Starting a Business at University

Have you ever considered setting up your own business whilst at university?  Many successful businesses have been created by university students, for example Facebook, WordPress and FedEx!

A year on since lockdown began, I caught up with two students who used the extra time they had during lockdown to set up their own independent businesses – both of which are still thriving today!

The first business owner I spoke to was third year Linguistics student, Amber Khan, who set up her own face mask business during lockdown with her mum and sister … 

What is your business, and what made you want to start it? 

My business is called JAS face masks. We sell handmade face masks that come in a variety of patterns and colours; all fitted with a pocket to hold a filter. JAS started because my mum was volunteering for the local council and was asked to make face masks for the waste collectors in response to the covid-19 pandemic. My mum then decided to make masks for our whole family as she had the mask pattern and wanted to practice her skills. 

We started by going into the fabric shop and opting to go for black and pink fabric to make masks for the family, but when we found a bag full of leftover fabric, we thought it would be great to make masks with an array of patterns that we could sell. We decided to sell them on Depop as an experiment, and people started buying them! As a result of the success we found, we decided to ensure that a portion of the profits would go towards the FutureSense Foundation because this is a cause close to our hearts, and I was supposed to be volunteering with them before my plans were interrupted due to the pandemic.  

How did Covid-19 and lockdown encourage you to set up your business?

This lockdown definitely gave us the time and the opportunity to be able to sell face masks because we had no other commitments and I wanted people to ditch the plastic and disposable masks! Reusable masks are more stylish, comfortable and better for the environment than disposable ones.

What has the feedback been like so far about your products?

All our reviews have been positive and it’s heartwarming that people are loving our products and are also choosing to wear reusable masks over disposable ones to protect others. We take on board constructive criticism which leads us to develop new features to make sure our face masks are tailored to our customers needs. Since it became compulsory to wear masks in indoor places, a lot more people turned to us to make face masks. 

When it was announced it was mandatory to wear face masks in public, we were so overwhelmed with orders, we had to ship about 20 a day! Now because it’s been many months, orders have calmed down slightly. 

Were you hesitant at first to start a business during the pandemic?

We didn’t think we would get many orders as we hadn’t got an established brand and we relied on the customer’s trust to be able to sell. So in that aspect we were hesitant, but after we had built our little business and created a solid reputation, we were raring to go! 

What challenges have you faced setting up a business during the pandemic?

The biggest challenge was time-management. We started it off when none of us had commitment except mum’s work, so making the masks filled our time well. However, Sophie (my sister) and I were offered jobs at the start of July, so once we got settled into that routine our days consisted of working and then making masks in the evening. 

Sometimes we felt overwhelmed with the orders and not knowing the exact measurements of our customers but each time we made a new mask, we innovated and developed new ways of tailoring our masks to everyone!

What advice do you have for other students who are interested in setting up a business?  

Go for it! I stand by the idea that you should be doing something that makes you the happiest, but, you need to make sure you give it your 100% focus and drive! The use of social media really helped us so we recommend spending time on creating a brand and valuable reputation. 

We’re also happy to announce that we’ve raised over £200 for the FutureSense Foundation and we hope to keep raising that money! 

The second student I spoke to was Finance PhD student Sandy Pérez Robles who set up her own business through the B-corporation, Arbonne … 

What is your business, and what made you want to start it? 

I like to explain my business as very similar to a franchise. Thus, I own my business underneath the umbrella of a B-corporation called Arbonne. What this means is that I’m able to continue with my studies with the flexibility that I can build my online business on my own schedule, but with a lower risk compared to a traditional business in the sense that it is already established. 

Arbonne is a company that has been around for 40 years, the products are already established, they are toxin-free, cruelty-free and vegan with lots of other certifications. We have over 500 products including haircare, skincare, makeup, nutrition, essential oils, baby care, and even men’s skincare. We also have personal care products such as deodorant and toothpaste. If you have skin and hair, we’ve got you covered!

I’m currently doing my Ph.D. in Finance and I first heard about Arbonne through my friend Yesely who I met here in Bangor during our Masters. I had been thinking about doing the business for a long time but at the beginning of my PhD, I was concerned about the time I would have to spend on it (although looking back I wish I had started earlier). Then during the pandemic, I realized, well, there is no perfect time for anything. So I just jumped in and started!

With the situation today, as it is with the pandemic and the climate we find ourselves in, I kind of felt that I needed to have something alongside my scholarship funds (which are ending soon) and I decided to start building a business while I also search for my next steps in my finance career.

Furthermore, I have suffered from severe acne before so I care a lot about what kind of products I use in my face and I would normally invest in quality products so when I tried Arbonne (I was quite reluctant to try, to be honest!) … I loved how my skin and body felt inside and out.

