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Startupnation
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Time to team up
Andy Tabar, the founder of Bizooki, started grooming his technical skills not long after he turned 10. Bizooki is designed to help people form virtual teams, recruiting existing team members or finding new ones to work with on technical projects. Such virtual business strategies could represent a sea change in the way businesses are run. Tabar, a student and an example of this trend, is a great communicator and is totally wired in to the world of social media. He is aggressive and has the kind of smarts, motivation, instincts and talents to lead StartupNation's "huge upside potential" group.
Read Andy's business tips at StartupNation
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: Bizooki
Student founder: Andy Tabar
What it does: Helps businesses form "virtual teams" around a technology, design or strategy
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Student outreach
Ilia Nossov's College Effect helps companies market to college students both online and offline through a network of ambassadors on campuses in 16 cities throughout New York, reaching 750,000 students. His team plans to expand to seven other Eastern states this fall, and as a result the company is seeking new investors. Nossov leveraged his experience as the marketing director for a nightclub to develop College Effect. And it turns out there are students on every campus tuned in to their school who can help -- and make a few bucks in the process.
Read more on College Effect's marketing maestro
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: College Effect
Student founder: Ilia Nossov
What it does: Promotes products, services and brands to college students
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Test-driving the future
While his peers were scrambling for cash, Brandon Labman was cooking up a hot business concept. He recognized that students are perpetually desperate to find work and that businesses love mining college campuses for bright-eyed talent. Determined to play matchmaker, this student at Virginia's George Mason University launched Rocs (aka Responsible Outgoing College Students) during his freshman year. He connects students to job opportunities that relate to their career aspirations and goals, allowing them to test-drive their futures.
Read Brandon's small-business advice at StartupNation
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: Rocs
Student founder: Brandon Labman
What it does: Connects college students with jobs tied to future careers
Photo Credit: StartupNation
View of your room
Dorm-room entrepreneurs are often inspired by the college experience. Imagine you've been accepted to a school and you wonder what your dorm room is going to be like. Brian Rider's company, Digital Wingman, has the answer. It creates virtual dorm rooms for use on college Web sites. He hopes to branch out into apartment buildings. And this student at Grand Valley State in Michigan exudes the startup spirit of entrepreneurship. You get a sense that this is just the first of many business concepts he'll invent.
Read Brian's '7 musts' at StartupNation
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: Digital Wingman
Student founder: Brian Rider
What it does: Creates 3-D models of dorm rooms for use on college Web sites
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Reaching students via cell phone
Brandon Bornancin won't be denied. He supplied a steady stream of information about his business for StartupNation's consideration and had his entire team send e-mails, marshaling his resources to get the word out on EnMobile Media. It's a mobile marketing company that uses permission-based text messaging to help businesses reach consumers' cell phones. But under this Ohio University student's leadership, EnMobile could be much more than that. It's a business made up of extremely passionate young entrepreneurs. The upside potential is as exciting as his company's culture.
Read Brandon's advice to think big at StartupNation
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: EnMobile Media
Student founder: Brandon Bornancin
What it does: Sends information about businesses to consumers' cell phones
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Connecting coaches to athletes
Michael Farb loves soccer. And he's going to love it more as he starts making money off the sport, which he's nicely positioned to do. CaptainU is an online platform that connects high school athletes to college coaches. It's not only soccer -- the service covers the full range of college sports and helps no-name athletes get on the radar of recruiters and coaches looking for undiscovered talent. When "the other 98%#37" of athletes are your market, there's a huge opportunity, and Farb, a student at the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business, is seizing it.
Read more about the top dorm-based businesses at StartupNation
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: CaptainU
Student founder: Michael Farb
What it does: Connects lower-tier student athletes with coaches trying to fill rosters
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Rate that product
The abbreviation ITOG may not be catchy, but the service provided by Washington University in St. Louis student Richard Feldman's Is That One Good? is. The business takes users' opinions to generate product recommendations, then helps them discover new and exciting things. Users rate a variety of products and services -- movies, books, restaurants, airlines, etc. -- and then receive personalized, unbiased recommendations based on rating patterns of users with similar tastes. Accounts are free; the business's revenue comes from advertising.
