How College Students Launched Small Businesses Amid the Pandemic

As COVID-19 began to surge, many brought focus to small and local businesses due to the impact of the economic downfall. It’s likely that supporting small businesses not only ensures where your dollar goes, but it also results in community engagement. While scrolling through my Instagram feed, I noticed that many college students have used this free time to create their small businesses as a way to help them pay off expenses, as well as focus on a craft they have always wanted to do.

LinesByLianza

Lianza Reyes is a 2020 Syracuse University graduate who recently came out with her small business, @LinesByLianza on Instagram, as inspired by her passion for poetry.

“I realized that many people are interested in having poetry framed up and as a decoration in their living room, so it was something I've been debating on since May,” Reyes said. “Finally, a dear friend of mine, Amy Zheng, pushed me to take the jump and start doing it.”

For years, Reyes has appreciated poetry and has been writing her own on the side. Back in 2019, she decided to make it an “online-only” business to pay for graduate school. She realized that she’s always enjoyed room decorations that are meaningful. She aims for her poetry to do the same for others.

“I decided to make this business by starting from its heart,” Reyes said. I love poetry, and I love room decor that connects to someone's heart. I have a quote board with one of my favorite motivational quotes from it, Assata Shakur, and I realized that poetry could take on this role as well, if done in a way that is collaborative with the commissioner and assures that the experience of reading the poetry is personal.”

Much of Reyes’ inspiration comes from her cultural experiences as a native of the Philippines, as well as her identity of being considered a “digital native.” She often writes based on the experiences of her friends and also expresses her experiences with femininity and sensuality. Her poetry is influenced by poets such as Warsan Shire, Sarah Kay, Chen Chen and Mary Oliver.

“I think experiences are at the heart of everything that I write, and I often look to nature to conceive understanding of them,” she said.

Reyes says that business has been a hit and it’s slowly picking up. As she starts graduate school at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, she plans to continue advertising her business with people from the area in hopes for people to refer to her for room decoration.

“I'm not an expert poet by any means, but this business means so much to me in that it helps me connect to other people and understand the variety of perspectives I've never really experienced,” she said. I usually get about 3-5 orders in a week, and how quickly I mail them depends on my availability of frames and such.”

Moving forward, Reyes plans to continue her side-gig as a means to pay for her expenses and connect with her artistic side.

“So far, this business has already helped me in my personal life in terms of expenses, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes!”

Mecah.

Mecah is a Black-owned earring and accessory boutique online founded by Chan Mecah Sharieff-Henry, a senior at St. John’s University, that was launched on July 25. Handcrafted and handpicked by Henry, her boutique includes a collection of earrings, environmental friendly tin candles, scrunchies and phone cases. Mecah, which is also her middle name, was inspired by Henry’s appreciation for its uniqueness. A realization that Henry had trouble coming to terms with for a while.

“My full name is often misspelled and or mispronounced on a daily basis,” she said. “Growing up, I absolutely resented my father for naming me and wanted to change my name so many times. Kids at school would tease me about my name and at one point I started to introduce myself by common names to just be a normal kid with a normal name.”

Soon Henry learned to treasure the name she was given as a big part of who she is and how Mecah came about.

“As I got older, I came to appreciate and love my name and my confidence grew from there,” she said. “Mecah is my middle name and for me, it reminds me how unique my name is and reminds me of how much I've grown. I wanted the name of my business to have a story and meaning behind it and what better name than Mecah.”

For about a year, Mecah had just been an idea. Henry explained that due to time constraints and a busy schedule, she never had the opportunity to start working on it until quarantine guidelines altered the average daily routine. Henry took the time to educate herself on starting and running a business as it was something very new to her.

“I had absolutely no clue about how to start and run a successful business and as a matter of fact, I'm still learning,” she said.” I had to do a ton of researching and I had to decide if this was something I could actually do. I had to decide if putting myself out there and accepting the risk was worth it and I believed and still believe that it's worth it.”

Henry’s designs and creations are inspired by her surroundings. A common theme is floral and greenery patterns influenced by the house plants around her apartment. Her mother plays a big role in her passion for creation.

“My mother actually introduced me to jewelry making when I was younger and ever since then, I've been making my own pieces,” she said. “I've had friends and family and even strangers willing to buy my art or jewelry and I thought why not just go for it. I have an opportunity to continue to create and to connect with people and I couldn't be more thankful for that.”

As Mecah grows, so does Henry and everything that comes with the support she receives. In the upcoming months she plans to bring about surprise items and eventually a pop up shop in the future.

“I am forever moving and changing things and that is one thing to expect from Mecah,” Henry said. “Mecah will become strictly jewelry in the upcoming months with occasional surprise items so I'm really looking forward to making that shift. I'm also looking into doing a pop-up shop when it becomes safe enough and to expand my designs.”

Items can be purchased through mecah.bigcartel.com

TamsWalkIn

Tammy Afif started her Instagram page, @tamswalkin on July 19, which was the same day she came up with the idea. As she was cleaning out her closet, she collected items that she wanted to donate. But as a result of losing her job due to the pandemic, having to relocate and applying for medical school, she realized that selling her clothes would better benefit her goals.

“I’ve been thrifting a lot lately recently instead of purchasing clothes full price at the retail stores because it’s a really good way to recycle and it’s great for the environment,” she said. It’s also a wonderful alternative to fast fashion and I know a lot of people nowadays are becoming more conscious of that and so I figured I would give them another outlet, my closet, to do so.”

Afif’s nickname, Tam, is a partial aspect of the reason behind the name of her business. “Walk in,” as understood as a play on word for walk-in closet is also inspired by the idea of easy accessibility.

“Walk in symbolizes the notion that anyone is welcome and open to simply walk in or open my page, send me a DM if they’re interested in any of my clothing so I really wanted it to give a notion of ‘everybody’s invited to walk in,’” she said.

For a business that has only been running for about three weeks, Afif has received great support from her college peers, old high school peers that she has not been in contact with for years and others she has never met. A response far from what Afif had expected.

“It’s definitely been a success,” she said. “I post every single day except for Sundays so I give people frequent opportunities to see what I have to offer. And honestly, even if I were to only sell a few items, I would still look at it as a success because I’m still giving new homes to my clothing to people I know are going to appreciate them and feel confident in them.”

Afif continued to say that aside from successfully selling her clothes for people to enjoy, she also continues to make a profit for her medical school applications and hopes to see the business expand as the weeks go by.

“I have so many more clothes in my closet to get rid of and this has honestly been a great way to let go of some pieces that I know I would never wear but I know I just hold on to,” she said. “Like that one floral shirt that you hold on to thinking, oh maybe one day I’ll have a Hawaiian party to attend.”

Afif has also been seeing texts and posts from people wearing their clothes as they share their excitement with their new items.

“That makes me so happy that I’ve given somebody else a piece to feel confident.”