How a Young Entrepreneur Paid for College by Running a Small Business
College is an expensive investment that many young people struggle to afford. According to Forbes, the average cost of attending a public university in the U.S was $25,620 for the 2020-2021 academic year, while private colleges averaged at $54,880 per year. These staggering figures can be a nightmare for many students who have little to no financial support from their families.
However, some students are finding creative ways to fund their higher education, such as starting their own business ventures. Kaylah Mensah, a student at Howard University, shared her story of how she paid for her freshman year of college by running a small business.
The Beginning of the Journey
Kaylah Mensah started her business, MESS (Making Everything Super Simple), when she was still in high school. She had a passion for organizing and simplifying things, which later led her to start her own personal concierge service that catered to the needs of busy individuals.
As her client base grew, Kaylah used her profits to start saving money for college. However, she soon realized that her savings would not be enough to cover her tuition, room, board, and other expenses. She then decided to expand her business by creating a new service that specifically targeted college students.
The Service
The service that Kaylah created was a dorm room cleaning and organization service. She noticed that many college students struggled with keeping their dorms clean and clutter-free, which affected their overall productivity and well-being. Kaylah saw an opportunity to help these students by offering her organizing skills to help them create an efficient and tidy living space.
Kaylah started by advertising her services on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. She used eye-catching graphics and engaging captions, and slowly but surely, her message started to spread to other students on campus. Her clients were mainly freshmen who were struggling to adjust to college life, but Kaylah also had some clients who were upperclassmen and graduate students.
The business was a success, and Kaylah was able to save enough to pay for her freshman year of college. She was also able to make a small profit, which she reinvested back into her business. The profits helped her improve her equipment and hire more staff to help with the workload.
Lessons Learned
Kaylah’s story is inspiring and motivating, but it also teaches valuable lessons to young entrepreneurs who are looking to start their own businesses. Here are some key takeaways from her journey:
1. Find a Niche: Kaylah found a niche in the market by targeting college students who needed help with their messy dorms. This helped her stand out from other cleaning services and also gave her a specific target audience.
2. Use Social Media: Social media is a powerful tool that can help young entrepreneurs reach a wider audience. Kaylah used Twitter and Instagram to advertise her services and connect with potential clients.
3. Quality Service: Kaylah’s success was also due to the quality of her service. She put in a lot of effort to ensure that her clients were satisfied with the work she did. This resulted in repeat business and positive word-of-mouth advertising.
4. Reinvest Profits: Kaylah reinvested her profits back into her business to improve her equipment and hire more staff. This helped her expand her business and increase her revenue.
Conclusion
Kaylah’s story is one of perseverance, hard work, and innovation. She was able to fund her college education by starting her own business and providing a valuable service to her peers. Her story is a testament to the fact that with determination and creativity, young entrepreneurs can overcome financial obstacles and achieve their goals.
Summary
Kaylah Mensah started her business, MESS, when she was still in high school. She saved her profits to fund her education at Howard University, but soon realized that it wouldn’t be enough. She expanded her business by offering a dorm room cleaning and organization service that catered to college students. Her business was a success, and she was able to pay for her freshman year of college and make a profit. Kaylah’s story teaches valuable lessons about finding a niche, using social media, providing quality service, and reinvesting profits.
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Youth Month: How I Paid My Freshman College Dues Running A Small… MESS
https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/youth-month-how-i-paid-my-first-year-university-fees-running-a-small-business-from-home-5ada6e8d-c120-4645-a2eb-ed61c7006b82
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