16 Things to Sell at School for Quick Gains
A school can be the perfect place to make some extra money. Most of the time, a school setting is lower in competition but high in demand.
There are several times that you can sell during the school year. Whether it be for you, the student, to make money, a special fundraising event, or even a school market day, there are plenty of items you can easily sell at school to make money.
How To Make Extra Money
If you're a student looking to make some money on the side, one of the best ways to do so is to find things to sell at school. You're surrounded by friends and peers around the same age with similar interests at school. This presents one of the best opportunities for making money.
So, add a few sellable items to your cart before you do your back-to-school shopping.
Best Things To Sell at School
Students will have different interests depending on their age and location. In addition, the most popular items will differ between younger children and those in high school.
The best things to sell at school to make money are items that students always need. If you are looking to sell at school on a day-to-day basis, here are 17 items you can quickly sell at school to make extra money.
1. Snacks
Kids, parents, and teachers are always hungry. When away from home, one of the main things people will look for is easy access to food and snacks.
When choosing which snacks to sell, ensure you can remain profitable. Purchasing in bulk will ensure you pay the lowest cost per unit.
Good snack options to sell include:
- Chips and Crackers: While chips and crackers are a great option, try and choose items with packaging that can withstand pressure and won't get crushed in a backpack.
- Candy: Candy is a big seller, especially with students. If selling chocolate items, be mindful of temperatures so you don't end up with melted items you can't sell.
- Drinks: Gatorade, soft drinks, bottled water, and energy drinks sell well but are heavy.
- Baked Goods: Homemade and store-bought baked goods are always popular. However, if selling baked goods, check with the school to see if they have a policy that only allows store-bought items.
2. School Supplies
Another great way to make money at school is to sell school supplies. Most of the kids in the school will have the necessary school supplies, but many will want something more unique.
Custom-made pens or notebooks that are unlike any other in the classroom will sell well.
There are some necessities that children overlook yet require the most. Think about selling smaller school supplies and stationery to make money quickly. Pencils, pens, highlighters, staplers, paper, notebooks, folders, erasers, and other office supplies are in great demand. The best time to sell them is right before examinations and tests.
3. Stickers
Selling stickers is another great way to make money at school. They are one of the simplest things to sell because they take up very little space and can be sold anywhere. Many students enjoy personalizing their laptops and water bottles with stickers of popular brands, themes, or bands.
Furthermore, large multi-packs of stickers can be found at a low price if you look around. Then you can split them into sheets and sell them for $1.00 each. The purchaser will believe the value is relatively high, given the number of stickers they will receive.
4. Locker Decorations and Accessories
You can build an excellent little business if your school allows locker decorations and accessories. The best way to start this is to let people order locker decorations for birthdays or special occasions.
Tell people about your business, and they will come to you when they need a locker decorated. You can use supplies for a party supply warehouse to decorate and personalize the locker.
Make sure that you charge for both your time and the supplies. Other ideas to make money with lockers include selling accessories for the inside of the locker.
Most lockers will be magnetic, so you can sell magnetic items to decorate or organize a locker. Remember to get clearance from the school beforehand.
5. Slime
Kids love slime. Slime is fun, can be made in several colors, and is easy to package individually. Most slime is made quickly and easily with basic ingredients.
6. Tie-Dyed Items
Tie-dye is still a popular thing that kids and adults love. Making a tie-dye shirt is not challenging, and you can get a pretty good idea of the sizes you will need based on the school you go to.
Tie-dyed items don't need only to be t-shirts; you can dye notebook covers, soccer socks, headbands, and more.
7. Homemade Dog Treats
Who doesn't like to bring home a treat for their dog? If you can make healthy and affordable dog treats, they will sell quite quickly.
Try to make something with a long shelf life so it doesn't need to be consumed in one day. You will sell more volume this way.
8. Jewelry
Bracelets don't have to be made with gold and silver. In fact, some bracelets can be made with a string and a clasp and sold very quickly on a market day.
There are so many unique ideas on Pinterest for making different bracelets.
