I would like to welcome all my dear readers to this list of top 30 Unique Star-up ideas for students who are highly conducive and have a bright future as a start-up. We are going to discuss on what is the probable definition of a start-up and its types and also, and we will share a list of great ideas which can be a life-changer for an individual.
What is a Start-up?
Young companies with unique ideas related to a product or a service, which are innovative and original, are called start-ups, and they plan to launch their product in such a manner that it becomes irresistible and irreplaceable for the customers.
A start-up aims to find some deficiencies in the existing product and try to develop ideas which are innovative and creative, and by the means of their goods or services, they try to fill up the gap between the product and the consumer and owing to their innovative idea in their respective industries.
You might have heard the names of a few great start-ups like Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, etc., the list can be extended to infinite similar prospects. Not only these start-ups are massively successful, but many of them have also surpassed a few of the legendary industries all around the world and are now recognised as the world’s leading industries.
In our contemporary world, where everyone endeavours to bring innovation, a good idea isn’t enough to create a start-up, and the competition is huge, and every day new start-ups are germinating. The idea of a start-up is so amazing and inspiring that we can’t resist writing this blog of 30 unique start-up ideas for students to appreciate the functionality of the start-ups in a better way. We can divide the start-up primarily into six different categories, which are discussed below.
1. Scalable Start-Ups
Because companies belonging to the technology background, comparatively need slighter capital and have to potential to explore the entire world as a market, these industries are often regarded as scalable start-ups. It’s very easy to advance the confidence of the investors and receive vital financial support from them.
Start-ups like Google, Uber, Facebook, and many more can be kept underneath the scalable start-up category as the only base for these start-ups to function is their idea and the technology behind the implementation of the idea, which has yielded unmeasurable accomplishments in all these start-ups.
Because of the lower capital necessities, these start-ups are one of the best paying in the industries and mostly hire the best people accessible to boost their idea and develop their industry.
2. Small Business Start-Ups
These start-ups are mostly self-funded business which is started by a person or family and in most cases stays limited to the city boundaries. You can find people operating grocery shops, hairdressers, boutiques, bakers, and more which can be categorised as a small business start-up.
Sometimes these start-ups can also grow into big enterprises, as we can see in the case of Haldiram and Bikajee, a company producing snacks that started within their city but now they are operating across the whole nation.
3. Lifestyle Start-Ups
With the launch of social media, people are more concerned about their lifestyle, and with this, many start-ups teaching different aspects of life, like teaching yoga or spirituality, have come into existence and are doing extremely amazing. If you observe keenly, you can find the number of dance schools or art schools is also growing in your locality, which is an example of lifestyle start-ups.
Now a day’s, people are becoming passionate, and they are more willing to learn new things and develop new skills, and these start-ups are making the most out of it.
4. Buyable Start-Ups
I don’t think anyone is a newbie to start-ups like Amazon and Flipkart, which have successfully revolutionised the way people do their shopping. They have mastered their idea in such a manner that instead of going to the market and taking the trouble of visiting varieties of shops, these start-ups have made it possible that people can buy goods of their choice at an affordable price at the comfort of their house.
5. Big Business Start-Ups
There are start-ups which are willing to take the risk of investing big because they believe in their idea and have no doubt of its failure. There are start-ups manufacturing electronic vehicles that can be kept under this category, and the investment required is huge, and they believe it will yield results in the long run.
6. Social Start-Ups
These start-ups work for the social cause, and they work on the idea of helping people, but their main idea is to earn money. Many non-profit organisations and charities are working on this idea, where they do social activities like running campaigns in different schools, organising health campaigns, etc but the main motive is always to earn, and without money, it’s not possible to run such a big organisation.
How are Start-Ups Funded?
A start-up has to undergo several rounds to organise a fund for itself which begins with the preliminary round known as bootstrapping where the founder and his family and friends invest in the business.
Once the preliminary round of investing is done and the business has grown good enough to attract the attention of the people, the founder approaches the angel investors, individuals with high net worth who likes to invest in newly born companies in the early stages.
Then the start-ups have to pass through the third stage, where there are series A, B, C and D funding rounds, primarily led by venture capital firms, which are big investors and invest tens to hundreds of millions of dollars into companies.
Finally, after passing all these steps, a start-up may decide to become a public company and open itself up to outside money via an IPO, an acquisition by a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) or a direct listing on a stock exchange and selling its shares to raise more funds and recover the money invested by the investors earlier.
