For a long time, parents have told their kids to complete their education before they get a job or start a business. Maybe this would have been the best idea back in the 90s. But this is 2023. Things are not the same anymore. Students of the 21st century have long wanted a part-time job as they complete their studies, and why not? It has all kinds of social and economic benefits.
According to Talent, a part-time business pays more than ₹2.5 lakhs on average.
Not bad for a student, right? In today’s world, with the increase in data connectivity and smartphone usage, it has become very easy to earn a passive income while giving a good amount of time to your studies.
Recent data shows that 74% of students from private schools and 50% from government schools had access to a smartphone. What else do you need to start earning a decent income? A skill. A niche. A business idea. And luckily for you, we have brought some of the best ideas that will help you create the perfect part-time business and start earning in no time.
List Of Top 15 Part-Time Business Ideas For Students In India
On this page:
1. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate Marketing is the most upcoming industry in the market right now. Affiliate marketing is a partnership between an affiliate and a brand under which the affiliate promotes the brand’s products and services to the people. The affiliate earns a commission every time someone from their network makes a purchase. Even though affiliate marketing can be a full-time business, there are ample opportunities for you to do it part-time.
| Average Income | ₹3.0 LPA (Source: AmbitionBox) |
| Required Skills | Problem Solving, Creativity, Communication, Technical, and Productivity |
Beginners can always reach affiliate marketing platforms like EarnKaro, where you can earn without any initial investment. EarnKaro provides its users with deals and offers from 150+ brands. All you need to do is share these deals with your network and get them to place an order to start earning money. It’s that simple!
2. Freelancing
If there has ever been an antidote to full-time employment, it is freelancing. The field is exploding with opportunities and is one of the best ways for students to earn money. Freelancing is the industry in which you can take up several clients simultaneously or at different times according to your ability and time. It gives you the flexibility and choices you may need as a student. You can become a freelancer in any field and start working from home.
Platforms like Fiverr and Upwork provide opportunities for a large number of interests. Pick the one suitable for you and become a freelancer today!
| Average Income | ₹4.0 LPA (Source: AmbitionBox) |
| Required Skills | Time Management, Social Media Marketing, Communication, Finance and Persistence & Motivation |
3. Content Curator
Have you ever noticed yourself parting your photos into folders, music into playlists, and posts into different categories? Then you are already a content curator. As a content curator, your day-to-day business can include assembling large amounts of data – music, videos, images, texts, etc.- and categorizing them according to the client’s instructions. Content curation is also considered one of the best online business ideas for students in India.
| Average Income | ₹3.4 LPA (Source: AmbitionBox) |
| Required Skills | Locating & Evaluating valuable content, Sorting & Organising, Structuring & Contextualising content |
4. Graphic Designing
Graphic Design is one of those fields that every single company in today’s world needs. It’s the era of social media, and businesses can’t survive without having an online presence. For that, they need catchy graphics and addictive content. Graphic Design also provides choices in different specialities like Poster Design, Logo Design, Vector Art, Photoshop manipulation and many more.
The possibilities are infinite, and the money is good. However, there is a learning curve. So, if you are one of the creative ones, this is your sign to start learning today.
| Average Income | ₹3.0 LPA (Source: AmbitionBox) |
| Required Skills | Creativity, Communication, Typography, Adobe Creative Apps, Interactive Media, Coding, Branding and Delivering Presentations |
5. Video Editing
Like Graphic Designing, Video Editing provides a great opportunity to earn a part-time income from the comfort of your home. Video Editing can also be divided into categories like VFX, 2D Animation, Event Videos, Travel Videos and much more. You can always choose the one that interests you the most and do a successful part-time business for yourselves.
| Average Income | ₹3.0 LPA (Source: AmbitionBox) |
| Required Skills | Attention to detail, Adaptability, Communication, Organisational, Problem Solving, Familiar with video editing softwares |
6. Content Creating
It is a good time to be creative. As we mentioned above, businesses today cannot survive without social media. Companies these days look for people who are comfortable on camera to create different types of content relevant to their brand. This can include YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and other platforms. Your talents, like dancing, singing, and acting, can make you a top choice for businesses in no time.
