The Baddie Business Women of KU: College Side Hustles

Let’s face it, college is expensive. What do you do when you need money for textbooks, coffee or the Hawk? Sure you could get a part-time job, but with class and clubs, who really has the time? What if there was a way to make money doing what you love? Well, these women have figured out just how to do that. So without further ado, I present the Baddie Business Women of KU!

B’s Knees Shop 

Blair Baugher

Blair is a junior studying biology and she will be graduating this year! Blair sells t-shirts and home decor on her Etsy shop and on Instagram. She first got the idea for her business back in April when she moved into her house and had free time. She started off by making a wreath and received positive feedback. Blair charges $5 for wine glasses, $40 for welcome signs and $15-$20 for t-shirts. She sells t-shirts cheaper than the stores on Mass Street and it does not take her long to fulfill a shirt order. She never intended for her business to become as big as it has and she receives around five orders a day! Recently Blair has started collaborating with her friend who owns a t-shirt company and Blair has also received a lot of orders as a result of her giveaways on Instagram. After she graduates, Blair plans on cutting back on her business and making adjustments to her process. Her advice for anyone starting out is “Don’t quit even if you get a bad review.” She said that people can be rude on Etsy, but it is fun to sell to friends. Make sure to visit B’s Knees Shop on Etsy and follow her business Instagram @bskneesshop. Her products are super cute and perfect for a college home so make sure to check it out! 

Photos are from @bskneesshop Instagram 

Cicada Camp Company 

MacKenzie Greckel 

MacKenzie is a sophomore majoring in visual art and minoring in business. She started her business back in May of 2019 and she sells custom jackets, banners, bags, keychains and thrift items. Her prices for banners range from $20-$40, jackets are $40 and bags are around $10-$20. She always wanted to start a business and hopes to continue to grow throughout and after college. MacKenzie has been way more successful than she expected and eventually she wants to own a coffee shop called Cicada Camp Coffee Co.! She has the name Cicada Camp Company copyrighted and she is in the process of trademarking some of her designs. Her advice for anyone looking to start a business is “Go for it, don’t be scared of failure!!!” A fun fact about MacKenzie is she named the brand Cicada Camp because of her childhood obsession with bugs. She specifically liked cicadas because they have an M on their back and her dad used to call them the MacKenzie bug. Go check out the Cicada Camp Company on Instagram and you can DM her for commission banners! Her products are super cute and unique! 

Photos are from @cicadacampco on Instagram

St. P Scrunchies

Anna St. Pierre

Anna is a sophomore majoring in Music Therapy. She started her business last October and she sells scrunchies, headbands and hair scarves. As a college student, she always keeps in mind the money she would willingly spend on anything so her prices range from $4-$15. Anna’s mom taught her how to sew and she started her business using her mom’s machine from the 1990s! She would love to expand her business in the future and her goal would be to have a variety of products in local stores and expand her custom orders. Anna loves what she does and will continue her business after college. She loves shopping for fabric and creating new products is a great creative outlet for her! Anna strives to make her customers happy and her business is her top priority. Her advice to anyone starting off is “You’re going to be putting a lot of your time and effort in, so make it worthwhile!” She also said to be successful you need to nail down your ideas and not get caught up in trying to mass-produce multiple products. Photography and Instagram are key for marketing products. To purchase Anna’s products, check out her Instagram @st.p_scrunchies. Her scrunchies are so cute and I definitely plan on making a purchase in the future!

Photos provided by Anna St. Pierre

Existing Colorfully

Nicole Webster 

Nicole is a junior studying visual communication (graphic design). She started Existing Colorfully back in July of 2017. Nicole does commission work and also sells stickers and prints. She sells her stickers for $3 and charges around $8-$12 per hour for commission work. She originally wanted to start a lifestyle and college blog called Existing Colorfully, but her passion has always been with art and creating. Naturally, her passions have morphed into the business it is today! Nicole has gained a following on her business Instagram and her biggest supporters are family and friends. She would love to expand her business by selling her products in pop-up shops and at physical locations. Nicole hopes to continue her business after college, but if it starts to feel like a chore she will step back and figure out what she needs to change. Her advice for readers is “Make sure whatever you are deciding to do you are super passionate about and it feels less like a business and more like a fun little side project.” To hire Nicole for commission work or to purchase her products, visit her website and make sure to follow Existing Colorfully on Instagram. I personally love Nicole’s stickers and I even have one on my water bottle!   

