Today, becoming an entrepreneur is easier than ever — but just as impressive! The Rainbow EDU team has had the joy of mentoring countless high-schoolers over the years, and we have a stellar track record of helping students get into their top choice undergraduate programs. How do we do it? You probably already know the answer. You’ve probably heard it a million times, each time thinking to yourself, “Easier said than done!”
You have to set yourself apart as an applicant. When admissions officers read your application, you have to shine in comparison to the countless other applicants. The truth is: this doesn’t have to be difficult.
Access to and interest in technology is at an all-time high. Everything is being automated. Every person is glued to their phones, their computers, their tablets… in order to work, in order to socialize, in order to write, to read, and to play. Let’s take advantage of this. Our experience has illustrated that, across the board, colleges are impressed by students that do. (Another plus? You can turn this experience into extra income!)
Check out the ideas below and see if anything catches your eye:
Platform: Instagram
- What is it? A photo and video-sharing social networking service
- Use for: sharing your pictures / videos of fashion, cooking, travel, photography, etc.
- Get started!
- Create an Instagram page with an appropriate handle and begin uploading relevant pictures with catchy captions
- Set a goal for a number of followers, perhaps by the end of the school year
- Once you reach this goal, find one relevant company to sponsor your page
- Need help designing content, or advice on how to attract the most followers? Let us know!
Platform: Etsy
- What is it? An e-commerce website focused on handmade or vintage items and supplies, as well as unique factory-manufactured items.
- Use for: selling your visual art, crafts, vintage goods, etc.
- Get started!
- Create an online store, take pictures of your products, and upload listings
- Share your store on social media, through online advertisements, and by word of mouth
- Design and offer coupons to boost sales, increasing your store’s popularity and the likelihood that your products will show up on searches
- Need help with image composition for your listings’ pictures, figuring out the key aspects of an effective listing, or figuring out how to advertise your store outside of your friends and family? Contact us!
Platform: Society6
- What is it? An online store home to hundreds of thousands of artists from around the globe, uploading and selling their original works as 30+ premium consumer goods
- Use for: making a commission from selling products featuring your 2-D visual art
- Get Started!
- Search the site to see what types of products and designs are selling best
- Based on your findings, select art you’ve made, or create new art, to upload to the website
- Upload your art and select the products you would like it to decorate (pillows, mugs, tapestries, shirts, and more)
- Share your store on social media, through online advertisements, and by word of mouth
- Need help figuring out what types of art to upload and products to select, or advertising your store outside of your friends and family? Contact us!
Platform: Epidemic Sound
- What is it? A professional music library tailored for film & video production
- Use for: sharing and selling your unique music (everything from vocals to classical to DJ tracks!)
- Get started!
- Search the site to see what types of music is most popular
- Create a musician account and, based on your findings, upload your music that you select
- Promote your channel on social media, through online advertisements and, most importantly, on YouTube (so vloggers use your tracks!)
Need help figuring out which of your tracks to upload, and how to get the attention of vloggers? Contact us!
Platform: YouTube
- What is it? A video-sharing website
- Use for: Sharing videos on any topic! For example, music, travel, mini-films, product reviews, how-to videos, etc.
- Get started!
- Draft an outline for a coherent brand or theme for your channel and your videos
- Create a channel with an appropriate name
- Begin uploading your videos
- Promote your videos on other social media channels and by word of mouth
- Need help designing your brand, creating your videos, or promoting your channel? Contact us!
Platform: Blog
- What is it? A regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style
- Good for: Sharing your thoughts on anything! Product reviews, travel reviews, recipes, video game reviews, etc.
- How to:
- Write intriguing pieces
- Incorporate eye-catching pictures
- Select a blog hosting site like Tumblr
- Promote your videos on social media channels and by word of mouth
- Need help planning blog posts, editing your writing, selecting pictures without infringing on copyrights (or taking your own!), selecting a hosting site, or promoting your blog? Contact us!
As you can see, with a little creativity, any hobby or interest can translate to a successful entrepreneurial endeavor. Take a stab at it. If you get stuck, give us a call; we’d be happy to help.