Smart Tips for Smarteens

Being in college is a balancing act – you have to manage your time doing your homework, helping with house chores, participating in your club activities, and, to top all that, you also have to think of how you can maximize your daily allowance and save up money for your needs!

On that last note, there are tons of small businesses which students like you can start without taking time off your studies and your other daily activities. In fact, you can even start your part-time business in school or turn your hobbies into money-making projects. With creativity and proper planning, you can start your own business and boost your savings.

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself first to determine which part-time business will best suit you:

1. What are my interests, skills, talents, and hobbies? What kind of chore or activity do I excel in and enjoy the most? Am I willing to learn more and improve my knowledge and skills in my chosen field?

1. What does my community need? What kind of products or services would my friends or classmates buy or need?

1. How will I offer my product or service? What is my business plan? How can I make my product or service more appealing to my customers? How can I manage my time to come up with a quality product or service without risking my time for my studies and other activities?

By now, you might have several business ideas running through your bright mind already. But, if you are still a bit clueless, why not try some of our tips below?

• If you love studying and you enjoy sharing what you have learned and inspiring others to learn, you can do a tutoring business! Help your classmates or other younger students in your neighborhood to catch up with their lessons.
• If you love tech-y gadgets or have computer skills and you are adept in using the Internet, you can do a”tech-y” business! You can help your neighbors from simple PC troubleshooting, to data entry or typing jobs, to Internet research, to creating invitations and posters, or even create websites. If you have a digital camera, you can also take photos in birthday parties and create audio-visual presentations. If you are tech-savvy, the possibilities are endless! So show your tech-y skills and promote your business through printed flyers and by creating simple web page.

As you have probably noticed, people from all ages are now into writing blogs Blogs are everywhere on the net and have replaced the good ‘ol diaries. So aside from simply posting your articles in it, why not make money out of it to? Get in touch with local companies or organizations and get them to post advertisements in your blog. Or, offer your writing skills and send them proposals wherein you will mention their products or stores in your articles for a fee. Since this is a still relatively new in the Philippines, there are still no standard rates for such type of advertisement. The rates will depend on the negotiations between you and your client.

Or, if you are into arts and crafts, and other novelty items, you can sell your own creations in your blog! Just take a photo of your accessories, home decors, souvenirs, and other items. Upload and post them in your blog and presto! You now have your very own online store.