How to make money while in school: 3 tips for starting a business at school

You can still start a business while studying! With 3 simple tips, you can absolutely begin to earn money while still in school right on campus. From choosing a niche market, building a small business model, to developing sales and customer service experience, this article will help you increase your income while fostering an entrepreneurial mindset early on.

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According to several surveys on the spending habits of students in Vietnam, each young person typically has 200,000 to over 1 million VND in pocket money each month. This shows that the school environment is not only a place for learning but also a potential "small market" if you know how to leverage it correctly.

Therefore, more and more young people are looking for "ways to make money while still in school" to both earn extra income and develop early business acumen. With a simple idea like selling snacks, school supplies, or products that friends frequently need, you can start making money while still in school right in your classroom or on campus.

This article will help you understand easy-to-implement ways to make money while still in school, suitable for students in Vietnam. No large capital or complex experience is needed; with a little observation and creativity, you can absolutely create a small source of income while still sitting in school.

Tip 1: Choose the right niche market when starting a business at school

Step 1: How to find business ideas at school

Observe the needs of your friends at school

  • The first step to finding ways to make money while still in school is to understand what your friends need or commonly buy.

  • Spend a few days observing in class, the canteen, or during break time to identify products or services that many people are interested in.

  • This is a simple way to help you discover small business ideas for students without needing a large capital investment.

List items students often buy

  • Write down popular products you see your friends frequently use or ask to buy.

  • This list helps you quickly identify easy-to-sell items in school.

  • Some common categories may include:

    • Small clothing items or accessories like bracelets, hair clips, fashion socks.

    • Snacks like cakes, candies, bottled milk tea, chips.

    • Small games, collectibles, or entertainment items.

    • Study materials like exam preparation materials, quick study guides, study guides.

Find out which services students are willing to pay for

  • Selling products isn't always the best option. Many students succeed with services to make money while still in school.

  • Pay attention to where your friends often struggle and are willing to pay for help. For example:

    • Tutoring subjects you're good at.

    • Helping with summaries or study materials.

    • Taking on small tasks like pet-sitting or assisting with chores.

Choose simple and easy-to-start ideas

  • After observing and listing, choose 1–2 ideas with the highest demand.

  • Prioritize tasks that are:

    • Easy to implement while still in school.

    • Low-capital or utilize existing skills.

    • Of interest to many friends.

  • This is the foundation to help you find small business ideas for students and start making money while still in school in a practical and safe way.

Step 2: Understand your friends' spending capacity

Determine customers' affordability

  • After finding suitable products or services, the next step in how to make money while still in school is to understand how much your friends can afford to spend.

  • Not every idea will sell if the price exceeds students' spending capacity.

  • Therefore, before starting a small business in school, consider how much people are willing to spend.

Understand students' sources of income

  • Most friends at school often have limited funds. Common sources include:

    • Pocket money from family.

    • Personal savings.

    • Income from part-time jobs or chores.

    • Study allowances or scholarships for university students.

  • Understanding these sources helps you choose the right easy-to-sell items for students and avoid overpricing.

Estimate an appropriate price level

  • To increase sales opportunities when making money while still in school, prioritize products with small, easy-to-buy prices.

  • Some practical principles:

    • Choose products that are affordable for most friends.

    • Prioritize items that can be quickly purchased during breaks.

    • Avoid expensive items that make buyers hesitate.

Adjust business ideas according to reality

  • Once you understand your customers' spending capacity, you can adjust your business model for students accordingly.

  • For example:

    • Sell small products in large quantities.

    • Create affordable combos to attract friends.

    • Offer low-cost but useful academic services.

  • Balancing demand and affordability will help you build a sustainable and more successful way to make money while still in school.

Step 3: How to price products when selling at school

Choose student-friendly prices

  • When applying ways to make money while still in school, pricing products or services is very important.

  • The selling price should be suitable for the spending capacity of most friends in the class or school.

  • If the price is too high, fewer people will buy, no matter how good the product is.

Lower prices help sell more

  • A common strategy when running a small business for students is to set easy-to-buy prices.

  • The benefits of this approach include:

    • Many friends are willing to buy immediately without much thought.

    • Increase the number of customers at school.

    • Sell more products every day.

  • Even if the profit margin per product is small, the total income can still be high due to the large volume sold.

More customers help increase overall profit

  • When prices are reasonable, you can build a stable customer base in school.