Top 30 Best Unique Start-up Ideas for Students
Now, after acquiring so much knowledge related to start-ups, it’s a good time to begin our discussion on 30 unique start-up ideas for students, which are very useful and designed by keeping the fact that students are inexperience and lacks capital but at the same time, they are highly skilled and full of energy and positivity.
#1 Digital Marketing Services
Over the last one- or two-decades digital marketing has achieved the success that no one has ever imagined, and it’s still stepping up multiple folds. With the emergence of E-commerce and low-cost internet services, and with the success of android mobiles, digital marketing is the number one favourite of all entrepreneurs.
Digital marketing agencies all across the world are achieving great success, as they are providing services to manage the website, social media, e-mail marketing, graphic designing, SEO, etc., on behalf of most entrepreneurs.
Most entrepreneurs and local businesses man are willing to have a consultation with digital marketing experts to plan their strategies and budgets regarding promotion campaigns. Starting a digital marketing agency doesn’t require too much capital, but it needs skills.
If you have proper skills and are good at understanding business models, you have a great chance of achieving success. If you don’t have proper skills but are willing to start an agency, you can acquire knowledge from some institution providing a digital marketing course.
To help you in your search, I can refer “4-month advance online digital marketing course“ run by Digital Scholar, which was established in 2019 by the world’s number one digital marketing influencer, Sorav Jain. You can know more about the course by checking out the website of digital scholar, which is easy to find through the Google search tool.
The course fee is very genuine, and they schedule classes only on weekends which can be vital if you are a working person and at the same time if you are looking for a job they also provide 100% placement assistance along with the course, having venture with most of the top industries willing to hire a digital marketer.
#2 Become a YouTuber
I think becoming a YouTuber is a dream acquisition for most people, and though many fail to become successful, I am still inspiring a lot of young talent to make it a profession.
The reason behind the failure of many is not because of YouTube, but most people fail due to a lack of consistency. YouTube has provided equal opportunity for every creator, but it depends on your creativity and consistency to achieve success.
Once the channel is successful, you can earn money through ads, or you can become an influencer where most of the brands will be willing to promote their product through you. Another way of achieving success on YouTube is by running an affiliate promotion channel where you can promote various affiliate products and have a passive income through it.
#3 Make Money from Social Media
At present social media is growing as fast as the world of technology is growing, and with apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok, Quora, etc., the social media craze has spread all across the world, and all are influenced by it.
You can use these social media platforms to promote others’ brands by managing their ads on these platforms. It’s getting popular, and many are willing to start their agencies running social media campaigns. Though it’s also a part of digital marketing, the field has such huge potential that many agencies have limited their work only to running and optimising social media ads.
So, these are our top 3 in the list of 30 unique start-up ideas for students, and if you don’t have proper skills in either of the three and you are willing to choose one, you can definitely approach Digital Scholars and take up the 4-months advance digital marketing course, and afterwards, success will have friendship with you.
#4 Publish a Magazine or Blog
Personal blogs and magazines have started to generate more demand, as people like to read blogs or magazines related to sports, fitness, spirituality, fashion, etc., during their leisure time, and it can generate revenue through ads.
As a student, it is a great chance for you to learn as well because you have to research thoroughly before you start to write the blog, and the knowledge gained can be fruitful later in your career, and that’s why it is placed at number four, in the list of 30 unique start-up ideas for students.
Though writing a blog and generating revenue through ads is not a great way to earn, it’s not always about money because the amount of knowledge you will gain will pay you at some stage of your career.
#5 Run a Delivery Service
You must have heard of apps like Zomato or Swiggy, which primarily works on the concept of delivering food, though they don’t own any restaurant or food plaza of their own, they are highly successful with their business idea and making millions of money with it.
Starting your delivery service is a productive idea as people like to buy a thing in the comfort of their house, and the shops are not willing to let their customers go by, allowing you to act as a link between the two and have profit.
#6 Sell Clothes on Depop
Sometimes we even remember which clothes are where in our wardrobe and on many occasions, we don’t even use most of the old clothes, and it even becomes a burden for us, as we are neither in a mood to through them away nor we can keep them due to lack of utility.
In such circumstances, websites like Depop can be handy, where we can sell our extra clothes which are just occupying spaces of our wardrobe, and also helps to earn some money.
#7 Sell on Creative Marketplaces
At number seven in the list of 30 unique start-up ideas for students is something related to creativity, if not common to all. If you have the essence of creating good designs which are unique and capable of catching the attraction of others, then you have a good chance to sell your creatives on marketplaces like Fiverr, Unsplash, Gumroad, etc.
