Hard work and responsibility are the key ingredients to becoming a mature adult

Partner with us to expand these opportunities to more students

Millions of students take a class about business, but sitting in a class is not sufficient - students need an internship to truly be ready for an entrepreneurial career! This is what the pros in every career field have discovered. Whether it’s student teachers, medical residents, accounting interns, or apprenticeships for the skilled trades, everyone knows that learning by doing is what really works. We believe that one reason 80% of entrepreneurs fail is because they never had an internship as a business owner. Students - don’t let that be you! Before chasing your million dollar idea, practice your business ownership skills with one of our simple “starter businesses” that give you the flexibility to focus on school and put serious cash in your pocket to prepare for your future. 

At the end of the day, taking ownership for your future is much more important than taking ownership of a business. Successful adults follow the same principles as successful entrepreneurs: they think long term, work hard and smart to solve problems for others, invest their time and money wisely, and pursue win-win relationships built on trust. Student Startup is the internship for entrepreneurs - not just for future business owners, but for any student who wants to use their teen years as an internship for adulthood. 

Our philosophy

Our philosophy starts with the goodness of work and the critical role that physical labor plays in the character development of a young person. 

More than just work, learning to be a business owner requires an incredible amount of responsibility and develops another skill set all together that will be essential to their future careers. 

We believe that the little things matter. When a student learns to manage their first business in a professional way, their odds of success the rest of life are high. 

Customers are oftentimes the best coaches, and we ask that you provide direct feedback anytime you notice a small area for improvement. Thank you in advance for your investment in students; it makes a big difference!

How we do it 

We provide the three things an ambitious young person needs to launch their first business: access to capital to purchase equipment, access to coaching to shorten the learning curve, and access to customers to grow their business. 

We focus on high trust home services because the pay is good, the schedules are flexible around school, and the lessons learned from owning these simple businesses are the same skills needed to own a larger business someday, or more importantly, to own your life. 

The why behind our what  

Our motivation to launch Student Startup comes from the example of Jesus. He lived a perfect life, died for our sins, and offers peace with God to all who turn from their sins and trust in Him.

When Jesus walked the earth, he met the physical needs of people (feeding , healing, etc.) and then offered hope for their spiritual needs. One of the biggest physical needs that young people have today (especially those who grow up in poverty) is the need to make money, learn business, and build character. In our view, the best way to do this when you are young is to start a service business, and we’ve found that providing students dedicated support (i.e. business coaching, back office/marketing assistance, and startup capital) has helped many reach a high level of success. 

Successful business people think long-term; they make decisions today that help them five years from now and 50 years from now. We want to extend that long term thinking to 100 years from now when this life on earth is over, teaching young people that they don’t have to gain the whole world and lose their soul. They can do good business that glorifies God/loves their neighbor, and more importantly follow Jesus for lasting joy and peace. To learn more, check out the story of God, the world, and you.

Student Startup’s business coaching program is facilitated through partnerships with local churches who are committed to Christ’s example of good deeds and good news. Our leaders are Christians, YES, but this program is for any student. In the same way that Jesus showed no partiality to those he served, we also serve students from any background or belief system.