  • This is particularly effective for items such as:

    • Snacks.

    • School supplies.

    • Study materials or academic support services.

  • This is a popular model in ways for students to make money while in school because it's easy to sell and has a fast cash flow cycle.

If selling at a high price, sufficient profit is needed

  • In some cases, you might sell high-quality products or special services.

  • When choosing this direction, ensure that:

    • The profit margin per product is high enough.

    • The product has clear value to convince buyers.

    • The target customer truly needs the product.

  • This strategy is suitable when you offer skilled services, such as tutoring, creating study materials, or providing academic support.

Balance between selling price and customer volume

  • To succeed at earning money while still in school, you need to balance:

    • Appropriate selling price.

    • Number of accessible customers.

    • Profit per product.

  • Once you find a reasonable price, small business in school will be more stable and easier to develop.

Step 4: Choose products to earn money while in school

Narrow down the list of products or services

  • After knowing what your friends want and how much they are willing to spend, the next step in how to earn money while in school is to choose the most suitable products or services to start with.

  • This helps you focus on ideas that are easy to sell in school instead of trying too many things at once.

Choose products with high sales volume – small profit margin

  • This is a common model for small businesses for students because it's easy to sell and has low risk.

  • These types of products are usually cheap, so many friends buy them regularly.

  • For example:

    • Candies, cakes, snacks.

    • Bottled drinks or snacks.

    • Some small items needed daily.

  • Each item may not bring much profit, but if you sell a large quantity every day, you can still earn a stable income while in school.

Choose products with low sales volume – high profit margin

  • Some items may not sell much, but each sale brings good profit.

  • This approach is suitable if you can find unique products or those hard to buy in school.

  • For example:

    • Sports shoes or fashion accessories.

    • Collectibles, models, trading cards.

    • Clothing or trending products.

  • This is a strategy of selling less but earning more, suitable when you have a good source of goods.

Sell products that are "hot" in school

  • If you pay attention to student trends, you might discover items that many people are looking for.

  • For example:

    • Toys or accessories that are trending on social media.

    • New games that many friends are interested in.

    • Products that are hard to find in the area.

  • If you find a source before others, you can resell to friends in school and earn a decent profit.

Provide services for stable income

  • Besides selling products, many students succeed with services to earn money while in school.

  • The advantage of services is that they don't require much capital and can have long-term customers.

  • Some popular services include:

    • Tutoring subjects you excel in.

    • Creating summarized lesson materials or exam preparation guides.

    • Assisting friends with their studies or small tasks.

  • By choosing the right product or service, you can easily build an effective and sustainable money-making model while in school, right within the school environment.

Step 5: Ideas for earning money while in school

Think differently to find opportunities

  • When looking for ways to earn money while in school, don't just think about selling snacks or school supplies.

  • Many successful business ideas start from novel solutions to familiar student needs.

  • If you observe the learning environment carefully and think creatively, you can find money-making ideas for students that few people consider.

Not limited to selling products

  • Many students only think about selling directly in school. However, you still have many other options to earn money while in school.

  • For example:

    • Providing academic support services.

    • Selling educational materials or content.

    • Creating utility services for students in school.

  • These models often require less capital but still provide stable income.

Sell information and study materials

  • One of the quite effective ideas for earning money while in school is selling knowledge or study materials.

  • If you are good at a certain subject, you can:

    • Sell easy-to-understand lesson summaries.

    • Share practice test sets or exam tips.

    • Create quick study guides for exams.

  • These materials are very useful for students who need exam prep materials or effective study tips.

Create online services for students

  • If you have technology skills, you can try earning money online while in school by building a small service on the internet.

  • For example:

    • Creating a website to share study materials.

    • Building a platform for students to exchange notes.

    • Developing a site that compiles study tips or learning resources.

  • For schools with many students, this model can develop into a sustainable money-making project while in school.

Step 6: Check regulations before starting a business

Understand school regulations

  • Before starting to earn money while in school, you need to check if the school allows selling goods or providing services.

  • Some schools have rules restricting trade on campus to ensure order and safety.

  • Therefore, you should:

    • Ask your homeroom teacher or school administration.

    • Familiarize yourself with school policies related to selling goods on campus.

    • Clearly identify what activities are permitted.

  • This helps you avoid risks and build a small business model in school appropriately.

Consider selling methods compliant with regulations

  • If the school does not allow direct transactions in class or on campus, you can still flexibly adjust your selling methods.