Read Richard Feldman's winning advice at StartupNation
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: Is That One Good?
Student founder: Richard Feldman
What it does: Provides recommendations on products and services based on users' ratings
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Affordable textbooks
Surveying the price of textbooks at Virginia Tech, Vinnie Thomas knew there had to be a more economical way. So he started Affordabook.com to help college students find the best prices on textbooks. Affordabook searches more than 20 partner sites to find the lowest prices on new and used textbooks. Though the site was originally for Virginia Tech students only, Thomas has expanded it to cover more than 100 colleges and universities. Students can order books online even before they arrive on campus. The site also features the latest books from The New York Times' best-seller list.
Read Vinnie Thomas' keys to success at StartupNation
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: Affordabook.com
Student founder: Vinnie Thomas
What it does: Helps college students find low-priced books
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Parents in the loop
Southern Illinois University student Brian Kress' Note2Home makes it easier for parents to stay connected to their college-age kids in and out of school. Parents simply log on to quickly access information about school and extracurricular activities. They can check homework, grades and attendance, find out about sporting events and even talk to professors, administrators and other parents. They can check for school closings and purchase school supplies through an Amazon.com-affiliated site, which then contributes 2%#37 of the purchase price to the school.
Read more about the top dorm-based businesses at StartupNation
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: Note2Home
Student founder: Brian Kress
What it does: Lets parents check in with their college students online
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Bored? Try a game
Jeffrey Brown is turning his love for gaming into a winning business. His brainchild, World Gaming Center, was born from a Web site he started in high school. It's aggressively billed as "A New Era in Online Gaming," and Brown says it's a family-friendly environment for social and competitive play. It boasts more than 150,000 registered players and offers action, board, card, sports and other online games. Brown, a student at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, runs a volunteer staff of more than 500 hosts, with the bills paid by ads and fellow enthusiasts.
Read more about the top dorm-based businesses at StartupNation.
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: World Gaming Center
Student founder: Jeffrey Brown
What it does: Lets players tackle a variety of games online
Photo Credit: StartupNation
A talent for trickery
Jared Sherlock is turning his creative talents into a successful business right before our very eyes. A young illusionist who turned pro at 13, this student at St. John's University in New York makes his magic act a serious business. Performing for audiences at universities, festivals and other special events, he aims to connect with audiences through storytelling, interpretive dance and comedy, as well as magic. Jared believes magic is "a classy, sophisticated art form that breaks the boundaries of language and culture." He leads StartupNation's "very talented" group.
Marketing is the real trick, Jared Sherlock tells StartupNation.
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: The Magic of Jared Sherlock
Student founder: Jared Sherlock
What it does: Entertains with magic, comedy and dance
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Welcome to the Web
This Web design and development business is BAD. That's Brett Adams Design. Adams has been honing his skills for more than a decade, which is nearly half his life. He won Hewlett-Packard's Best Design Small Business Blog Award in 2007 for his blog, Startup Students. His clients include a range of businesses and events, from venture capitalists to triathlons, and he says last year's sales exceeded expectations by 160%#37. This year, this University of Central Florida student is launching Staffr, a Web-based hiring site for arenas, convention centers and stadiums.
Read Brett Adams' business tips at StartupNation
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: Brett Adams Design
Student founder: Brett Adams
What it does: Helps a range of businesses establish Web sites
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Beach-inspired baubles
Brian Linton started his apparel and jewelry business, Sand Shack, during his freshman year of college, and his products are sold in more than 50 stores across the Northeast. He has leveraged his fluency in Mandarin Chinese and his experiences growing up as an American in Japan and Singapore to help partner with manufacturers in Asia. Because he started Sand Shack on Cape Cod, Linton wanted to do something for the beaches and ocean. He hosts conservation events at the Cape Cod National Seashore during the summer.
Read Brian Linton's tips for success at StartupNation
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: Sand Shack
Student founder: Brian Linton
What it does: Sells apparel and jewelry
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Doing the dirty work
Here's the scoop: Jon Wood was looking for a way to scratch an entrepreneurial itch, and he wanted a business with a low cost of entry. He's also a firm believer that all pet owners should be able to keep their dogs, lawns and cities healthy and beautiful. With Hurricane K-9 Waste Removal, Wood makes sure every dog has a clean place to live and play. Generating business through customer referrals, Hurricane K-9 continues to grow as Wood studies at the University of Tulsa. He leads the "blocking and tackling" category.