You can purchase a bead kit with beautiful and unique beads for a meager price. Putting the time in to string the beads and tie the bracelets can be tedious. Still, it will be worth it as the markup on handmade jewelry is relatively high.
9. Bookmarks
Believe it or not, most people who enjoy reading still prefer a book in their hands instead of reading on a tablet. Bookmarks can be a great way to make money because they are simple, and you can get creative.
If you are skilled at woodworking, thin wood bookmarks are unique and will sell well.
10. Magnets
You can order and paint blank magnets or draw on them for a unique design.
You can also use a company that prints on magnets to get them custom-made for an event or a local school cause. The magnets that go on the back of a car are very popular, especially if they include the school logo.
11. Custom T-Shirts
The custom t-shirt business is very lucrative when you have a unique concept. The custom shirts will sell fast if your t-shirt design is directly related to the school or the local area.
The only issue with this is that you will likely be doing a lot of work after you make the sales. You will bring some shirts as samples and then take orders and determine the shipping details.
The process is time-consuming and a bit longer, but it can be quite profitable.
12. Printables for School Binders
You can make dividers, covers, or even organizers to sell for school binders. These are usually done at home on a printer with quality heavier-stock paper. The process is not complicated, and your markup will be substantial.
Ensure you are accounting for ink and time when setting your pricing for printables.
13. Small Toys and Gadgets
Small gadgets, popular products, fascinating toys, and various other amazing little things are all favorites among children. Cables for charging phones, fidget spinners, and other devices are examples of items that are popular with students.
14. Print Pictures
Nowadays, students love taking pictures and selfies. Still, they don't print the images most of the time, and they remain on the student's phone or camera. However, having a photo printed with their best friends from school, or images of the best games and tales from their school years, is a beautiful touch for them. You can print out photos on good-quality photo paper to sell.
15. Tutoring
Many students need a tutor but don't know where to get one. Offering your knowledge and time as a reliable tutor could earn you some serious bucks.
16. Study Notes
Check with your school to see if this is permitted. Still, study notes and old homework can be extremely valuable to students trying to maximize their study time. If you get good grades and take good notes, you can sell copies of them to classmates.
What Are Easy Ways To Make Money at School?
An easy way to make money is to find things to sell at school that require little time and financial investment. This is an excellent way to earn extra cash in middle school, high school, or college.
What is the Most Profitable Thing To Sell?
This depends on the types of things you can make or afford. There are hundreds of things to sell at school that can earn you a profit. Options range from toys, candies, food, printed items, etc. The best route is to find low-cost products with a high-profit margin.
Things To Consider When Selling at School
- Do not sell the things you enjoy; sell what students want to purchase.
- Be mindful of the potential challenges of different items, i.e., candy bars or cold drinks in warm temperatures.
- Determining which items will sell quickly and be most profitable will take time. Don't give up easily.
- Consider hiring friends/employees in different classes to be able to sell to students you don't come in contact with.
Don't Overlook Selling Services
Despite all the items listed above, often, the most lucrative thing you can sell is your services. In addition to selling notes and tutoring, you can offer plenty of other services like shoe cleaning and locker renting. Try brainstorming things you are good at and things people struggle with to determine which problems you can solve for people.
Before You Begin
If you have ever thought you could make money selling at school, chances are you are right. There are many great ways to sell at school or online and turn a profit.
And while you may be excited to begin, you must check with the school to clarify their rules and regulations. Getting permission to sell on campus and learning about the local school regulations are essential steps before moving forward.
Ensure you comply with all rules and do not violate them. You're likely to be allowed if you have a proper business setup; however, you don't want to invest time or money only to be shut down.
In addition to selling, you should set goals for how you plan to grow your business idea. Brainstorm ways to get repeat customers and eventually expand the products you sell.
Get Started
There are tons of ways to make money nowadays. You can do gigs online for cash, sell on Etsy, get paid to write someone else's blog, sell on eBay, or become an affiliate for an online course. The opportunities are truly endless.
That being said, there's no denying that some opportunities are more challenging than others to execute. One of the best opportunities you have is selling stuff at your school. Check with your school, find a few suggestions from this list, and get started!
This article originally appeared on Wealth of Geeks.Â
