College campuses offer great opportunities to support your fellow classmates’ small businesses as well as avenues to start your own entrepreneurial journeys. Many student-owned businesses are very charming, and the students who run them are hardworking and passionate about their products.
Skye Simmons ’25, president of the Entrepreneurship Club started her skincare business when she was in high school. She focuses on making her products “handmade with creativity, love, and soul.” Selling handmade face and body creams, promoting her business through social media and going to entrepreneurship competitions, she has seen a lot of success around campus. In 2023, she entered the Volusia Innovation Challenge with her skin care line and won $5,000, which she put directly into funding her business. She explained that when she went to this competition, she “went through so many different yes’s and no’s with getting critiques.” Simmons opened up about how the harsh criticism broke her down in the moment. “But I feel like it highlights the whole reason for being an entrepreneur, you know, being able to persevere.” Through this perseverance, she was able to win the competition and build her company even more. After being asked about what she hopes for the future she says, “Eventually I want to open up a store front, also ultimately gaining more of an audience online, and then from there having an in-person storefront [and] then eventually having something bigger than that like a mall.”
Jessica Enuyen ’26, Vice President of the Entrepreneurship Club is a licensed nail technician and created her own nail powder line called Perfection By Jess (PBJ). After being asked about her previous experience in the nail art world she explained how her parents owned a nail business for over 23 years, which helped her learn about, “being an entrepreneur, how to manage a business, how a to run a business and customer service” This helped her feel comfortable in the entrepreneurship world and have the motivation to start her own company.
When asked about her favorite part of opening and maintaining her own business, Enuyen states, “A lot of people do things out of wanting to make a profit, but that’s not really my reasoning for it. I do it because that’s what makes me happy and it makes other people happy as well.” She describes that having her nail business is the way for her to be creative and serve a purpose for others, stating “The whole sense of getting your nails done is to boost your confidence and give you a sense of happiness.” After being asked what she would say to those that have a business idea but just don’t know where to start, she states “Just kind of go for it. I think a lot of it comes from people having the idea, but they never act on it…The hardest part is always doing something the first time. Just like going through the gym. It’s always hard to get your butt up until the first day, but after you go, you’ll get used to it.”
You don’t necessarily need a business idea to join, the entrepreneurship club is a great way to kick off your small business journey. This club offers support to students, while allowing them to attend competitions with possible monetary awards while gaining helpful experience. Joining the club also comes with the added possibility of a mentor, to help guide you in learning the basics of starting and maintaining your business. The entrepreneurship club offers a lot of different experiences, with a variety of opportunities. Enuyen discussed that in the entrepreneurship club, “You meet a lot of different people in a lot of different fields, because every field essentially is business”. This club helps students open their creativity, and learn more about the entrepreneurship world.
