Make Money on Valentines Day!

In honor of Valentine's day, I thought I would share 13 great ways to make money on Valentine's day. The original post is from WiseBread.com and can be found here. Enjoy!

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13 Ways to Make Money From Valentine's Day

While Valentine's Day is traditionally for lovers, it's also for savvy entrepreneurs. Instead of emptying your wallet to buy your special someone something special (aka "expensive"), you can actually turn a profit by setting up a side gig. Take advantage of the Hallmark holiday by raking in cold, hard cash with these 13 ways to earn extra money from Valentine's Day.

1. Create Handmade Valentine's Cards

If you're crafty or have decent graphic design skills, create your own line of heartfelt or funny Valentine's greeting cards. They're relatively easy to make — keeping them clever will probably be the hardest part — and you can sell them on Etsy, Bonanza, and a host of other sites that cater to handmade items. You'll can find colored envelopes at your local office-supply or craft store, and be sure to account for the cost of materials and shipping when pricing so you can make a decent profit.

2. Deliver Stuff

Not all local companies have the resources to offer delivery services, and that's where you come in. Identify some of the businesses that are particularly relevant around Valentine's Day and contact them to see what their delivery needs are. Places like florists, gift shops, and bakeries may be able to use an extra hand.

Bear in mind that this gig will likely be under-the-table because of insurance restrictions, so consider that before deciding if this is right for you. Even better, you may be able to score private gigs from, say, a guy who wants to send his girlfriend flowers last minute so he can save on the high shipping and delivery costs. One man's procrastination is your extra cash.

3. Play Chef for a Couple's Romantic Dinner

Are you a whiz in the kitchen? Offer to cook a multi-course meal for family, friends, co-workers, or even strangers who want to enjoy a relaxing Valentine's Day at home without all the hassle of cooking a romantic dinner. Plan a special menu of the couple's favorite dishes — complete with candles, ambient lighting, and mood-setting music — and set your fee to accommodate for the ingredients, travel, and time spent setting up, cooking, and cleaning after the meal.

4. Write Love Letters for Would-Be Casanovas

Most people aren't very slick when it comes to writing poetry or love letters, but if you're a gifted writer who can make people swoon in just a few sentences, putting sweet nothings on paper might be your money maker. (See also: 11 Life Skills That Are Now Completely Obsolete)

5. Plan Exciting Date Experiences

Everybody has their strengths, but men aren't always the best at planning special, exciting, or romantic dates. There are some creative dudes out there, for sure, but for the most part, the male of the species needs help in this area. If you happen to excel in this department, put together a few itineraries that are too good to pass up, and then do the due diligence so you can get paid by setting up the date to ensure that it goes off without a hitch.

6. Babysit or Pet Sit

All those parents you know — both of human and fur babies — deserve a break, too. And you can cash in big if you have the skills, certifications, and patience to babysit or pet sit while Mom and Dad enjoy a night out on the town.

According to UrbanSitter's 2015 Babysitting and Nanny Rates Survey, you're looking at about $15 per hour for one child and upwards of $20 per hour for three children. Add in a 15%-20% tip plus pizza money and you could take home a legit payday, albeit with a few more gray hairs. For pet sitting, you can expect between $10 and $15 per hour, as estimated by Care.com's pet care rate calculator.

7. Bake Valentine-Themed Goodies

What's Valentine's Day without dessert? That's the best part! Whip up your famous cookies, cakes, and pastries, and shop them around to local eateries (you'll fare better if you establish yourself as a small business with well-packaged goods and a business card; both of which are easy to do), or offer them up to your private network of friends, family, and co-workers.

8. Unload Unwanted Jewelry

If you have a collection of jewelry with which you're willing to part, you may be able to find interested buyers in your area. Instant-list apps like Wallapop, VarageSale, and OfferUp have made it simpler than ever to unload your items by snapping a photo, writing a short description, and naming a price.

9. Promote Your Party-Planning Skills

There may not be a huge market for amateur party planners, but it's worth a shot. If you're known for throwing memorable shindigs, you might be able to drum up some business. Shop the dollar stores for decorations to keep costs down.

10. Busk, or Serenade Couples

Throw a hat or instrument case on the ground in a well-traveled area and belt out love songs all day. If you want to be more proactive about it, take your show on the road and wander up to lovey-dovey couples for a serenading session. That dude would be a dummy if he didn't at least reach in his pocket for a dollar.

11. Photograph Couples' Special Moments

Valentine's Day, with all the sentiment that surrounds it, is prime time for weddings, engagements, and other relationship-specific photo ops. If you're handy with a camera, offer to snap shots of the special moments that the happy couple will cherish forever.