How did Covid-19 and lockdown encourage you to set up your business?

People who know me know that I have always wanted to have something on my own. Therefore, I consider this as the beginning of many other businesses along the way. During the pandemic, I stopped working my part-time job (which was face-to-face in the health care industry). I learned a lot there and I loved the shop where I was working, however, since online shopping is stronger now and I have friends in different countries where Arbonne trades (i.e. USA, Australia, Canada, Poland, New Zealand), I went back and thought… “well, I am a consumer of Arbonne products anyway… Why not now give it a spin and finally remove those fears and be disciplined and set a time to do the business?” 

What has been the feedback like so far about your products? 

So far, all my clients have expressed how happy they are with the great quality for value. So far, people have been more amazed at how the products involve natural ingredients especially in the hair care and skincare lines. The nutritional side is also very attractive to many of my clients as everyone is starting to be more aware of healthy habits. The fact that Arbonne also is a B-corporation, meaning that it’s a company which balances out profit and supports sustainability is also a factor that attracts most of my clients and well, at the end of the day, they are supporting me as they believe in what I recommend.

Do you think business is better or slower due to the pandemic? 

Better! When everything is uncertain, everything that is important becomes clear, so for me, fear about starting went away. Furthermore, more people lost their jobs / couldn’t go to work so they started looking for other options. Starting a business with Arbonne ticks all the boxes in terms of being online, based on consumable products and access to global business (we operate in six countries! US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Poland). When you start the business, they give you your own website, CRM system; all the IT support and consumers all over the world can get the products straight to their door. Actually, we had our UK annual conference last August, and part of the numbers announced was a 36% increase in the number of people enrolled in the business this year as well as a 110% increase in our preferred client program which is like an Amazon Prime membership. 

Were you hesitant at first to start a business during the pandemic? 

No, on the contrary. As I said, I was working part-time before in a shop and doing some extra bits but because of the lockdown, I lost that income source. I was still concerned about time. As a PhD student, time is gold for me. So I still wondered, am I be able to manage this as well? and you know thinking about it… I can put an hour aside and I can give up something, watch less TV and use the time I spent on social media anyway to grow my business.

I could also say that I was hesitant in terms of what people would think about me. Not everyone’s opinion, but yes a bit of that too. So far, instead, I have seen friends giving support. In addition, I have become more organized while separating my time, when working for my Ph.D. and the time for the business. I believe that when we have more things to do, we are more effective and focus on the time we have.

What challenges have you faced setting up a business during the pandemic? 

Not many to be honest. The Arbonne community is super helpful and they teach you what you need to know to start. You receive lots of mentorship. As I said before, it’s an online business mainly and platforms such as Zoom/Facebook helped me to launch the business. Maybe one challenge can be that I haven’t been able to do face-to-face product parties so people can try the products or take samples with them, but I have overcome that by sending some samples through the post, and hosting raffles and other events.

Do you plan to continue with your business for a long time? 

YES, definitely. I am excited about my future building this business, especially because it is something I deeply like and enjoy. That is the most important thing for me, something I enjoy talking about, which is also benefitting my mental and physical health, as I am part of such an uplifting community. I am excited about this sense of achievement. I am surprised about myself so far with the personal development that I have gained being able to be exposed, which has helped to build more my self-confidence. I think this type of business model is evolving and becoming more and more popular, so, it won’t be rare anymore.

So far, I have found in this business, massive support, and great people. Not necessarily women, also younger guys than me and I feel wow… so inspiring.

What advice do you have for other students who are interested in setting up a business? 

Well, I would advise you to just go for it. There is no perfect time to start, so just decide and make a commitment to yourself to start, believe in your idea, and be consistent and discipline with the required work to do it. 

Do your market research.  Look at numbers and trends to assess whether there is a market need. For example, the health and wellness industry is one of the industries with more and more potential to keep growing. We will always need bath/body care products. So in terms of that, I felt it was a no-brainer in my case. Also, just have fun doing what you want to create.

I am happy to be contacted and answer any questions about Arbonne, its products and the business concept. Also, there are different ways to support me: 

1. If you are looking to try products that are cruelty-free, vegan, and that aim for sustainability, you can become my client, I am always happy to assist you in finding the right product for your need.
2. You can also be part of our preferred client program which is like an Amazon membership for a year. You can get a 20-40% discount in all, you have free shipping, and you have a free gift in your first order.
3. If you think that Arbonne is the right fit for you to start your own business, well, I am here to help you start. Or if you have a friend that might like this, refer them to me.
4. You can host also host a party which is a great bit of fun. You will be obviously entitled to get a free gift and a bit of money for those orders. 

Just reach out to me and ask me which way are you interest in. Thank you for your support!