvements, the best window cleaning solution involves a spray bottle filled with fifty-percent distilled vinegar (white) and fifty-percent tap water. In addition to your spray, you’ll need a backpack, a ladder, a series of rags or squeegees, and other necessary cleaning supplies. To market yourself, make flyers and business cards to pass out throughout your neighborhood.

Be an Independent Make-Up Artist

Have you been doing your own make-up since you were thirteen? Do your friends struggle to get the same professional results? Do you know the best products to purchase for a reasonable price? This is probably the job for you. You can make money by doing make-up for classmates, friends, and family. References come quickly when you do a quality job, and you’ll make a name for yourself right away.

What materials you’ll need:

This is going to be a bit more expensive to start up than several of the other business ideas presented in this article. Why? Because quality make-up isn’t cheap. For many individuals, that’s why hiring an independent make-up artist for special occasions is more affordable than purchasing their own supplies. And, for independent make-up artists, that’s why it makes sense to purchase supplies for many different individuals. Read a great article about how to get started here.

Style Hair

Do you have a knack for hair styling? Trusting someone else with their hair, especially for special occasions, is a hard thing for most people to do. You’ll need to be patient, understanding, and smart about how you decide to work. You also need to be willing to work with the design ideas that your clients have. If you can manage all of that, this is a great start-up business that could, potentially, pay the bills.

What materials you’ll need:

Hair styling is, typically, a very expensive business to start. You’ll need a set of curling irons, flat irons, styling products (hairspray, conditioner, shampoo, etc.), scissors, and an area where you can work. The amount of money you need to invest depends entirely upon where you want to style hair (at the homes of your clients or in your own space) and whether you want to offer haircuts or simply styles for special occasions. Read more here and here.

Write YouTube Product Reviews

Yes, you can get paid to write YouTube product reviews. But, how? First, you need to make a Fiverr account and offer reviews for $5 each. Then, you’ll create a video of your honest review and post it to your channel. The more of a following you create, the more businesses will pay for your reviews.

What materials you’ll need:

You’ll need a webcam and microphone (we’ve already suggested Logitech and the Snowball), and a place to record. A huge bonus of this job? Free products. However, you need to make sure that businesses are aware of your intention to create an honest review. Your channel won’t be credible if you only offer positive reviews.

Start Your Own Delivery Service

Have you ever wondered why fast food chains don’t offer delivery for their products? Most people assume that, since orders are so cheap, it wouldn’t be worthwhile. But, imagine making an independent service that delivers any fast food orders (Wendy’s, Arby’s, McDonalds, Taco Bell, etc.) for $5 each. Customers will reimburse you for their food, plus $5 for your time and gas. In fact, here’s the story of a millionaire CEO who did this same this in college.

What materials you’ll need:

You’ll need a car and a full tank of gas. You’ll also need Venmo, so you can accept payment from your customers. We also suggest a website, business cards, and flyers.

Create a Bootcamp at a Nearby Park

If you love to run, jump, climb, and jog, you can actually make money by forming an outdoor bootcamp in a local park. By running your own workouts, you can help adults and teenagers get in shape. You’ll also feel better about yourself, in the process!

What materials you’ll need:

You’ll need basic workout equipment, such as cones, weights, tires, jump ropes, hula-hoops, or anything else you might use to create an obstacle course. Read more information on how to get started here.

Design Graphics

Bloggers love graphics, but they hate creating them. Therefore, they sometimes turn to an outside party to design something for them. If you enjoy working with graphics and have a creative eye for marketing, this is the job for you.

What materials you’ll need:

In order to make quality graphics, you’ll need to download Adobe Illustrator. This is usually fairly expensive, but the student edition is just $19.99 a month and includes a handful of other applications. You can also use a sketch application on a Mac computer, which is cheaper and usually has the same effect. We also suggest Graphic River credits, which will save time with pre-made vector graphs.

Start a Party Supply Delivery Service

Students haven’t created this service yet, and we’re really not sure why. Imagine being at a party. You run out of chips. The last thing you want to do is run to the store for chips, so you call a party supply delivery service and pay them a small fee to bring the chips for you. Yes, you can actually make this service available on your campus by marketing yourself, filling up your gas tank, and running around town.

What materials you’ll need:

You’ll need gas, which we mentioned above. You’ll also need to create a Venmo account, where you can professionally accept payment for the service you’ve provided. Keep in mind, you’ll need to make sure that you aren’t delivering anything that has an age limit (for legal reasons). Unfortunately, this means you can’t purchase beer or cigarettes.

Paint Menu Boards

Menu boards are what customers see when they first walk into a business. The point of a menu board is to draw passerby into the store or restaurant by making a good first impression. Fortunately, this works quite well when the board is thoughtfully and tastefully designed. Unfortunately, this works quite poorly when the menu board isn’t professional in presentation. You can design these boards for local businesses, and offer your painting services as an incentive to bring in customers.

What materials you’ll need:

First of all, you’ll need to market yourself online. You’ll need to get in touch with local businesses and reach a fair wage for your work. You’ll also need a slew of paints, chalk colors, stencils, and other design aids to help you get the job done. Check out some great ideas here. You can also view the work of local San Diego artist Art by Autumn for inspiration.