12. Draw or Paint Couples' Portraits

You don't have to be a well-established or recognized artist to sell your work. Some couples may enjoy the prospect of being drawn or painted, not only as a Valentine's Day activity, but also a gift to themselves that they can hang in the home as a reminder of their love.

13. Host a Singles Party for All Your Lonely Friends

Planning on spending Valentine's Day alone? Not anymore. Host a party at home for singles, if you have a large and diverse network of friends. Charge a few bucks admission to cover the cost of food, décor, drinks, and so you can walk away with a reasonable wage.

Financial Samurai Repost - No Excuses

Hello readers,

Below, I have reposted an article from one of my favorite personal finance blogs, The Financial Samurai. In this article, the author Sam Dogen describes how even janitors in San Francisco can make six figures a year. It's all about working hard! Enjoy.

"Abolish Welfare Mentality: Janitor Makes $271,000, Why Can’t You Too? - Full article here

Let me paraphrase an insightful passage I read that describes the difference between someone with a welfare mentality versus someone with an abundance mentality.

A guy looked at a Corvette the
other day and said to me in a disapproving tone, “I wonder how many people could have been fed for the cost of that car?”

I replied, “I’m not sure. It fed a lot of families in Kentucky who built it. It fed the people who made the tires. It fed the people who made the components. It fed the people who mined the copper. It fed the people who made the trucks that hauled the copper ore. It fed someone who helped sell the car.”

That’s the difference between having an abundance mentality and a welfare mentality. When you buy something, you put money in people’s pockets and give them dignity for their skills.

If you don’t know by now, many people make or have A LOT more than you think. When you see people playing tennis in the park or lounging around at a cafe on a weekday afternoon, it’s unlikely because they are unemployed. It’s because they either don’t need to work or have flexible business hours.

Every week I hear a new story about a person who makes or has way more than you’d ever expect. I’ve shared some of these stories with you.

* Uber drivers who make more than their Uber corporate counterparts.

* A ~22 year old female art student from China who bought a $2.25M home for cash.

* The 26-year-old non-techie who landed a $250,000 pay package at Airbnb.

* 100,000+ millennials who expect a ~$1.1M inheritance.

* A University of New Hampshire librarian who left $4M to his school.

* A food blogger who makes $500,000+ a year.

* A Hawaiian entrepreneur who started a greasy spoon franchise and was selling his $8M house that only another entrepreneur could afford.

The point of these posts is to highlight what’s financially possible. Going to a good school to get a job in a traditionally lucrative field isn’t the only way to make good money. Just because you couldn’t get into the greatest school on Earth, The College of William & Mary, doesn’t mean your life is over.

Too many people tell themselves they don’t have the knowledge, skills, connections, background, or pedigree to get rich. Some even stunt their growth because they believe their race, gender, or sexual orientation puts them at a disadvantage.

What a shame to think this way when we have a half black president, plenty of first generation immigrant multi-millionaires, a gay CEO at Apple, a Chinese mayor of San Francisco, and J-Lo! Heck, we even have a man who said a bunch of offensive things and still got elected as the 45th president of the United States. Anything is possible folks!

Six Figure Janitor Cleaning Up

Let’s say you still don’t believe you can be rich despite all my examples. How about this example of a Bay Area Rapid Transit janitor who made $235,000 in 2015 thanks to $165,000 in over time pay!

To be a janitor, you don’t need to go to college or vocational school. You don’t need to be a certain race or sex either. All you’ve got to do is be willing to clean unsightly things. In other words, practically everybody can be a janitor, unless you’re too proud.

What’s great about this story is that Mr. Zhang didn’t just accept his $58,750 base pay. He decided to take advantage of the BART overtime system and work harder. San Francisco has a monster $9.5 billion annual budget. We also passed an enormous $3.5 billion new proposition to improve the system. Why not get your honey money too? Mr. Zhang actually grossed $271,243.02 in 2015 if you include his benefits. Over the last three years, Mr. Zhang received a combined $682,000 in pay and benefits over the last three years, averaging $227,000 a year.

“Almost every day of the year Mr. Zhang is cleaning our stations,” BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said. “He is signing up for time that is also available to others — if he doesn’t take them, someone else will. Station cleanliness is a priority for us.”

Did you get that folks? Mr. Zhang wasn’t a “privileged janitor” who got allocated more time than others. All he decided to do was out work his colleagues. Unlike some people who found Mr. Zhang’s compensation outrageous, I say well done sir!