| Average Income | ₹3.6 LPA (Source: AmbitionBox) |
| Required Skills | Consistency, Creativity, Video Editing skills, Brand Awareness, Communication |
7. Content Writing
We keep returning to the content repeatedly. But that tells you the importance of content in today’s market. People read things everywhere. It can be blogs, captions, news, articles, and whatnot. All of these come from content writers. If you think you have a way with words that you can create an interesting read for a viewer, then content writing is the field for you. The opportunities are immense, be it in traditional forms like articles and blogs or newer fields like captions or resume writing.
| Average Income | ₹3.0 LPA (Source: AmbitionBox) |
| Required Skills | Adaptability, Time Management, Problem Solving, Grammer & Vocabulary, Research, SEO & Content Strategy, Creative Writing, and Editing |
8. Handmade Products
Some naturally have a knack for handicrafts, while some develop it through hard work. Either way, there is a huge market for handmade products today. Hand-crafted pots, lamps, frames, etc., are the new trend in the market. As a student, you can dedicate your free hours to developing your skill, making products, and marketing your business to the public. Due to low investment, the returns are huge on these products.
9. Web Development
Now, this one requires a little bit of technical know-how. Every business needs to have an online presence today. Websites play a major role in this task. Companies need experienced developers who can create aesthetically pleasing and fundamentally strong websites. You can start your journey in two ways. If you are a programmer/coder, you can create websites using different machine languages like C++ and Java.
If you do not have experience with coding, you can learn about Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress, which lets you create beautiful, highly functional websites without a single line of code.
| Average Income | ₹3.0 LPA (Source: AmbitionBox) |
| Required Skills | Computer literacy, Strong numeracy, Creativity, Attention to detail, Communication, Problem-solving, Logical approach, Ability to explain technical matters |
10. Reselling
Reselling as an industry has blown up in the last decade. According to an article by Economic Times, Reselling industry’s worth stood at $600 Million in 2020 and can reach up to $7 Billion by 2025. This industry allows users to sell and buy used items at a price lower than the retail price. What differentiates this industry from thrifting is that most of the items traded in Reselling market are highly expensive and valuable products. These products can include limited edition sneakers, hoodies, accessories, sports items and many more.
11. Digital Marketing
Our best side business ideas for students would not be complete if we did not mention Digital Marketing. One of the best skills to learn in today’s market, Digital Marketing opens many business avenues for students. This industry can include analyzing customers’ online spending patterns, behavioural economics, social media marketing, advertising, content marketing, etc.
| Average Income | ₹3.0 LPA (Source: AmbitionBox) |
| Required Skills | Data Analysis, Content Creation, SEO & SEM, CRM, Communication, Social Media, Basic Design |
12. Trip Planner
This business is not new in the market. Everybody knows about travel agents. What’s new is the way people like to plan trips now. Customers these days like to take a more hands-on approach when designing their trips, and students are more encouraging of this pattern rather than existing travel organizers. Students who have a knack for exploring destinations online and have a genuine excitement for making people’s journeys memorable can venture into becoming trip planners.
| Average Income | ₹2.3 LPA (Source: AmbitionBox) |
| Required Skills | Customer Service, Reading Comprehension, Scheduling, Negotiation, Sales, IT, Money Handling, Time Management |
13. Babysitting Network
Babysitting can provide a great source for students to earn a decent income. What’s good about creating a babysitting network is you can start it in your neighbourhood, with the help of your friends and acquaintances, without any major investment. Once you feel confident enough to expand, you can start marketing your services outside your neighborhood.
14. Movers & Packers
This part-time business idea might require more brute force than skill. To start a delivery business, you must find trustworthy people with considerable strength. This business may include packing household items, transporting goods to different locations, and setting up new homes and workplaces, among many other things. Like Babysitting, you can also start a moving business from your neighbourhood. Building relationships and keeping a good work ethic with your employees can help create a profitable and trustworthy business.
