11 Effective College Dorm Side Hustles to Boost Your Income in 2023
Aug 25, 2023
1. UGC Content Creation for College Students
Brands around the world value genuine voices to represent them. Dive into UGC (User Generated Content) platforms tailored for college students.
Choosing the Right Platform: Why Billo stands outPlatforms like Billo are designed for the tech-savvy student. With just a smartphone and a touch of creativity, you can kickstart a mini-career in content creation.
2. Referral Programs: Maximizing College Networks for Profit
Steps to Start:
Identify Profitable Programs: Begin with reputable apps like Benjamin.
Understand the Value Proposition: Realize that platforms like Benjamin aren't just about referrals; they also offer cash back on purchases, a significant saving tool for students.
Craft Your Pitch: Instead of a bland referral, offer a genuine testimony. Mention the $10 incentive upon joining and the long-term savings from cashbacks.
Engage Daily: Interact with numerous students every day. Share your positive experiences with the app and how it's benefiting you.
Follow Up: Remind your friends about the benefits occasionally, ensuring they utilize the app fully and grasp its advantages.
Think about it: Each day you interact with dozens, if not hundreds, of fellow students. A quick chat about an app, especially one that offers tangible financial benefits, can pique interest. With the dual advantage of a $10 joining bonus and consistent cashback on purchases, you're not just referring an app; you're sharing a valuable financial tool tailored for student life.
3. Gaming as a College Dorm Side Hustle
In 2023, gaming isn't just for fun; it's a legit way to earn. Explore platforms like Benjamin that reward users for achieving game milestones.
Maximizing Gaming Profits: Combine your passion for gaming with a strategic referral approach, making the entire experience both fun and lucrative.
Check out this article how you can earn money playing games like Bingo Blitz.
4. Trash Take Out Service - Easy Way to Earn Hundreds Right Out of Your College Dorm
We all know how messy college dorms can get and just how tempting it is to procrastinate when it comes to chores. Understand this common sentiment and capitalize on it by offering a valuable service. If you live in dorms, consider initiating a "trash take-out" program. Offer residents the convenience of having their trash taken out twice a week. All they'd need to do is leave their trash bags outside their doors, and you can make a nightly sweep, ensuring a cleaner dorm environment.
The same service concept can be applied if you reside in an apartment complex. If you're based in a neighborhood, you could offer to wheel out trash cans on collection day.
With the dorm-based trash program, you could realistically charge $10-$20 per month. Pricing for apartments might vary depending on the effort and frequency, but for neighborhoods, a $10 monthly fee seems quite feasible.
5. Laundry Services - Tailored for the Busy College Lifestyle - Easy Way To Earn as a College Side Hustle
We're well aware of the hectic schedules and the inevitable laundry pile-up in student lives. Dive into this common pain point and provide a solution by launching a personalized laundry service for your peers. Offer them the chance to offload their laundry woes onto you.
Here's a simple approach:
Collect & Sort: Once a week, gather laundry from fellow students.
Partnership with Local Laundries: By consistently bringing in bulk loads, negotiate favorable rates with local laundromats. This guarantees them regular business and gets you a discount.
Service Options: While the basic package can involve standard 'Wash & Fold', you could also offer premium care for delicate items or specific fabric types.
Delivery & Pickup: Schedule convenient times for pickup and delivery, making the process seamless for both you and your customers.
Pricing: With your discounted rates from the laundromat and factoring in your effort, charge a flat fee – say, $10 – for each student per laundry load weekly.
With this hustle, you're not just easing a recurrent chore for students but also ensuring they have clean clothes without the hassle of doing laundry themselves.
6. Food Delivery - Flexibility Makes It a Great College Side Hustle
The digital age has witnessed the unprecedented growth of food delivery apps. As restaurants and eateries seek to expand their outreach, they rely heavily on delivery platforms. This creates a demand for delivery drivers – an ideal role for college students looking for a flexible earning method.
Steps to Dabble in Delivery:
Choose the Right Platform: Research and compare platforms like UberEats, DoorDash, and Grubhub. Each has its benefits, pay structures, and geographic popularity.