For those of you with similar or more “advantageous” backgrounds, there’s no reason why you can’t make as much as Mr. Zhang if you really want to. If you disagree, tell me why in the comments section.

Related: How To Make Six Figures At Almost Any Age

Traits To Adopt To Be Rich

If you want to be rich, adopt these traits.

Work ethic. 40 hours a week is an arbitrary amount of time to work. There are 168 hours in a week. If you worked just five hours more a week, think about how much more you could make or do with an extra 260 hours a year. Mr. Zhang decided to work almost every day of the week for years! You might not have the same chance, but at least you can work on your side business during the weekends.

Desire. You’ve got to really desire to be free. If you’ve got a cushy job that pays you just enough not to leave, then you’re probably just going to stay put and surf Financial Samurai most of your working hours. Remove the complacency IV from your vein.

Risk taker. Put yourself out there. Rejection is just the name of the game when you are constantly taking risks. But if you’re never failing, then you aren’t trying hard enough. It takes effort to find optimal levels of happiness.

Open mind. Think about the many different ways there are to cook fish around the world. There are even more ways to make money and live a lifestyle you want. Read, watch, learn and participate to open your mind.

Humility. Don’t be so arrogant and presume that your way is the only way. Be humble enough to realize when you’re wrong. And when things start to click, be humble enough to remember when things went wrong. Things can change instantly.

Leverage. “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world,” wrote Archimedes. An individual can only put in about 70 hours a week of before they start breaking down. Instead, leverage technology to reach more people. A website’s quality remains constant 24/7.

Organizational discipline. Think about all those people who’ve made a ton and now wonder where it all went. Once you’ve got a solid handle on your money, you can invest your money in the most optimal ways possible. Tracking your finances through a free financial app is a no brainer.

Believe In Yourself

Thinking about creative ways to earn more is hard. It’s why so few people offered their ideas when requested in “Get Rich By Predicting The Future.” But I promise you that it becomes easier building wealth the more you practice.

Take a look at this priceless piece of artwork below. It’s called “Into The Night” by an artist that’s been featured in many major media publications. Notice the intricate battle between light and dark. It’s a metaphor of our daily struggles where we’re constantly trying to overcome our laziness and fears. If you let your eyes relax, you can see darkness winning the battle.

The painting is exquisite and would sell for over $100 million if Jackson Pollock created it.

Alas, I created this painting when I was 26 on my now rental condo balcony. I used some leftover blue, white and black paint to get creative while waiting for the rooms to dry. Then I created a yellow and black version. Then I created another, and another, and another until I ran out of paint. Then I cut off my ear like Van Gogh! Just kidding.

Yes, my art might look like chicken scratch to you. But to me, they are beautiful because I never thought I’d be able to create any type of art at all until I tried. If I had kept practicing my art every week for 13 years, I’m sure I would have a portfolio of amazing work. No wonder why schools try to expose kids to everything just in case something sticks.

Although I gave up art as a young lad, I didn’t give up my creative writing because I believed in myself. Every week someone who doesn’t write for a living tells me my writing sucks. If it’s not my writing they’re criticizing, it’s my website design. If it’s not my website design, it’s my intelligence. The body blows keep coming and I keep advancing. Thank goodness because being able to do something this fun in early retirement is truly a blessing.

If you find yourself chalking up someone’s entire good fortune to luck or if you catch yourself criticizing another for their efforts, slap yourself in the face. Your welfare mentality is keeping you down. Mr. Zhang is out there hustling. So can you."

Now Offering Free Trials!

It's not about how much you make, but how much you keep! A dollar saved is a dollar earned. I have start posting links to free trials for all my readers to take advantage of! Various Amazon Services (Kindle, Music, etc.) and viewing services (HBO, Showtime, etc.) are available to you for free on the right hand side of my website. Enjoy!

Also - I have removed ads from my site to improve reader experience :)

Educate yourself! Learn THEN earn!

Tim Ferris has come out with a life changing book, where he shares his key takeaways from conversations with Billionaires, Titans, and World Leaders! Order the ebook summary today for only 99 cents, no need to waste your time reading the entire book.

Summary: Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss

Cash for Sperm, Easy Money for Men

Check out Bruce Watson's Article from DailyFinance.com, about how to sell your sperm for cash!

Selling Sperm for Money

"When I was in college, I once visited a friend at another university. As with many such visits, I spent much of my time in an alcoholic haze, wandering from apartment to apartment, meeting my friend's friends, drinking odd beverages, and generally getting down Hunter S. Thompson-style. Good times.