15. Photography
Normally considered to be a high-investment business, Photography is becoming more accessible to everyone, with high-end cameras available on smartphones and cheap photography courses available online. Photography provides you with a dual income source. Primarily, you can earn by taking up photography projects for certain occasions like weddings, birthdays, or any other program.
In your free time, you can photograph landscapes, household items, accessories, cars or anything of your choice and sell these images online as stock footage.
| Average Income | ₹3.0 LPA (Source: AmbitionBox) |
| Required Skills | Artistic, Technical, Communication, Attention to details, Organizational, Adaptability, Photo editing, Composition |
What are the Benefits of Starting a Part-Time Business for Students?
There is significant evidence that part-time businesses support a student in many different ways. We have mentioned a few for you below:
1. Decent Income: As a student, attaining financial freedom should be your first goal, and why not? The price of everything is increasing steadily. Inflation stands at 6%. How long can you put off becoming an active earner? It would be best if you understood the importance of earning a decent income while preparing to join the full-time workforce. Part-time businesses do not put too much burden on your schedule but provide you with the opportunity to become financially independent from a very young age.
2. Gain Experience: The competition in today’s globalized market is scary. It is like a jungle; you must compete to get the best result anywhere. In this scenario, having experience in different fields or even a single field can provide you with the much-needed edge that companies nowadays look for. After completing your education, you can always convert your part-time business into a full-time opportunity.
3. Personality Development: Everybody desires to be a good orator, a confident individual, a person everyone else looks up to, but only a few truly work for it. A part-time business allows you to develop your confidence and speaking ability and build corporate insight to help you later in life.
5 Tips to Start a Successful Part-Time Business in India
1. Skill First, Business Later: We cannot stress this enough. You must hone your skill to a certain level to achieve good standing in the market. Nobody wants to spend money on a bad product. As a business owner, you must provide your clients with the best result through your best skill, which only comes by giving your time. So, keep practising!
2. Value Yourself: While there might be competitors who will offer the same service/product as you at lesser prices, it does not mean you have to bring your value down. You can only make your clients value your work if you value your work. You may hear things like, ‘I can get this work done in a lesser amount.’ It is better to let these people go and look for better clientele.
However, this does not suggest you do not bargain a little bit with your prospective clients. Bargaining is a part of the business. Always beware of the competition’s prices and services to provide the best value to your client at the best price possible.
3. Time Management: As we talk about this part-time opportunity, you should not ignore your full-time job as a student – studies. Manage your time effectively so that neither studies nor your business takes up all of your time. A time well managed is a time well spent.
4. Reputed Clientele: Once you get the hang of the industry that you are in, you should aim to affiliate with reputed clients in the market. This provides a dual benefit for your business. Firstly, the money is great as bigger companies have deeper pockets and higher spending budgets. Secondly, it creates a good reputation for your business to have testimonials from big clients and have respectable people vouch for you.
5. Build Long-Term Partnerships: As a business, you are made by your customers and clients. It would help if you were always focused on building long-term relationships with your network. This helps bring more business through word of mouth and makes your old clients come back to you if they want to get some new work done.
Conclusion
Surely, there is much competition in the market, and you might be too young for a full-time business. But there is no drawback in beginning a part-time business to understand the intricacies of any industry while earning a passive income. Keep your head in the game and start your part-time business journey today!
FAQs
What business should I start as a student?
Some of the easiest businesses that you can start as a student are:
1. Affiliate Marketing
2. Freelancing
3. Content Curator
4. Graphic Designing
5. Video Editing
6. Content Creating
7. Content Writing
8. Handmade Products
9. Web Development
10. Reselling
Which business is best for part-time?
There are many part-time business ideas, but if we talk about the best, then Affiliate Marketing outstands all other ideas. The reason being you can start it with Zero investments, and there is limitless opportunity.
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