Understand the Requirements: Most apps will have certain criteria, such as a valid driver's license, minimum age requirement, and vehicle inspection. Make sure you meet these before applying.
Optimize for Peak Hours: Understand the peak meal times in your area or near your campus. This is when you'll likely get the most delivery requests and potentially earn more.
Safety First: Always prioritize your safety. Ensure you have a well-functioning GPS system and try not to deliver to areas that feel unsafe, especially during late hours.
Engage and Earn: Along with delivering food, many platforms offer referral bonuses and promotional earnings. Be on the lookout for these opportunities to maximize your income.
Not only does this hustle pay, but it also offers the flexibility to work around your class schedule and study sessions. Plus, you might discover new eateries around your campus!
7. Newsletter Creation - Turning Passions into Publications
In an age where information is sought after, curating content has become a lucrative venture. If you have a specific area of interest, be it technology, literature, campus events, or even pop culture, you possess the potential to channel that passion into a newsletter.
How to Begin?
Identify Your Niche: Understand what excites you and how that could benefit or entertain others. Your authenticity and enthusiasm can shine through your content, making your newsletter a must-read.
Set Up Your Platform: Platforms like Substack or Beehiiv are user-friendly and perfect for beginners. They also offer monetization options as your subscriber base grows.
Content is King: Consistency is crucial. Whether it's weekly or bi-weekly, ensure you deliver insightful content regularly.
Market on Social Platforms: Twitter is especially powerful for newsletter marketing. Engage with communities related to your niche, share snippets, and invite guest contributors with significant Twitter followings.
Seek Inspiration and Collaborate: Look at successful examples in the newsletter space. Our friends at Bullet Pitch started similarly, transforming their humble newsletter into a significant venture. Collaboration can boost your reach and provide fresh perspectives.
Remember, with a newsletter, you're not just sharing content; you're building a community. And as your community grows, so do opportunities for monetization and collaborations.
8. Making Idle Moments Profitable with Survey Apps
As a student, there are moments of downtime – waiting between classes, during a tedious lecture (we're not advocating for not paying attention, but let's be real, it happens!), or simply when you're looking for a productive break. Instead of just scrolling through social media or daydreaming, why not turn these pockets of time into profitable moments?
Steps to Optimize Earnings from Survey Apps:
Choose Reputable Platforms: Not all survey apps are created equal. Do your research to find platforms that are known for fairness, a good selection of surveys, and timely payouts. We obviously recommend once again checking Benjamin. Some college student users of ours have told that they have earned easily $20 a week with our surveys.
Set Up Notifications: Activate notifications so that you're alerted when a new survey matching your profile becomes available. This ensures you don't miss out on high-paying opportunities.
Be Genuine: Always provide honest answers. Survey platforms often include control questions to check the consistency of responses.
Combine Multiple Apps: Don't rely on just one platform. Diversify by signing up for multiple apps to increase the number of survey opportunities available to you.
Stay Updated with Strategies: To truly maximize your earnings, you'll need to stay updated with the best approaches. Check out our article that delves into strategies to get the most out of survey apps.
While taking surveys won't make you a millionaire, it's an efficient way to earn some extra pocket money during moments that would otherwise go wasted. So the next time you find yourself waiting or, ahem, "extra attentive" in class, consider making that time count!
9. Translation Gigs for Multilingual Students
Being bilingual or multilingual is a treasured skill in today's interconnected world. Platforms like Fiverr cater to a global clientele, offering numerous opportunities for student translators.
10. Custom College Merchandise
Celebrate college life by creating and selling custom merchandise. From t-shirts representing your dorm to mugs with college quotes, let your creativity shine. You can also do dropshipping, but that requires a bit of more knowledge about Facebook marketing and online marketing in general but it is a great way to learn from those.
11. Tech Helpdesk: Your Dorm's Tech Savior
Become the go-to tech guru on campus. Offer everything from software installation guidance to troubleshooting minor laptop glitches. Charge $10 per resolved solution.