In one apartment, I remember watching some90210 on the occupants' big screen TV. Over the course of the show, I noticed that they kept referring to it as "the TV that sperm bought." Finally, unable to contain my curiosity, I asked about the nickname. Laughing, one of them told me that the roommates had pooled their resources from selling sperm and had used the proceeds to purchase a TV. Since then, my research has shown me that, regardless of the the truth of the roommates' claims, it certainly could be true. Advertised sperm donation rates vary from $1 to $200 per week; most donors can expect somewhere around $40 per donation. Given that you can only deposit sperm every five days, your career as a sperm donor will probably only net you enough money to eat at McDonald's. Although, if you save carefully, your genetic material could translate into a sweet home theater system.

When I was a college student, sperm donation seemed like an interesting idea. After all, I'd be paid for doing something that I usually did pro bono, would be able to make some poor ladies really happy, and would pick up a little bit of dough on the side. In the meantime, I was legally protected; there was no way that the little Brucies and Brucinias that were wandering the earth could track their way back to me. Then I read the small print.

To begin with, sperm donation isn't a quick and easy, drop in, drop off, pick-up-your-cash type of deal. Among other minor irritations, it requires months of tests, a six-month to three-year commitment to a sperm bank, and no "liberation" of sperm when you're off the clock. Added to this is the fact that you will probably never know what happened to your children, although recent events are conspiring to strip away the cloak of anonymity under which many sperm donors have made their contributions to society. In other words, regardless of your position on the whole anonymity thing, sperm donation could end up being a little awkward.

That having been said, there is a desire for healthy sperm donors and the money is nothing to sneeze at, particularly if you're currently working your way through your ramen and tuna fish years. Unlike egg donation or surrogacy, the comparable options that are available to women, sperm donation is relatively non-invasive, albeit a lot less lucrative. Frankly, if I had it all to do over again...well, there were a couple of years in the mid-1990's when I could have used a little more cash..."

Thanks for reading, comments encouraged.

Forbes: Converting Ideas into Reality

Check out this article by Forbes.com discussing how to make money in your spare time from home. The article was written in 2007, but much of it still applies to making money online today. 

The 12 Things That Successfully Convert a Great Idea Into a Reality

How many times have you been in a meeting and someone says to you, “That’s a great idea, you should take the initiative and make it a reality.” What typically happens? Most of the time – nothing. Most great ideas remain dormant because people don’t have the courage, resources, time and/or money to take action. And for those who take action, most are unprepared and thus find themselves spending their valuable time and money on a dream that simply goes astray.The same thing holds true in the workplace – where according to a recent study conducted by my organization, the workforce is not innovative enough because we are trained and wired only to execute on what we are told to do. No wonder we are most proficient at completing short term, immediate tasks. On the other hand, employees are least proficient at multiplying the opportunities inherent in the initial task they were asked to complete. Yes, we should be concerned about our ability to remain competitive – as both individuals and in our organizations.Never stop connecting the dots!




Converting an idea into a reality (regardless of the required investment of time and money) is never an easy task. In fact, it is extremely difficult. Whether you are an entrepreneur or corporate executive, “giving ideas life” is much like giving birth to a child. You must own the responsibility regardless of the circumstances. No one will ever understand your idea or the dynamics associated with it like you do. In this regard, you are on your own and the journey will require you to learn about yourself – more than anything else will in your career.


As the old saying goes, “If it were easy – everyone would do it.”


Many articles have been written about this subject, but I have yet to read one that really digs deep enough to help one truly understand what is required mentality, physically and intellectually to go from idea to reality. Perhaps it’s because the process of cultivating an idea into a reality is a never ending cycle if you want to keep the idea alive over changing times. For example, we see this all the time with companies based on great ideas that then did not remain innovative and/or competitive enough to sustain their market leadership positions. . Let’s face it, Blockbuster should have thought of the ideas behind Netflix and Redbox – and made them a reality – well before these two companies became their competitors.

Today’s fiercely competitive marketplace requires us all to either convert our own ideas – or be a part of converting someone else’s ideas – into a reality. If you are not participating in either of these activities, you must re-evaluate your purpose, what you stand for and your desire to be relevant. Everyone must be a part of cultivating innovation around the clock. You must begin to accept that embracing the entrepreneurial attitude is a requirement to cultivate growth and opportunity for the organization you lead and serve.

Entrepreneurship is no longer just a business term anymore; it’s a way of life. You don’t need to be an entrepreneur to be entrepreneurial.

Did you ever think that not being involved in innovative activities was irresponsible? Well, it is – not just to yourself, but to those around you.