  • For example:

    • Introduce products or services to friends at school.

    • Conduct transactions outside of school.

    • Take pre-orders and deliver after school hours.

  • This approach allows you to still earn money while in school while complying with school regulations.

Check basic legal regulations

  • In addition to school rules, you should also understand some basic regulations regarding small businesses for students.

  • In many places, small-scale trading activities often do not require immediate business registration.

  • However, when operating on a larger scale, you may need to:

    • Register for a business license.

    • Comply with sales or service regulations.

Prepare for long-term growth

  • If your earning money while in school model is developing well and attracting many customers, you may consider expanding.

  • At that point, you should:

    • Learn more about business registration.

    • Manage income and expenses clearly.

    • Develop a long-term growth plan.

  • Starting correctly and complying with regulations will help your business while in school be safer and more sustainable.

Tip 2: How to build a small business model in school

Step 1: Estimate revenue when selling at school

Predictable sales volume

  • Before starting to earn money while in school, you should estimate how many products or services you can sell each week.

  • This prediction helps you understand the actual demand within the school and avoid preparing too much inventory.

  • You can:

    • Observe the number of friends who could become customers.

    • Ask a few people if they are willing to buy.

    • Estimate the number of orders you can sell daily or weekly.

  • This is a simple but very important step when starting a small business for students.

Prepare an appropriate amount of goods

  • If you are selling products, prepare enough quantity to meet initial demand.

  • This helps reduce risk when testing your idea of earning money while in school.

  • Some practical principles:

    • Only import a small quantity of goods initially.

    • Monitor which products sell fastest.

    • Gradually increase the quantity as demand stabilizes.

  • This helps you avoid inventory buildup or losing money from buying too much stock.

Don't overinvest when first starting

  • When you don't fully understand the school market, you should start small.

  • For example:

    • Try selling a few products first to test demand.

    • Try one or two types of items instead of too many.

    • Observe feedback from friends after a few days or weeks.

  • This approach helps you test the feasibility of your earning money while in school model before expanding.

Manage time if providing services

  • If you choose to provide services like tutoring or academic support, calculate the time you can dedicate to this work.

  • Ensure that earning money while in school does not affect your studies and personal life.

  • You can:

    • Limit the number of tutoring sessions or clients per week.

    • Schedule work outside of school hours.

    • Choose fixed time slots for easier management.

Expand when demand increases

  • If demand increases and you don't have enough time to handle all orders or services, you can consider expanding.

  • Some common methods include:

    • Ask friends for help with sales.

    • Collaborate with others to share the workload.

    • Increase product quantity when you have stable customers.

  • By effectively managing resources and demand, you can build an efficient and sustainable earning money while in school model.

Step 2: How to price to earn money while in school

Determine an appropriate selling price

  • After choosing a product or service, the next important step in how to earn money while in school is to decide on the selling price.

  • The selling price needs to be attractive enough for friends to buy, but still ensure you make a profit.

  • To do this, you should:

    • Research the prices of others selling similar products.

    • See how much friends at school are usually willing to spend.

    • Choose a reasonable price to sell easily from the start.

  • This is an important step to make small businesses in school more successful.

Price competitively with other sellers

  • If there are many people selling the same product as you, price will directly affect customers' purchasing decisions.

  • Therefore, when earning money while in school, try to set a competitive price.

  • You can:

    • Sell at market comparable prices to retain customers.

    • Add small incentives like combos or discounts for bulk purchases.

    • Offer convenience such as quick delivery during breaks.

  • These small factors can help you sell more.

Price higher if the product is better

  • In some cases, you can set a higher price if your product or service offers better value.

  • However, you need to clearly explain the reason for customers to understand.

  • For example:

    • Higher quality or rarer product.

    • More effective academic support services.

    • Well-prepared and easy-to-understand study materials.

  • When customers clearly see the benefits, they are willing to pay more for student services or products.

Always calculate costs and profits

  • When setting prices, you need to calculate costs to ensure that earning money while in school is truly profitable.

  • A simple way is to:

    • Calculate the total cost of purchasing or preparing the product.

    • Add the desired profit margin.

    • Check if that price is compatible with your friends' spending capacity.

  • By balancing selling price, costs, and profits well, you will build a stable and easily expandable earning money while in school model.

Step 3: How to source cheap goods to sell

Buy wholesale to make a profit

  • When starting to earn money while in school, you need to pay attention to sourcing costs.