Read Jon Wood's tips for cleaning up at StartupNation
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: Hurricane K-9 Waste Removal
Student founder: Jon Wood
What it does: Scoops poop
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Computer insider
As a freshman in high school, Zach Vruwink began helping his friends and family with computer problems. Recognizing a need for his services in his "one-horse town" of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., Vruwink took the $500 in his savings account and opened Zach's Computers in his parents' basement. Today, Zach's Computers has a retail location and six employees, and he's able to keep his finger on the pulse while attending the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point. This entrepreneur's motto says it all: "Helping you understand your computer with plain talk and friendly local service."
Read Zach Vruwink's business tips at StartupNation.
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: Zach's Computers
Student founder: Zach Vruwink
What it does: Services computers and educates computer users
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Cleaning up by cleaning
Don Liimatainen knows how to run a good, clean business. He started his Ablaze Custom Cleaning window-washing business to earn extra money while employed at Home Depot. Ablaze has grown to four employees and recently expanded into carpet cleaning and other janitorial services. This student at Minnesota's Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College believes in treating employees as well as his best customers. Developing a squeaky-clean reputation with customers and employees alike gives this young entrepreneur a crystal-clear outlook and a bright future.
Read Don's guide to startup success at StartupNation.
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: Ablaze Custom Cleaning
Student founder: Don Liimatainen
What it does: Cleans windows, carpets and more
Photo Credit: StartupNation
A 'green' scrapheap
EScrapOhio founder Mario Jurcic wants his "green" electronics-recycling business to produce more green, as in cash. He started his project for a class at Ohio State University, and it has grown into a full-fledged business. While in school, Jurcic has been expanding by adding warehouse space and purchasing equipment -- with a little help from his father, who has a business nearby. His goal with EScrapOhio is to bring the green revolution to Ohio, one electronic component at a time.
Read more about the top dorm-based businesses at StartupNation
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: EScrapOhio
Student founder: Mario Jurcic
What it does: Recycles electronic components
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Almost-custom designs
For Shelby Burford, good design is everything. Burford launched Shelby Burford Design in 2002 to create logos for local small businesses. Doing great work generates referrals, and business has steadily grown to include concert tickets, trade-show displays and even book covers. Unlike larger shops, Burford's Web site offers no more than nine basic designs, which are revised to fit clients' needs. This Kansas State University student's results speak for themselves. He has worked with clients in more than 18 states, dozens of small businesses and one Fortune 500 client.
Read Shelby Burford's tip on getting starting at StartupNation.
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: Shelby Burford Design
Student founder: Shelby Burford
What it does: Designs logos and other artwork for clients in more than 18 states
Photo Credit: StartupNation
A jewel of an idea
True entrepreneurs start dreaming up businesses at an early age, and Kevin Kirk fits that mold. At 10, he knew he was onto something after pocketing $300 one weekend selling jewelry while working the concession stand at his sister's lacrosse tournament. He'd found the perfect niche: selling cool stuff to girls at youth sporting events. That evolved into A Slice of Paradise, which earned Kirk a $40,000 scholarship from the McKelvey Foundation. Now a freshman pulling down a 4.0 grade-point average at the University of Maryland, Kirk is living out his early dreams.
Read more about the top dorm-based businesses at StartupNation
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: A Slice of Paradise
Student founder: Kevin Kirk
What it does: Sells jewelry and accessories for girls
Photo Credit: StartupNation
Web site design
Jeremy Clarke started his Web design business in high school and says things really started clicking in his senior year. Now he's a junior at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind., and the CEO of Vortex Web Solutions. He's built a strong portfolio of clients who rave about his customer service, and nearly 100%#37 of his new business is based on referrals. He works mostly with hungry startups, but he's added a few big players to the client list. Like the others on this list, this is a college entrepreneur to watch.
Read Jeremy Clarke's tips at StartupNation.
Home: The 20 best dorm-based businesses
Company: Vortex Web Solutions
Student founder: Jeremy Clarke
What it does: Web design for startup companies