As you think about how you can begin to embrace the entrepreneurial attitude more actively, here are 12 things you must actively do – at all times – in order to convert ideas into reality:

1. Believe in Yourself

You can’t take action until you believe in yourself enough to handle the consequences of your decisions. Any time you assume the responsibility to give something that had not existed before an opportunity to become a reality – you become accountable for your actions.

Accountability requires believing in yourself enough to be 100% dedicated to getting the work done. Most people fail to take an idea to fruition because the unexpected challenges become more than they think they can handle and thus they no longer want to be accountable. They lose the belief in themselves to see things through all the way to the end.

2. Create Your Own Personal Board of Advisors

Learn from those who have done it before. Don’t ever think you have all of the answers, just because it’s your idea. Ideation is distinctly different than execution.

Allow your personal board of advisors to guide you with wisdom born from their own failures and subsequent successes. I talked to a couple of fellow entrepreneurs about this and they offered some of their own wisdom.

Rich Melcombe, President & CEO of Richmel Media & Productions, says that: “If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, listen to everyone because you never know when you will hear a good idea. Advice from stakeholders is usually more meaningful, but not necessarily right. Few people will have enough context to fully understand what you’re trying to do. Synthesize their comments so they make sense to you, understand the thinking behind any negative comments, and then make the decision on your own.”

Brad Lea, Founder & CEO of Lightspeed VT, adds: “Although it is valuable to have a personal board of advisors, be careful not to let them deter you from your vision. Steve Jobs’ board said he was “crazy” to enter into the cell phone space because it was saturated and it would not be worth the long and laborious effort.”

In the end, carefully evaluate any input that you get – but proceed with your own gut instinct.

3. Embrace Risk as Your Best Friend

Risk becomes your best friend when you give birth to an idea. If you can accept this fact, you will approach the process with a lens that keeps your dreams and ambitions in perspective and on track. When things don’t go as planned along the way, stay focused on the mission at hand and do not allow disruption to set you backward. Risk is normal and steps #1 and #2 will keep you looking forward.

You often hear that “working hard” is an imperative to convert ideas into reality. But in fact, it is the most fundamental commitment one must make to assume any form of risk management. As such, you must find a way to make this level of commitment if you want to continue on the journey.

4. Be Extremely Patient

Compromise is a choice, not a sacrifice. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Take the time to appreciate the journey and understand how things work. Most people are too anxious to get their desired results and thus start to make bad decisions as they go.

One thing is certain: the journey will be filled with unexpected outcomes that you may not be prepared to deal with. Don’t let this get you down, but keep your head up and respect the process and where it takes you. You will learn a lot about your threshold of risk and ability. Equally, you will learn that many doubters are ready to stand in your way and may attempt to bring you down; this is when the ride gets uncomfortable. Constantly reevaluate those with whom you are sharing the journey (i.e., your inner circle).

5. Learn How to Sell Your Vision

Converting your idea to a reality requires you to help others understand your vision. Selling vision is much like selling change. Clearly define your value proposition and how it can generate revenue. Selling lofty ideas without understanding how it will achieve financial results will never get you the right audience. The bottom line is what gets everyone’s attention (you can see this played out every week on the TV show “Shark Tank”).

Simplicity is the key to selling the vision for your idea. Making it easy for someone on the “outside” to understand what you are trying to accomplish will create engagement and increase your probability of expanding buy-in for your idea. This skill comes into play when selling to possible investors. Learn how to sell your vision sooner than later. Don’t wait as it takes time to piece together and refine your message.

6. Connect the Dots Along the Way

Everything is connected to something else. Learn how to spot the paths of connectivity along the journey. What may be your “core idea” today can mature into something bigger as you connect other tenets that naturally associate with your idea along the way.

For example, I launched a food business in 1997 called Luna Rossa Corporation. I started with a product line of specialty vegetables anchored by my flagship product of marinated artichoke hearts. The idea was to market a gourmet / higher-quality line of Luna Rossa branded products inside warehouse retailer Costco – which we successfully accomplished. Over time, this core idea led to gourmet line extensions that included pasta sauces, salad dressings, etc. We sold products to over 6000 retail stores throughout North America, eventually creating new brands and entering into licensing arrangements.

7. Be Passionate With Your Pursuit

The pursuit of excellence requires you to unleash your passion. When you put your passion into everything you do, it gives you the power to become a potent pioneer. You will blaze paths few would go down, and see them all the way through to the end. Your passionate pursuit of converting your idea into a reality will open new doors to endless possibilities.

Your ability to remain passionate about what you stand for is the ultimate enabler for the success of your idea.

