5 Reasons Why I Started My Henna & Eyebrow Business In College.

I started my henna business in 2013 while a student in college. There were pros and cons, but I’m very thankful for the experience and would recommend it 100% to other aspiring entrepreneurs. Here are some reasons why.

Reason # 1 : Low risk, high reward.

What have you got to lose? You got the skills and artistic abilities that your classmates, roommates, friends and family are taking advantage of already, worst case scenario is that you start charging for what you already are doing for free and a lot of them will back off and make your life whole a lot easier. This isn’t to say you should take a casual approach to starting a business. Your years in college will be over before you know it, and suddenly the risks will be larger. You probably have time to start one serious business venture per year of college and within 12 months figure out if it’s going to work out or not. Maybe you’ll get it right the first time, maybe you’ll pivot, maybe you’ll quit and start something new. The sooner you can test your ideas, the better.

Reason # 2 Campus resources.

Universities have access to the fastest internet connections to support all your social media needs for example posting your work online and making appointments etc, library study rooms, meeting rooms, and many other resources you can use to perform your everyday appointments and would pay dearly for outside the campus. The truth is you are paying dearly for these campus resources, whether through tuition or taxes, so you might as well take advantage of them. I mean if you are sitting at the library studying and want to take a quick 15 minutes break why not go do some eyebrows or henna and make some quick pocket money. Once you get into the game you can schedule appointments right at the library and make money in between your study breaks. I mean who doesn't like to make some extra bucks to buy food or go shopping right? I know I do!

Reason # 3 Accessible customers.

College students are a valuable resource for testing out your ideas. They’re cheap, they're broke and they tell it like it is if they don’t like what you have to offer. If you can get students to pay for something it’s a good sign your service is viable. Students are also connectors. They have the power to manufacture virality. The word spreads so quick between college students specially if you are good at what you do. Also the more practice you get the better you will become.

Reason # 4 Connections. It’s true that college students lack experience, but think about it this way, the successful entrepreneurs and celebrities of tomorrow are in college today, and when are you going to have a better time to recruit them than today while doing their henna or eyebrows. The next Huda Beauty, Tamanna Roashan, Anastasia, Oprah and Selena Gomez may be the girl sitting next to you in your communications class that you always do eyebrows for.

Reason # 5 Career Preparation.

Even if you start your henna and eyebrow business in college and it fails, it’s OK because it still helped you while you were a broke college student. Starting a business shows that you’re proactive, creative, and driven. It teaches you so much that you can use in future, it helps you become the type of employee successful companies are looking for. It helps you become social and easy to work with kind of person and help you make plenty of friends. Startup experience while in college can put you on the fast track to leadership opportunities at another company if you decide you’re not ready to be a full-time entrepreneur and want to get some work experience under your belt first.