10 Business Ideas for Entrepreneurial College Grads

Traditional 9-to-5 jobs are no longer a strict norm, especially for young people just entering the workforce. Side hustles, freelance work and self-run enterprises are increasingly popular and offer a plethora of ways to make a living from outside the confines of a cubicle.

Many recent grads are choosing to forge their own paths by starting their own businesses across a wide variety of industries. Here are 10 low-cost business ideas you can start as a new graduate.

Clothing company

Did you dream of working in the fashion world, but couldn't find more than a few low-level opportunities in the field? If you have a great eye for design, you can strike out on your own and start an independent clothing company. Knowing how to sew or silk-screen will help you get off the ground, but you'll eventually need to find a good manufacturer to reach the next stage of growth. As with any business, high-quality products combined with great marketing skills are the keys to success.

Content creation

Thanks to social media and the 24-hour news cycle, creative individuals like writers and graphic designers can use their talents to produce high-quality, shareable content for businesses and media outlets. A growing gig economy of freelance and contract workers makes it easier than ever to market yourself as a professional freelance content creator. This can also be a great way to build up your skills should you choose to seek a full-time job later on. To help yourself stand out, make sure you have an idea of your brand, how you want to market yourself and how you want your skills to be used.

Electronic repair

In today's tech-obsessed world, most people use smartphones, tablets and laptops daily. With this constant usage, there's a good chance that at least one of those devices is going to crash or break at some point. If you're a techie who can fix these issues with relative ease, you can offer to repair people's electronics for cheaper than what the big retailers charge. Start by marketing your services to students at your alma mater who don't want to wait for the campus IT department to fix their hard drives.

Event entertainment

If you spent your undergrad years tinkering with sound-mixing software and staffing the DJ booth at your college radio station, starting an event entertainment company could be the right path for you. With only your music collection and your laptop, you can get people out on the dance floor at weddings and birthday parties, or simply provide background music at more casual events. DJ equipment is a big investment, but plenty of companies offer daily rentals of speakers, subwoofers and other accessories that you can use until you save up enough to buy your own.

Fitness instruction

Were you constantly hitting the gym after class? Turn your passion for fitness into a lucrative job by becoming a fitness instructor or personal trainer. You'll have to put in a small amount of time and money to get certified, but organizations like the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America offer online certification programs that you can complete at your