People are looking for such creatives and are ready to pay handsomely for the creation of their choice, so all you need to do is get in touch with the buyers and impress them with your creation.
#8 Start a Website
One of the best ideas that can be listed in 30 unique start-up ideas for students is to have a website where you can list all your products or services. Though it’s an old idea, the importance of having a website has never decreased, and it’s something like old is gold.
It’s like the first step to starting your start-up because your website is like a home for your business, and people all around who want to connect with you or want to know more about you can do so by means of your website.
You can connect many other tools with your websites like Facebook Pixels or Google Analytics which are helpful to understanding the productivity of your business.
#9 Start an Accommodation Reviews Website
Sometimes it becomes very difficult for a newbie to find a comfortable location where he can rest peacefully, and at the same time, house owners are also looking for trusted renters. Such circumstances can be utilised fruitfully if you can collect the information of both parties and make an arrangement where both can come in contact.
Once the deal is finalised, you can earn money through commission charges, which can grow to a good value if you can successfully maintain your brand value.
#10 Grow and Sell Your Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
In today’s fast-growing economy, everyone is looking for shortcuts to earn more in a short time, and it has also affected the agriculture sector as people are using chemicals to grow fruits and vegetables. At the same time, people are now more concerned about their health and are looking to purchase fruits and vegetables which are grown organically and are more hygienic for the body.
If you have some space, you can grow fruits and vegetables organically and sell them to the market or pack them on your own and sell them through your website or some online selling partners.
#11 Sell Original Work on Etsy
Etsy is a place where you can sell your custom-designed works like t-shirts, jewellery, and many more items and get clients for your creative work without putting any type of effort into setting up a shop or looking for website visitors.
Etsy is good for you as it has its visitors, but before starting, you must check out the terms and conditions laid by Etsy so that you don’t get into an uncomfortable situation later.
#12 Create Food Hampers
Now a day’s, parents are keen on sending their children to different cities for better education, but they are equally worried about their health and the quality of food provided. You can plan on some menu and start a food delivery service dedicated to such students and earn some handsome income.
#13 Offer a Transcription Service for Lectures
Not that we’d encourage people not to turn up to lectures, but there are chances that people miss their lectures and 100% attendance is not attained. In such cases, you can offer services like selling transcript copies to students who are absent during the lecture and even to those who are not too attentive in the class and wants a lifesaver.
You can also attract students by enhancing the transcript and adding extra features to the notes, like adding graphs, videos, animation, and many more.
#14 Organise Student Trips
Maybe the concept is something new for Indian Viewers, but it is very much in practice in western countries, and that’s why organising students’ trips is a part of 30 unique start-up ideas for students.
Student trips are an opportunity for students to learn new things and gain better experience and the same can be explained to colleges and universities. You can sell a profitable package to them if they are convinced.
Compared to normal tour and travelling business, organising student trips needs an understanding of what they need and how the tour can be beneficial to them, and thus it requires better planning and has a higher chance of success because the number is greater than a traditional tour and travel service.
#15 Start an Annual Gift or Card Service
Gift cards are a way to express our feelings to our family members and friends, and you can offer services to design custom greeting cards as per the need of the clients and deliver them to their doorstep.
Designing greeting cards or gift is a good option to have because people love customised stuff, as it makes them look out of the crowd.
#16 Become a Market Research Consultant
As a market researcher, one of the options among 30 unique start-up ideas for students, you can work for different companies to provide the data related to their products, analyse the productivity of their recent ad campaigns, and also conduct surveys for them, and most of the companies are intended to have services like this.
#17 Buy and Sell Old Gym Equipment
Getting fit and leading a healthy life is becoming a passion now, but the problem is the equipment is costly and although people are willing to have them but unable to do so owing to the prices. At the same time, many people have old equipment which is of no use and are willing to get rid of them.
You can act as a bridge between the two parties and run your business by buying the old gym equipment and then selling them to the needful people and in between make some good profit as well.
#18 Start an Essay or Thesis Proofreading Business
Proofreading is a trending activity for now because lots of bloggers and entrepreneurs are publishing their articles on the internet, and before publishing, they check the effectiveness and accuracy of the blog or article and make the necessary changes to publishing.
You can open a service that offers proofreading and also provide feedback, which can increase the efficiency and restrains the reputation of the brand from getting hampered.
#19 Sell a University Essentials Welcome Package
Under a welcome package especially for university students, you can include many things stationery, kitchen utensils, discount vouchers, books, bags, etc. Not only this, you can increase your reach by getting collaborated with big brands who want to honour their new employees with some welcome package which can encourage them with upcoming things in future.