  • If you buy products at retail prices and resell them, the profit will be very low or even nonexistent.

  • Therefore, a crucial principle in small business for students is to always try to buy goods at wholesale prices.

  • When you source goods at low prices and resell them at reasonable prices, you will easily generate stable profits.

Find different suppliers

  • To find good prices, you should compare various sellers before purchasing goods.

  • Some simple methods include:

    • List stores or suppliers that sell the products you need.

    • Ask for prices from multiple places to find the lowest price.

    • Compare quality and shipping costs before deciding.

  • Surveying suppliers helps you optimize costs when making money while still in school.

Find wholesale suppliers in other regions

  • Sometimes, the price of goods in your area might be higher than elsewhere.

  • In that case, you could consider:

    • Buying goods at wholesale markets.

    • Finding wholesale stores in neighboring areas.

    • Buying in bulk to get a better price.

  • This is a method many students use when they start selling small items at school.

Ordering from online suppliers

  • In addition to traditional stores, you can also find suppliers online to make money while still in school.

  • Some benefits of ordering online include:

    • Easy to compare prices among many suppliers.

    • More product options.

    • Can order small quantities to test sales first.

  • When you choose the right suppliers with good prices, doing business while still in school will be more profitable and stable.

Step 4: Effectively manage ordering time

Understand lead time when ordering goods

  • When starting to make money while still in school, many students only pay attention to the product and selling price, forgetting about the lead time for ordering.

  • The time from when you place an order until you receive the goods is called the order lead time.

  • If not calculated carefully, you might run out of stock when customers need to buy.

  • Therefore, understanding this time is a crucial step in small business for students.

Estimate delivery time from suppliers

  • Each supplier will have different delivery times.

  • To manage selling while still in school well, you should determine:

    • How many days it takes for the supplier to prepare the goods.

    • Shipping time to your hands.

    • Total time from placing the order until you have the goods to sell.

  • Knowing this will help you be more proactive in ordering goods.

Plan orders before running out of stock

  • A key principle when making money while still in school is not to let products be out of stock for too long.

  • You can apply a simple method:

    • Monitor sales speed daily or weekly.

    • Place new orders before inventory runs low.

    • Always keep a small amount of buffer stock.

  • This method helps you always have products to sell when friends need them.

Avoid stockouts when demand increases

  • If your product is selling well, demand can increase unexpectedly quickly.

  • In that situation, managing ordering time will help you:

    • Not miss sales opportunities.

    • Retain regular customers.

    • Maintain stable income from ways to make money while still in school.

  • When you control suppliers and ordering time well, small business in school will become more stable and easier to grow.

Step 5: Prepare your service before earning money

Practice your service before selling

  • If you choose to offer services instead of selling products, an important step in how to make money while still in school is to prepare thoroughly before starting.

  • Practicing beforehand helps you improve service quality and avoid mistakes when dealing with real customers.

  • You could:

    • Try tutoring a friend to practice explaining lessons.

    • Try offering academic support or small tasks for acquaintances.

    • Ask friends for feedback to improve your work style.

  • Once you're familiar with the process, you'll be more confident in providing services to earn money while still in school.

Prepare answers for customers

  • Before starting a service business for students, think about the questions customers might ask.

  • For example:

    • What is the service price?

    • What are the working hours?

    • What does the service include?

  • By having answers ready, you will project professionalism and be more likely to convince customers.

Thoroughly check support tools

  • If your service involves the internet, checking before operation is very important.

  • You should:

    • Check the website or platform you are using.

    • Try uploading content or documents to see if there are any errors.

    • Ask friends or relatives to try out the service.

  • This initial feedback will help you improve your online money-making model while still in school before broadly introducing it.

Refine your service before finding customers

  • Once you've practiced, prepared answers, and checked your tools, you'll be ready to start.

  • This is an important step to ensure your service for making money while still in school operates stably from the beginning.

  • Thorough preparation not only helps you work more efficiently but also builds trust with customers in the school environment.

Tip 3: Sales and customer care experience at school

Step 1: How to find customers while still in school

Promote products at school

  • After preparing products and prices, the next step in how to make money while still in school is to find customers.

  • Without customers, no matter how good the idea is, it's hard to generate income.

  • Therefore, you need to proactively promote your products or services to students in a simple and effective way.