 Photos provided by Nicole Webster 

KU Coolers 

Maggie Duffy 

Maggie is a junior majoring in nursing. She paints coolers typical for Brozarks Trips and birthday gifts. Maggie got the idea for her business freshman year when someone asked her to help them with one side of their cooler. When she came back sophomore year she offered to paint her friends’ coolers for cheap. She has been successful so far and had painted nine full coolers! Typically Maggie chargers $40-$60 depending on advance notice and difficulty. She has her own paints so customers only need to provide the cooler and she also seals the cooler. Maggie hopes to expand her customer base and she is open to painting anything else people would need. Although she does not have any plans for continuing her business after college, she loves painting and it is a quick and fun way to make money! Maggie’s advice for readers is “The best thing to do is find something you enjoy doing so it doesn’t feel like a job.” Fun fact, Maggie once painted an entire cooler in just two days!! To hire Maggie for your next Brozarks cooler or birthday gift email her at  maggieduffyy@ku.edu and make sure to follow her business Instagram @ku.coolers. Maggie is my roommate and she has made the coolest coolers I have ever seen!

Photos provided by Maggie Duffy 

Nails By Lu

Lulu Stones 

Lulu is a sophomore majoring in strategic communications. Lulu started painting nails back in February in her dorm room as a way to make extra cash. Her mom gave her the idea because Lulu regularly paints her nails and she knew people would pay money for a gel manicure. Lulu wanted to create a business that would be affordable and easily accessible for students! She offers gel manicures for $15 and regular polish manicures for $10. She originally started with only six nail colors but now she has 30!  Since starting her business, she has been very successful with a minimum of five customers a week and up to 20 during weeks with big events like formals. Lulu does not know if she will expand her business, but she does want to broaden her network of clients! Her advice for anyone who wants to start a college business is “Just go for it. I could be way more successful than you’d imagine.”  Fun fact, Lulu got in trouble last year with her RA for starting a business out of her dorm! To hire Lulu for your next manicure, you can contact her at 720-425-8779. I have had Lulu do my nails before and I can honestly say it was the best gel manicure I have ever gotten!  

 Photos provided my Lulu Stones

Spray Tans by Mia

Mia Baker 

Mia is a junior majoring in business finance and she started doing personal spray tans back in January 2017. She originally got the idea for her business from a girl she worked with who had started her own spray tan business. Mia had her spray tan her over winter break and then decided that she needed her own spray tan machine. Mia typically charges between $10-$15 per spray and she has been very successful because she offers lower prices than the tanning salons in Lawrence. All of Mia’s clients have come from recommendations and her busiest times are formal and date party season. She does have plans to continue her business after college because it is an easy way to make money. Her spray tans are unique because she uses an organic solution and she is able to travel to clients so they can be in the comfort of their home! Mia’s advice for people looking to start a side business is “Just get your name out there and don’t be afraid. After spraying about ten people I had people texting me left and right wanting tans and now some of those girls are regulars.” To contact Mia for your next spray tan text her at 316-633-0145. I am a huge spray tan lover and Mia definitely offers the best deal in Lawrence!

Makeup by Ashtyn

Ashtyn Vanlerberghe 

Ashtyn is a junior majoring in strategic communications. She started doing special occasion makeup two years ago out of her dorm room. Originally, Ashtyn was just doing her friends’ makeup and then she decided to create a business out of it and do multiple girls’ makeup. She typically charges $5 for just eye makeup and $10 for a full face. Clients need to bring their own facial makeup and any other products that they want her to use. Her specialty is eyeshadow and she has multiple palettes including the James Charles palette! Ashtyn also knows how to create multiple eyeshadow looks and she can apply fake eyelashes. She would like to expand her client base and she would consider doing wedding makeup after college. Ashtyn’s advice for readers is “Make sure you have the right market for what you want to do. I am fortunate because I live in a sorority house where there are a lot of people who I can do makeup for.” To hire Ashtyn for your next date party email her at ashtyn_van@ku.edu or DM her on her Instagram @ashtynvan. Ashtyn has done my makeup before and I absolutely love her eyeshadow looks!