Start Up Business Ideas for Campus Entrepreneurs

This is a personal story of a young man with an intense passion for success. He has survived all odds my start up business ideas in the campus from nothing to an admirable stage. Enjoy our interview segment and be inspired by his story.

LBC CREW: Its our pleasure meeting you Sir, we correspondents from Life Beyond Certificate blog (www.lifebeyondcertificate.com). Our aim is to inspire the giant in you to survive in harsh times. We provide platform for young people to be challenged by the success of other young people. You can succeed beyond your certificate. Don’t let your course of study limit you. Today, we have a model in our midst, who will inspire you with his story. Get ready for superlative motivation for a great success.   Please may we know you?

Campus Entrepreneur: I’m Emeka Chukwemeka Victor: A native of Imo State, and 400L student of the University of Uyo. A student of Physiology. I am also an Entrepreneur, the C.E.O of Meklin Laundry Services, Paul Harris Park Uniuyo annex.

LBC CREW: Wow! Good to know, please I’d love you to take us down to memory lane, how did it all start, what were the challenges you had in this life and the qualities that kept you?

Campus Entrepreneur: I started in my year One, that was 2015, during my first semester, I started selling small provisions like biscuit and some other things with a capital of N1,500, and I added other goods depending on the demand of customers, at a point my capital grew from N 1,500 to 3,000. I moved from buying with “counting” to buying in carton. My very first challenge in this phase was being ejected from the hostel because it looked like I was into a competition with the normal sellers at the common room, these were the people who had authentic selling right in the hostel, compared to me, who was a student but I didn’t give up. I am someone who loves making money from my effort not just being dependent, so I left selling at the hostel to selling during night class, I stayed throughout the night class period to sell.

LBC CREW: Why did you choose to sell at night?

          This was because I just had to look for an option, nobody sold during night classes, in fact the people at common room were not always available, so and there are student who needed comestibles to chew, water to drink while reading, so I started and I was the first person that started before other people did and it helped me also financially.

LBC CREW: But did it not affect your studies, like watching your fellow student read, and you selling, how did you cope?

Campus Entrepreneur: Sure, it did it affected my studies because it was not easy to juggles business and academics, but I managed. My year I, CGPA was good year 2 was fair, and as at year 3, there was significant decline, so I had to withdraw but not totally, I still sort for another option which was buying other people time to sell by employing someone to sell for me at night, then I just come around to monitor how the selling is going and go back to my book. I did this for a while before going into my laundry business.

LBC CREW: How did the laundry business start?

Campus Entrepreneur: Well, in life you don’t have to be satisfied when you have not reached your goal. Personally, I never learnt laundry from anybody. To be frank, I was a shirt-wearing type. I started by Ironing my clothes, I was the type that loved wearing polos and palms, my polo was mostly Jersey. So, I started with myself. Yes, I had to start with my self by improving my dress sense, not that I looked more expensive or fashionable, but I started looking decent and smart I became the shirt wearing type and started pressing my clothes, though I wasn’t too perfect at pressing my clothes well, I also helped busy student during my free time to press their clothe but for a fee. I also started learning the ironing techniques from my room mates who knew better than I did.

          What really made me go into laundry was that before then, I ran for a position in school at SUG (Student Union Government) level, and didn’t get so at this point I got so broke and was in debt so I had to do something. I also brought an idea of washing and pressing the clothes of year 1 student was about undergo their matriculation ceremony, it worked was also a back up to laundry business idea. At this point, I got to know someone who knew the technicalities of the business, so I just create awareness and even bring clothes of most people for him to take care of, the both of us had plans of doing this business together but he wasn’t convinced and felt I would be the one with greater advantaged, so he backed out.

          Getting a shop in school was not easy, I had to do this on my own with several accompanying challenges. I thank God I overcame and got a shop. I currently employ a few young people who are in the shop to maintain the routines of the business, while I focus on the marketing and the general management. I also got necessary things like generator, and other things and I still look forward to better days.

LBC CREW: What Qualities led you to this point?

Campus Entrepreneur: First I would love to say Commitment and Persistence, I never gave up on my setbacks starting from being affected from the hostel. Again, I had phobia for poverty, you know what poverty can do to a man? I also acknowledge God because he was my main support and I give glory to him.