8. Be Purposeful

Your intentions for your idea must have purpose and meaning. If not, your probability to quit along the way will increase. It will also increase the likelihood of you “psyching yourself out with unnecessary excuses.”

Rich Melcombe adds: “Entrepreneurs must have passion and believe in what they are doing or they are destined to fail. You need to make a commitment to yourself and have a fiduciary responsibility to anyone who supports your idea or concept. Your purpose is to execute the idea and make others believe too.”

Purpose fuels your passion and makes your journey less lonely. Perhaps this explains why family-controlled firms outperform their public peers by 6% on company market value. Today, one-third of all companies in the S&P 500 index are run by families.

9. Focus on Building Momentum

Carefully identify all of your resources and build upon them via relationships, networking and sharing of resources to expand the opportunity for your ideas. Building momentum is critically important to convert your idea into a reality.

Stay focused, stick to your plan, eliminate distractions and neutralize the noise. Remember to manage your time wisely and never get overly excited about new opportunities that stem from your original idea. Step-back, don’t commit too quickly, and understand how the dots connect.

Building momentum has a lot to do with timing and the management and deployment of resources. Every resource counts. Know when and when not to use them so their value is optimally utilized at the right place and time.

10. Always Make the Idea Better

Never grow complacent. You can always expand upon your idea and make it better. When you begin to see how the dots connect, challenge yourself and your personal board of advisors to make your ideas even better.

This is what Steve Jobs did with Apple, Pixar Animation and Apple again. Continuous improvements were part of his legacy. He never stopped thinking of ways to make his ideas better. The Japanese even have a name for it: Kaizen.

11. Make Work/Life Balance a Priority

No matter how smart, passionate, or focused you work, without balance we are all susceptible to burnout. Mind, body and soul must be properly aligned. Take the time to make work/life balance a priority. It will give you greater clarity of thought and help you keep things in perspective.

Successfully converting an idea into a reality is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself so that you can reflect upon the mission at hand. Always be aware of what you are attempting to accomplish. Don’t overwhelm your mind; give yourself some breathing room and allow your creativity to expand.

12. Build a Legacy Around Your Idea

Let’s say you made the commitment to assume the responsibilities associated with the first 11 steps and have already been successful. Your original idea was born and its impact has now morphed into multiple areas that you would have never thought possible at the beginning.

You have “earned your serendipity” and the opportunities you have created for yourself and others have been momentous. The success of your idea is now real; it has become something more significant and it is up to you to make sure its legacy remains sustainable.

Once you give your idea its life, it is your responsibility that its impact stays alive forever.

Original Post: http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2013/04/01/12-things-successfully-convert-a-great-idea-into-a-reality/

16 Startups by College Students

Are you a risk taker? Do you want a full time job by graduation? Starting a company while in college isn't unheard of in today's world and is a great way to learn valuable lessons early. Check out this article  from http://www.businessinsider.com/ entitled 16 Great Startups College Students Are Working On Right Now

16 Great Startups College Students Are Working On Right Now

Mariana Simoes and Max Nisen | Feb. 11

youtube/EntrepreneurOnline

Incredibly high profile successes by young founders like Mark Zuckerberg have made founding a startup an increasingly attractive career path for college kids.

Schools know it, and more and more of them are creating accelerators, competitions, and classes designed to get student ideas off the ground.

As a result, students aren't waiting to graduate to get started, they're using their connections at school and the support they're getting to create fascinating startups. We've collected 16 of our favorites.

These aren't just another set of apps. Some of these students found business prospects in the most unlikely of places, like a roll of toilet paper. And others, like Gabrielle Palermo, started college with the idea of becoming a doctor but figured out a way to convert her dream of helping people into a business of potentially global proportions.

Fei Xiao and Anna Sergeeva are making events "flake proof"

Youtube/ Startup America

University Of Southern California, Class of 2012

After attending several events in college that promised to have high attendance and turned out to be huge flops, Xiao and Sergeeva decided to make events "flake proof." In 2011 they founded the company trueRSVP, which uses an algorithm developed by the girls to compare how many times attendees RSVP to events to how many they actually attended.


The algorithm then comes up with what the founders have called a "flake rating" so event planners know how many people they should actually expect to see at their events. The girls graduated this year and got their degrees early to work full time on Planana, a spin-off of trueRSVP that offers a variety of other services for event planners.

Todd Medema is making it easier to buy a car without having to visit the lot

Courtesy of Todd Medema

Carnegie Mellon University, Class of 2014

Todd Medema is COO and one of the three co-founders of AutoRef, a company that hopes to make car salesmen obsolete. Craig Younkins, is another one of Autoref's founders who wrote the code that powers the website.