#20 Start a Tutoring Service
At number 20 in the list of 30 unique start-up ideas for students is to start their tutoring service, which is like a two-way benefit. On the one hand, they will earn some money for their day-to-day expenses, and at the same time, they can polish their skills and gain experience in their subject.
Parents are also willing to pay in high amount for good tutors who are experts in their subjects and are capable of improving the subject of their wards.
#21 Create an Online Grocery Delivery Service
At number 31 in the list of 30 unique start-up ideas for students is one of the fast-growing yet underutilised ideas of opening an online grocery service. There are websites like Swiggy, Grofers, etc., which are working in this field, but at present, they are unable to capture the entire market.
India is a huge country with the second largest population in the world, and what is achieved in terms of online delivery is marginal and gives you a high degree of achieving success.
#22 Start a Podcast
If you have profound knowledge or specialization in a particular field, you can create a podcast dedicated to that field, allowing the dedicated audience to explore more. If your work is commendable and unique, the chances of the audience appreciating your consistent, valuable, and relevant content increases to a high degree.
#23 Create an Online Learning App or Website for Gaming
Gaming makes people go crazy and attracts the interest of a lot of people, making the chances of success high if the content in the game is capable of gaining the love of the audience and also can keep them engaged for a longer time.
There are millions of examples of such games which are highly successful, but at the same time, the hidden truth is that all of them are famous for a limited time only, making it necessary to make regular updates to the games, which is a challenge.
#24 Consider Developing a Blog
Writing blogs can be a passion, and at the same time, it can provide an opportunity for making some bucks if your blog is available for google AdSense, and you can even earn more if you are running a blog related to some affiliate products.
People are very passionate about reading blogs and happily devote their precious time to good blogs, giving you a chance to explore some earning opportunities. You can write blogs related to news, sports, food, technology and many more, depending on what is your interest.
#25 Sell Used Books
You can create a library out of old books by contacting the passing out students and offering the same to new students who can’t afford to pay for the new copy. It’s a very profitable way to earn profit and at the same time, it’s like a charity has you are enabling the poor to gain knowledge, and that’s why it is included in the list of 30 unique start-up ideas for students.
Though selling old books is not a high-yielding business but it can support a student in your day-to-day requirements and you need not depend on your parents for your needs.
#26 Re-Selling
You might have heard of websites like Meesho, Shop101, OfferUp, etc., which allow you to sell products without actually buying them and without doing any type of investment.
What you need to do is just find some good products with a decent price, add some profit range to them and promote it through your links and relax. Everything from delivery to cash collection will be completed by these apps, and after some time, your profit amount will be added to your account.
Being such an amazing way to sell a product without any investment, it is most suited for listing in the 30 unique start-up ideas for students. It all depends on your credibility to sell, as you can choose an unlimited number of products and sell them both online or offline.
#27 Writing Services
You can provide content writing services to others and choose to work as a freelancer, and you will never be in any shortage of work. There are many companies running SEO agencies that need writers on different topics to publish blogs where they can put some backlinks and increase their SEO score.
This is productive work because you can decide to work from home and contact multiple clients and work at ease of your schedule.
#28 Motivational Apps
The scope to success for motivation apps is high, as people with current lifestyle are suffering from stress and lacks mental peace. People are ready to pay for good moral and mental consultation, and you can also use tactics like a free webinar, gift or discount vouchers, etc., for attracting more people.
#29 Pet Sitting
It’s a busy life nowadays, and people are also willing to have some pets, but at a certain time, when they have to move out of town for some emergency or don’t have time to look after their pet, it’s a good idea to provide them babysitting services for pets.
People love their pets, and they are ready to pay handsomely if someone can take care of their pets when they are not around, and that’s why this is a good business to list in 30 unique start-up ideas for students.
#30 Create a Swapping Site to Match Owners with Borrowers
Again, the last entry in the list of 30 unique start-up ideas for students is to create a swapping website where people who want to give their things for rent can meet with the people who can meet those who are willing to get things on rent.
It’s a productive business as many people are moving to new places for a day or a week, and need bike, room, clothes etc. on rent, and you providing a platform can attain a good profit from this.
Conclusion
There can be many ideas to start a new business as a student, but you should choose something which suits you better because as a student, you may have certain limitations and you have to understand them, then only you can select a proper option and once selected you should dedicate full effort to the business, especially in the infant stage, and once it gets a kick start, it will become easier to maintain.