Distribute flyers introducing products

  • A common way to start selling at school is to distribute flyers to friends.

  • You could:

    • Print small flyers introducing products or services.

    • Clearly state prices, benefits, and contact information.

    • Distribute them to friends in class or around school.

  • Before doing this, check if the school allows flyer distribution.

Post information on the school's notice board

  • Many schools or universities have dedicated areas for posting announcements.

  • You can use this space to promote your idea for making money while still in school.

  • For example:

    • Post small posters introducing tutoring services.

    • Post information about selling snacks or study materials.

    • Clearly state contact methods so customers can easily find you.

  • This helps many students at school learn about your service.

Leverage word-of-mouth for quick spread

  • In a school environment, word-of-mouth is one of the most effective ways to promote.

  • You should:

    • Introduce the product to close friends first.

    • Ask them to recommend it to others.

    • Create a good experience so customers are willing to recommend you.

  • When many people talk about your product, making money while still in school will be easier to grow.

Promote on social media

  • Social media is a very effective tool for making money online while still in school or selling products at school.

  • You can use popular platforms to:

    • Post about products or services.

    • Share product images to attract attention.

    • Ask friends to share posts to reach more people.

  • By combining direct promotion and social media, you will easily build a stable customer base in school.

Step 2: Prepare product samples for sale

Always have product samples to showcase

  • When starting to make money while still in school, showing customers actual products will help them decide to buy more easily.

  • Therefore, you should have some product samples or service brochures ready to carry with you when meeting friends at school.

  • This way helps you quickly introduce products or services to students whenever there is an opportunity.

Bring a service brochure

  • If you provide services instead of selling products, prepare a concise information sheet.

  • The content should include:

    • The name of the service you offer.

    • Service prices or package options.

    • Benefits customers receive.

    • Contact methods for booking services.

  • A clear brochure helps customers quickly understand your money-making service while still in school.

Introduce products concisely and clearly

  • When someone is interested, you should explain the product or service simply and clearly.

  • An effective way is to:

    • Briefly state what the product is.

    • Explain the main benefits to the buyer.

    • Show them product samples or real-life examples.

  • This helps customers quickly understand the value of the money-making idea while still in school that you are offering.

Convince customers naturally

  • When introducing products, maintain a friendly and relaxed attitude.

  • Avoid talking too much or pressuring buyers.

  • Instead, you should:

    • Focus on the practical benefits of the product.

    • Answer customer questions clearly.

    • Let them decide for themselves after understanding the information.

  • A gentle and sincere approach will help you build trust and be more successful with how to make money while still in school.

Step 3: Prepare change when selling

Always have change ready for customers

  • When starting to make money while still in school, many transactions are often paid in cash.

  • Therefore, you need to have small change ready to give back to customers when they pay with larger denominations than the product price.

  • If you don't have change, you might:

    • Miss a sales opportunity.

    • Make customers hesitant to buy next time.

  • Preparing change is a small but very important step when selling at school.

Prepare change beforehand

  • Before you start selling, you should prepare some small change to use throughout the day.

  • You can:

    • Exchange for small bills at the bank.

    • Ask a nearby store for change.

    • Prepare many small denomination bills.

  • This helps your small business for students run more smoothly.

Price products for easy payment

  • A smart way to avoid lacking change is to price products simply and for easy payment.

  • For example:

    • Choose round prices like 5,000 or 10,000 VND.

    • Avoid odd prices that are difficult to pay.

  • This pricing method helps customers pay faster and helps you manage money more easily when making money while still in school.

Keep transactions quick and convenient

  • In a school environment, break times are often short, so payment needs to be quick and efficient.

  • With change readily available and reasonable prices, you will:

    • Serve more customers in a short time.

    • Create a convenient shopping experience for friends.

  • Small details like these will make selling while still in school more effective and professional.

Step 4: How to keep money safe when selling

Don't carry too much cash

  • When making money while still in school, managing cash is very important to avoid risks.

  • You should not carry too much money with you when going to school or selling.

  • Some safe methods include:

    • Only carry the amount needed for sales on that day.

    • Don't keep all your money in one place.

    • Store money in a discreet and inconspicuous place.

  • This helps reduce the risk of losing money when selling at school.

Put away some money when you sell a lot

  • If you sell a lot on a given day, find a way to store some money in a safe place.

  • You can:

    • Separate large denomination bills from small change.

    • Store large bills in a more discreet place.