Be a Secret Shopper

Also known as “mystery shoppers”, secret shoppers are hired by outside companies to determine how good (or poor) the service is in specific restaurants, grocery stores, and retail stores. Not only will you get to visit new places, but you’ll get to report your findings and get paid for it. Be wary, however. Many “outside companies” are scams. You need to make sure you’re working through a reputable service. Read more here.

What materials you’ll need:

Secret shoppers don’t need much money to get started. You’ll need a full tank of gas, a notebook, and a pen to keep track of your reports. That’s about it.

Sew Dorm Décor

College dorm rooms have a tendency to look boring, undecorated, and unloved. You can change that by designing quality dorm décor that helps students feel at home on campus. Start by creating designs for your own dorm. Then, as your visitors see what you’ve done, ask them to refer you to their friends and classmates.

What materials you’ll need:

You’ll need a set of trendy fabric (check out some awesome samples here), a quality sewing machine, and some amazing design ideas.

Sell Class Notes

There are many things that aren’t “okay” in college. Writing other students’ papers, doing homework for your friends, cheating on tests, and copying answers are all “wrong” acts. However, there’s nothing inherently wrong with sharing class notes. Everyone misses class sometimes. It helps them to know what’s going on while they’re gone. So, why not sell your class notes for a reasonable price?

What materials you’ll need:

You’ll need to store your notes on a computer, making them easier to read. You’ll also need to create online flashcards (again, Quizlet is great for this) for your customers to use. Once someone “buys” your notes, give them access to a locked Google Document and send them the URL to the Quizlet page.

Buy Storage Units

Have you ever seen Storage Wars? In the popular television show, bidders try to purchase abandoned storage units. Then, they attempt to flip the contents for cash. Most of the time, bidders were successful in earning their money back and maintaining some kind of profit. If you have the time and energy, this start-up business is fun, interesting, and has the potential for huge payoffs.

What materials you’ll need:

You’ll need a full tank of gas to attend auctions. You’ll also need start-up money with which to bid. Other than that, you may need to rent a trailer to move the contents of a unit to another location. And, of course, you’ll need a location to store or sell your findings.

Become a Campus Brand Ambassador

Brands are constantly looking for ways to break into the millennial market. If you have great communication skills and a large social circle, this could be right up your alley. Many of these positions are performance based, offering commission and bonuses. With a little willingness to talk to strangers and a charming smile, you could be making friends and money at the same time. Check for listings on popular intern sites such as InternMatch, Internships.com and InternQueen.

What materials you’ll need:

Not much is needed to be a brand ambassador, and if there is, usually the company will supply these to you. A clean shirt is recommended and see if the company can provide some swag to make your job easier.

Start Landscaping and Lawn Mowing

On hot summer days, homeowners don’t want to go outside and mow their own lawn. They would much rather pay a teenage boy twenty dollars to do it for them. But you aren’t a teenage boy. You’re old enough to make sure the work is done correctly, and that gives you an edge. You can also do extensive landscaping – something that teenagers rarely offer.

What materials you’ll need:

As always, you’ll need to market yourself with a website, business cards, and flyers. You’ll also need gardening supplies (Lowe’s is a fantastic resource for this equipment), shears, and (potentially) a lawn mower. Many homes, though, will provide a mower for you.

Shovel Snow

Even more than they don’t want to venture into the heat, homeowners don’t want to venture into the cold. And, while long grass doesn’t stop cars from going down the driveway, snowstorms do. This means that, in the winter, you can make plenty of money by shoveling snow for your neighbors, friends, and family. Since the season is long and weather is unpredictable, some months will be heavy and other months will be light.

What materials you’ll need:

All you need to make a quality snow-shoveling business are a few decent shovels, a handful of business cards, and a single-page website explaining what you offer.

Wash Cars

Some car washes aren’t as quality as car-owners would hope. There’s nothing like washing a car by hand, but that isn’t really offered anymore. Or, is it? By starting your own car washing business, you offer a service that most people can use. Without having to leave their home, car owners can have a clean car that hasn’t been unnecessarily damaged. You can also offer interior cleaning, for an extra cost.

What materials you’ll need:

Just as you’ll need when you clean homes, washing cars will require basic cleaning supplies (soap, sponges, buckets, etc.). You’ll also need an interior vacuum, towels, access to a hose, and weather that doesn’t get in the way of your job.

Review Applications and Resumes

You live on a college campus. The students around you are desperately filling out applications and creating resumes. Whether or not these applications and resumes paint the best picture of the individual, however, is a different story. If you’re interested in PR, or you just enjoy helping other people with their resumes, this could be a great position for you. And you can make a ton of money from the right clients. People are willing to pay if it means they’ll get hired.

What materials you’ll need:

Writing and editing jobs really don’t cost much in the way of start-up fees. However, you will need profiles on websites such as Fiverr and Upwork, and you’ll need to keep those profiles as up-to-date as possible. We suggest making several resume examples, and writing a few blog posts or articles about what companies are looking for in a potential employee.

Offer Editing Services

Again, you can access the world of writing and translation through Upwork or Fiverr, both of which will allow you to offer editing services for a set price. On Upwork, you apply for jobs that are specifically posted. On Fiverr, clients will contact you based on your promotional post. Be specific; what do you enjoy editing? What experience do you have?

What materials you’ll need:

Once again, writing itself doesn’t cost additional start-up money. You just need a computer, a WiFi connection, and a stable place to work. We also suggest a printer and a red pen for serious editing jobs, such as college essays or novels.