Younkins was also studying at Carnegie Mellon when they came up with the concept for the startup. Craig's taking a leave of absence and is working with Todd to grow the business.

So far, the service features more than three million cars from 5,000 dealerships. As his company expands, 20-year-old Medema is finishing up his junior year

Bryan Silverman turned toilet paper into reading material

Courtesy of Bryan and Jordan Silverman

Duke University, Class of 2015

Although he is studying neuroscience at Duke University, Bryan spends most of his time thinking about toilet paper. His motto? Don't Rush, Look Before You Flush. Together with his older brother Jordan, they launched Star Toilet Paper after Jordan causally made the suggestion that if everyone is always reading in the bathroom, they might as well make a toilet paper that everyone can read.

The brothers broke the toilet paper up into coupons and sold them as add space. So far, 65 companies have agreed to sign on and they pay half a cent per add. Bryan was awarded Entrepreneur Magazine's College Entrepreneur of the Year award for 2012.

Carolyn Yarina's startup makes medical tests possible in even the poorest places

Courtesy of Carolyn Yarina

University Of Michigan, Class of 2013

Carolyn is the CEO and a co-founder of CentriCycle, a startup that has created a manually powered and sustainable centrifuge that allows health care workers to prepare bodily fluids, like blood, for diagnostic tests. This makes it possible to run medical tests in health care facilities in the developing world that don't have the ability to power an electric centrifuge.


Along with other entrepreneurs based at Michigan University, Carolyn took CentriCycle to India. In the future, they hope to create other devices that can make medical care accessible to those who need it most. According to those involved in the project anemia, diabetes, and hepatitis can be prevented or better treated with proper diagnostic procedures.

Wesley Zhao left school to build a social network designed for families

Courtsey of Wesley Zhao

University of Pennsylvania, Class of 2014

19-year-old Wesley Zhao created FamilyLeaf, a social media site that allows users to swap photos and share stories with their loved ones. The site aims to create a safe space for users to post only family-related photos and events.

The idea came to him freshman year, and instead of starting his sophomore year at Wharton, he took a leave of absence and dedicates all his time to FamilyLeaf.

Daniel Mishin founded a chain of hostels in Russia that look like college dorms

Courtesy of Daniel Mishin

Russian Institute of Economics and Computer Science

This 20-year-old may be a student in Russia, but he is now doing business with the United States. He founded Bear Hostels, a chain of hostels that first opened its doors in 2009 to give young Americans a place to crash when visiting places like the New Arbat, one of the most happening neighborhoods in Moscow.

He put together a website that caters to Americans by featuring visa advice and providing all information in English. Bear Hostels is like a cross between a hotel and a college dorm. It's largest branch has rooms that can hold up to 16 beds, and the lobby has a communal plasma TV as well as snacks. Mishin has big plans to expand his hotel business beyond the hostel market and was one of four finalists at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards.

Gabrielle Palermo is transforming shipping containers into clinics to save rural lives

youtube/EntrepreneurOnline

Arizona State University, Class of 2013

Gabrielle wanted to be a doctor but realized that there is no better way to save lives than to make medical care accessible to everyone. The idea behind G3Box, a startup she created alongside other classmates who had started similar projects, is to create cost-effective medical clinics out of recycled shipping containers.


The best part about these compact medical facilities is that they are on wheels and can be transported to rural communities without access to medical services. Palermo and her colleagues won first prize at her college's entrepreneurship contest and landed $20,000 to jump start their business.

Eric Muli is turning college kids into brand ambassadors with free merchandise

Courtesy of Eric Muli

Babson College, Class of 2014

The concept behind the marketing company Jossle is simple: Who better to promote a brand than the very people the brand is targeting? Muli and his friends came up with the idea that companies should distribute branded merchandise like t-shirts, hats, and sweatshirts for college students to wear around campus.


Born in Boston and raised in both Jamaica and Kenya, Muli found his way to Babson college where he began envisioning his classmates as living breathing advertisements who go to class, hang out in their dorms and attend social events all while selling a brand. Any college kid can sign up on their website and when you become a "Josseler" you not only get free gear, but you get paid to wear it.

Jack McDermott is using his own experience in speech therapy to create an app for other stutterers

Courtesy of Jack McDermott

Tufts University, Class of 2014

McDermott is the founder and CEO of Balbus Speech, a company that makes apps that seek to improve speech therapy and make it more accessible. He was inspired to start the company because he was a stutterer himself and benefited from speech therapy.