    • Only keep the necessary amount of change for customers.

  • This method helps you better protect your income from making money while still in school.

Use a separate money pouch

  • To manage money better, you should have a separate pouch or compartment for sales money.

  • For example:

    • A small pouch for change to give back.

    • A separate compartment to keep the money earned during the day.

  • This makes small business for students more organized and easier to control.

Don't disclose how much money you earn

  • When making money while still in school, you should not tell many people how much money you earn each day.

  • Keeping information private will help:

    • Avoid unnecessary attention.

    • Reduce the risk of being targeted by others.

  • Keeping financial information confidential is a good habit when starting a business early.

Prioritize safety in all situations

  • If a dangerous situation involving money occurs, the most important thing is to keep yourself safe.

  • Money can be earned back, but health and safety are always more important.

  • When you know how to manage money and stay safe, you will feel more confident applying ways to earn money while in school sustainably.

Step 5: Good service helps retain customers

Always provide friendly customer service

  • When applying ways to earn money while in school, keeping customers coming back for repeat purchases is just as important as finding new ones.

  • A good shopping experience will make friends eager to return and recommend others.

  • You should:

    • Communicate with customers in a friendly and respectful manner.

    • Answer questions clearly and quickly.

    • Always maintain a positive attitude when selling.

  • When customers feel comfortable, your small business in school will be easier to grow.

Handle defective products or emerging issues

  • When selling while in school, you may sometimes encounter cases where products are defective or do not meet customer expectations.

  • In such cases, handle them professionally to maintain your reputation.

  • You can:

    • Exchange for a new product if the item is defective.

    • Issue refunds in reasonable cases.

    • Explain clearly and politely to customers.

  • Handling these situations well will help you build a reputation when selling to students.

Always apologize for issues

  • If a customer encounters a problem with a product or service, your attitude is crucial.

  • Instead of arguing, you should:

    • Apologize to the customer first.

    • Listen to their problem.

    • Find a quick solution.

  • A professional attitude will help you retain long-term customers when earning money while in school.

Listen to feedback for improvement

  • Customer feedback is a very useful source of information for improving products or services.

  • You should:

    • Listen to both positive and negative feedback.

    • Ask regular customers for their opinions on how to improve service.

    • Adjust products according to the actual needs of your friends.

  • By continuously improving the customer experience, your money-making model while in school will become increasingly effective and sustainable.

Notes on earning money while in school

Don't disclose too much business information

  • When earning money while in school, you should keep some important information about your business private.

  • Information to keep private includes:

    • Where you source your products.

    • Product purchase price.

    • The profit you are making.

  • Keeping this information helps you avoid unnecessary competition and protect your small business model in school.

Consider this a real business experience

  • The act of earning money while in school not only helps you gain additional income but also provides an opportunity to learn many important skills.

  • You can practice:

    • Sales skills.

    • Money and expense management.

    • Customer communication.

  • These experiences will be very useful if you want to start a real business later.

Prepare for competition

  • When your selling to students model is working well, others may start selling similar products.

  • In that case, you can:

    • Adjust prices reasonably.

    • Increase product or service quality.

    • Add value such as faster delivery or better service.

  • However, you should not lower prices below cost, as that will lead to losses.

Cooperate with friends to expand

  • If earning money while in school becomes busier, you can cooperate with a trusted friend.

  • For example:

    • One person handles sales.

    • One person handles sourcing or product preparation.

  • Teamwork helps you save time and serve more customers.

Ask for school permission before selling

  • Before you start selling in school, you should consult with a teacher or the school administration.

  • If allowed, you can:

    • Set up a small table to sell products.

    • Promote services in permitted areas.

  • With their consent, doing business while in school will be smoother and safer.

Be patient when starting out

  • In the early days, not many people may know about your idea of earning money while in school.

  • This is completely normal when starting a business.

  • You should:

    • Be patient in the initial phase.

    • Continue promoting your products.

    • Improve services based on customer feedback.

  • As more people become aware, the number of customers will gradually increase.

Manage money clearly

  • When earning money while in school, you should track your money carefully.

  • Some important principles include:

    • Record daily income and expenses.

    • Do not mix business money with personal money.

    • Regularly check your profits.

  • Good financial management habits will help you develop a more sustainable money-making model while in school.

Ask for family permission before starting

  • Before implementing any money-making ideas while in school, you should discuss it with your family.

