Summer Ideas

The HBA Entrepreneurship Club recently hosted a ‘Summer Business Ideas’ event. During this lunch event, representatives from the club mediated a group discussion on summer business ideas that students could potentially start this upcomming summer. Entrepreneurship Club members discussed the issues surrounding the ideas, the benefits of each as well as how to improve the ideas.

Here is a list of some of the ideas the club touched on, and then some more just to get the creative juices flowing:

eBay Store: You can sell just about anything on eBay and thousands of people report six figure incomes from selling on the world’s most popular auction site.

Tutoring: Do you excel at a certain subject at school? Do you have a specific skill that others would find valuable? Offer to teach others at a premium price!

Start a Summer Camp: A few friends of mine started a baseball camp in Toronto last summer with a ton of success. Startup costs of employees, some basic equipment, and basic marketing and you’re off to the races!

Landscaping/Lawncare: For a low up-front cost you could supply landscaping services/lawncare to a group of local residents

Gaming Gym for Kids: If we want kids to be active and healthy we need to make it fun. You could start a kid’s gym that uses gaming technology like the Wii Fit to deliver fun fitness classes.

Customer Service Auditing: Businesses need customer services auditors (also known as mystery shoppers) to help improve the customers’ experience. I had a customer experience business throughout university and I built a steady client base that allowed me to make between $100 and $200/hour; not bad for a university student!

Anything Green: In the last couple of years we have seen an explosion of “green” products and services and the industry is expected to continue its high growth rate. There are opportunities for “green” products like stationary, clothing, handbags, and packaging to name a few and services like driving, dining, and cleaning. The possibilities are endless.

Jewelry Store: If you’re crafty and creative you may enjoy making jewelry to sell in a store or online.

Event Planning: Event planners are needed for everything from weddings to corporate functions. You need to be well organized and energetic.

Mobile Applications: Applications for the iPhone and BlackBerry are in-demand if you’re a programmer.

Freelancer: Be your own boss as a freelance writer, editor, consultant, graphic designer, programmer, etc. Freelancing is a very simple way to run your own business.

Gallery: If you love art you can sell artwork online, ask to hang it in local coffee shops, or consider starting your own art gallery.

Online or Boutique Store with Organic Foods/Products: Sales of organic items are up. Planet Organic, an organic retailer, posted a 106% increase in sales for 2008.

Specialty Services for Pets: People love their pets. Bank on that by opening a pet spa, selling dog clothes, or starting a food retail business that offers organic food for pets.

Interior Decorator or Designer: If you have a knack for design, you could start an interior design business. A membership with a wholesaler will enable you to make a profit selling furniture and accessories to your clients as well.

Specialty Dessert Store: If you love to bake you could sell baked goods or chocolates with nice packaging and offer a delivery option.

Personal Shopping Assistant: Sometimes people need a little help putting together the perfect outfits. Some malls now offer a ‘personal shopper’ service and there are opportunities to offer your services at malls that don’t already have personal shoppers available.

Technical Assistant: If you are tech-savvy there are opportunities to help people who aren’t. You could help people set up their electronic equipment or give computer lessons to those who are “technically challenged.”

Catering Service: If you love food and people you can start a catering service. A niche market like organic catering or ethnic catering could give you a competitive advantage.

Professional Critic: You can review products, businesses, or services online or for a magazine. Consult with companies and offer solutions for improvement.

Personal Organization Service: If you keep your home spotless, you may be able to help other people do the same. You can make a profit on people’s messy lives!

Photography: Photographers are always needed for portraits, weddings, and other events. Once you build a portfolio your business could get hired for magazines and advertisements.

Financial Planning: If you’ve been good at handling your own finances perhaps you would be good at helping others, especially students, manage theirs. Students need help balancing expenses, student loans, income, savings, and investing.

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