The company's app, Speech4Good, uses delayed auditory feedback, an established technique of speech therapy, to help people play back speech therapy exercises to themselves as they practice.

Kenny Nguyen helps Fortune 500 businesses polish their presentation skills

Youtube/ Ceoorg

Lousiana State University, Class of 2013

At Lousiana State, Nguyen watched his professors give many presentations, and his take-away from the days he spent attending classes was that he could help make lectures better. This 21-year-old founded Big Fish Presentations, a company that works with presentation design, consults, and produces commercial video. The company's done work for Entergy, a Fortune 500 company.

Big Fish Presentations claims that they can help companies create bigger, brighter, and more interactive presentations, not only by putting them together, but by leading strategy workshops. Nguyen's growing business is evidence that there is a large market out there for polishing up pitches and slide shows.

Karina Pikhart created a label maker for blind people

Courtesy of Karina Pikhart

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Class of 2009

Pikhart created a braille keyboard and labeling kit called 6 Dot. The labels make it easier for blind people to find the right medication in their medicine cabinet or to reach for the spice rack and find the right ingredient. The goal is to continue to come up with new technologies to improve the quality of life for the blind.

Pikhart developed the prototype during an engineering course she took at MIT. Once the product was created, it grew into a successful business. She is currently back in the classroom where she is pursuing a masters in mechanical engineering at Stanford.

Justin Crites and Tony Llongueras' app will use big data to save the lives of stroke victims

Courtsey of Dr. Leanne Field

UT Austin, Class of 2014

Justin Crites and Tony Llongueras founded, along with a third friend, CrowdRX, a startup that's attempting to reduce treatment time for stroke patients by making a large amount of data available immediately, in a way that fits into a responder's workflow. The idea is to use big data to save lives.

This is incredibly important because the earlier strokes are treated, the more brain function can be saved. CrowdRX is one of the 8 finalists at this year's South By Southwest Student Startup Madness competition, selected from a field of 64 student entrepreneurs around the country.

Mikhail Naumov takes students from Princeton and other schools to Costa Rica to learn about sustainable energy

Youtube/Forbes

Rutgers University, Class of 2012

After a trip to Costa Rica with two other classmates who wanted to start a business together, Mikail Naumov had his heart set on launching a renewable energy business. He founded The GREEN Program, a study abroad program that takes Rutgers students to Costa Rica to learn about sustainable energy projects. Other universities, including Princeton and Penn State, have joined the program.

GREEN aims to revolutionize study abroad programs by having students actually implement the sustainable solutions they are learning about in the classroom in the real world. Most recently, students helped put together rainwater collection systems that help give Costa Rican families greater access to water.

Charlie Dolan is helping companies in 11 states get rid of their trash cheaply and sustainably

Courtesy of Vilanova University 2010

Villanova University, Class of 2014

Charlie Dolan came up with a way to reduce the amount of waste that companies dispose of daily. He founded Sequoia Waste Solutions, a waste management company that helps its clients read through the fine print of their waste disposal contracts and find more cost-effective solutions to recycle and get rid of their trash.

While the 20 year-old Dolan attends his classes and works towards a degree in management information systems, he continues building his business.The company, based in Pittsburgh, is active in 11 other states.

Jorjan Tang built a wheel chair that helps disabled people go camping

Courtesy of Vantage Realized

Arizona State University, Class of 2012

Tang's classmate Nicholas Gough's father uses an electric wheelchair that isn't practical when he travels or goes camping. According to those involved in the project, these wheelchairs don't allow users to go uphill or navigate rough terrain. Further, the constant reaching over and bending can cause users to develop arthritis.

To help Nick's dad, they founded Vantage Realized and came up with a new prototype for a wheelchair that functions on a level system. The idea is to not only create a better wheelchair but to start making other products that people with disabilities can use. As CEO of Vantage Realized, Tang has secured funding from ASU's Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative.

Eric Wahl and Matt Lowe are making athletic apparel for the growing sport of Muggle Quidditch

Courtesy of Matt Lowe and Quiyk Team

Emerson College, Class of 2013

Eric and Matt are the co-founders of Quiyk, an athletic apparel company that primarily focuses on apparel for a modified version of Quidditch (a fictional sport from the Harry Potter novels) which was created by students at Middlebury College in 2006. It has become increasingly popular on college campuses since then.

The company launched at the 5th annual Quidditch World Cup in New York City in 2011, sold out almost its entire inventory, and is now the official apparel provider for the International Quidditch Association.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/best-college-startups-2013-2?op=1#ixzz2PLyRJyfZ