  • Consent and support from your parents will help you:

    • Manage your work better.

    • Ensure studies remain the top priority.

    • Avoid unnecessary risks.

  • With the support of family and school, making money while still in school will be safer and more effective.

Sources

  1. Entrepreneur. (n.d.). Choosing a product or service to sell. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/choosing-a-product-or-service-to-sell-entrepreneurcom/78778
  2. Greenwald, M. (2015). Top 11 innovative products and services of 2014. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/michellegreenwald/2015/01/12/top-11-innovative-products-and-services-of-2014/
  3. InfoEntrepreneurs. (n.d.). Price your product or service. Retrieved from https://www.infoentrepreneurs.org/en/guides/price-your-product-or-service/
  4. Business Insider. (2011). Are you really getting a better value when you buy in bulk? Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/are-you-really-getting-a-better-value-when-you-buy-in-bulk-2011-10
  5. Search Engine Watch. (2013). Website launch checklist: 25 things to test before your site goes live. Retrieved from https://www.searchenginewatch.com/2013/08/06/website-launch-checklist-25-things-to-test-before-your-site-goes-live/
  6. Small Business Computing. (n.d.). 10 inexpensive ways to advertise your small business. Retrieved from http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/slideshows/10-inexpensive-ways-to-advertise-your-small-business.html
  7. Los Angeles Times. (1992). Street vendors and local regulations. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/1992-09-28/local/me-206_1_street-vendors.

Translated by: Rene Lee Nguyen.

Helena_Ronis-Tiptory
Helena Ronis Business Advisor

Helena Ronis is the co-founder and CEO of AllFactors, a web analytics platform that supports marketing and business growth. She has over eight years of experience in product and marketing and studied Digital Marketing & Analytics at MIT Sloan.

Updated on Ngày 16 tháng 07 năm 2026 (GMT +7)

3 comments

Mình từng nghĩ bán đồ ăn vặt sẽ giàu nhanh, thế là ôm cả thùng bánh tráng trộn vào lớp. Ai ngờ thầy bắt gặp, hỏi “đây là tiết học hay hội chợ?”. 🍿 Cả lớp cười ầm, còn mình thì thành “người nổi tiếng bất đắc dĩ”. Sau vụ đó, mình mới hiểu rằng mô hình kinh doanh nhỏ trong trường phải khéo léo, vừa kiếm tiền vừa không ảnh hưởng việc học, chứ không thì thành trò cười.

Hoàng Quang KhánhMar 8, 2026

Có lần mình mở dịch vụ “photo tài liệu siêu tốc” trong ký túc xá. Ý tưởng nghe sang chảnh, nhưng thực tế là cái máy in cứ kẹt giấy liên tục. 😅 Khách hàng thì đứng chờ dài như đi mua vé concert. Cuối cùng mình phải phát miễn phí để giữ uy tín. Dù lỗ nặng, nhưng mình học được rằng kinh nghiệm bán hàng không chỉ là thu tiền, mà còn phải biết xử lý khủng hoảng và giữ chữ tín.

Harper LeMar 8, 2026

Mình từng thử bán trà sữa ngay trong lớp, nghĩ sẽ thành “ông trùm” đồ uống của trường. Ai ngờ khách hàng toàn… bạn cùng bàn, mà tụi nó thì chỉ thích uống free. Kết quả là mình vừa mất vốn vừa mất luôn bạn thân vì dám tính tiền. 🤦‍♂️ Nhưng nhờ vậy mới rút ra bài học: kinh doanh nhỏ trong trường phải chọn thị trường ngách thật sự có nhu cầu, chứ không phải chỉ vì mình thích.

Lê FrankieMar 8, 2026

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Practical knowledge

Expert Q&A

In-depth analysis and practical advice from leading experts.

You can start by choosing a niche market that aligns with your interests or needs at school, such as selling snacks, handmade goods, or offering academic support services. The key is to start small, with little capital and easy-to-manage operations, so you can learn and experiment with a small business model.

Prioritize your studies, and then allocate your time effectively for business activities. Choose simple ideas that don't take up too much time, such as online selling or offering support services to friends. This will help you earn extra income while also developing time management skills and an entrepreneurial mindset.

The most important things are a friendly attitude and trustworthiness. When doing business on campus, customers are often friends or teachers, so delivering on time, listening to feedback, and improving services will help you build credibility. This is the foundation for developing sales experience and fostering long-term trust.

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