Balancing school and making money isn’t easy — but it’s 100% possible. I started my own digital business while still in school, and now as a university student, I’m earning from selling Notion templates and doing Pinterest marketing. I’m still in the beginning of my journey, but found my way and a strategy that works well. Here’s how you can do it too — even if you have no experience.
Step 1: Pick One Simple Online Business Model
As a student, your time and resources are limited. That’s why it’s recommended to sell digital products. You create them once, and—apart from marketing—there’s no additional work involved. This way, you can simply pause your work if you don’t have the time, without customers not receiving their products.
Also, start with something low-cost and flexible. Here are some beginner-friendly options you can sell as a student:
🎨 1. Sell Notion Templates
- What: Study planners, calendars, habit trackers, school organizers
- Why: You create the template once and sell it over and over again.
- Tools: Notion, Gumroad or Payhip, Canva for covers
📚 2. Sell Study Guides or Cheat Sheets as PDFs
- What: Summaries, vocabulary lists, math formulas, mind maps
- Why: Create helpful PDFs on specific school topics or subjects.
- Tools: Canva, Google Docs, export as PDF, Gumroad
🖼️ 3. Digital Posters or Phone Wallpapers
- What: Aesthetic quotes, motivational posters, calendars, wallpapers
- Why: Design once, sell infinitely.
- Tools: Canva, Procreate (optional), Etsy or Gumroad
📒 4. Student Planners & Bullet Journals as Digital Downloads
- What: Weekly planners, homework trackers, to-do lists, PDF journals
- Why: Super popular with organized students and studygram creators
- Tools: Canva, GoodNotes (optional), Etsy
🧠 5. Mini Online Courses or E-books for Students
- What: “How to get better grades”, “Studying with Notion”, “Time management for students”
- Why: Create once, sell many times.
- Tools: Notion, Canva, Google Docs, Gumroad or Payhip
🧩 6. Quizzes or Learning Games for Printing
- What: Educational games for kids, quiz cards for vocab or history
- Why: Often bought by teachers and parents
- Tools: Canva, export as PDF, Etsy
🖌️ 7. Instagram or Pinterest Content Packs for Students/Creators
- What: Canva templates for Reels, story highlights, feed posts
- Why: Create a bundle once, sell it to other student creators
- Tools: Canva, ZIP file, Gumroad or Payhip
🎧 8. Sound Effects or Music Loops (if you’re musical)
- What: Loops for YouTube videos, background music for Reels, TikTok sounds
- Why: Music can be licensed and resold multiple times
- Tools: GarageBand, Audacity, FL Studio, Gumroad
Bonus Tip: Combine Two Ideas!
Example: Sell a Notion template plus a short PDF with motivational tips for studying.
✅ What I chose: I started selling Notion templates because I already used Notion for school, and saw other creators doing well with it.
Step 2: Learn the Basics (Free!)
You don’t need a course. Just focused learning. Spend 1-2 weeks doing:
- YouTube tutorials (search “how to sell Notion templates”)
- TikTok or Pinterest for trends & content ideas
- Join free communities (Reddit, Discords, Facebook groups)
✅ Tip: Don’t get stuck in “research mode.” Learn just enough to start.
Step 3: Create Your First Product – Choose One Simple Format
Time to actually make your first digital product. The key is to keep it simple, useful, and something you can finish in a weekend. Here are three beginner-friendly product types you can choose from:
1. Notion Template
Create a digital planner, like a “Semester Dashboard for Students” with a to-do list, class tracker, and habit log — all in Notion. Once it’s built, you can export the share link and sell it via Gumroad Etsy, or your own website.
2. PDF Study Guide
Use your own notes to make a “Math Formulas Cheat Sheet” or a “History Summary Pack.” Format it nicely in Canva or Google Docs and export as a PDF. Perfect for other students who need fast, focused help.
3. Aesthetic Phone Wallpapers
If you like design, create a set of motivational wallpapers for students (e.g. quotes, study vibes, minimalist calendar backgrounds). Bundle them as a ZIP file and sell them on Etsy or Gumroad.
-> Pick ONE product type to start with. Choose the one that matches your skills best — writing, designing, organizing, etc.
✅ Tip: Your first product doesn’t have to be perfect. The most important part is getting it finished and launched.
You also wan’t to sell Notion templates like I do?
If you’d like to learn more about selling Notion templates and how I market them, check out my Etsy shop. There’s a guide to the strategy I’ve developed.
And yes, I still have quite few sales, which is normal when you’re in school, since you can only work on it temporarily (not necessarily consistently), and marketing is significantly more difficult. However, with this strategy, I’m seeing significantly more results than before (item purchases, views, favorites, etc.), and it’s everything I’ve learned over the years. Check it out! Let’s do this together, and start to be consistent!
Step 4: Set Up Your Mini-Business (Free Tools Only)
Here’s what you need:
- Product hosting: Gumroad, Payhip or Etsy (for selling)
- Portfolio or Link Hub: Notion or Carrd
- Social media: TikTok, Instagram, or Pinterest (pick ONE to start)
✅ What I use: I sell on Etsy, and use Pinterest as my main marketing channel to drive traffic to my website and blog.
Step 5: Start your Marketing-Journey
Marketing is everything. Post content about:
- Your journey (people love stories)
- Tips for students (build trust)
- Your product or service (show value)
Post 2-3x a week on one platform. You don’t need to go viral — just be consistent.
OR: Pinterest Marketing (what I do!). It’s ideal for Notion templates especially if they are aesthetic!
Step 6: Make Your First Sale — Then Improve
Your first sale is proof you can do this. Celebrate it, then focus on:
- Asking for feedback
- Improving your product
- Doubling down on what worked
✅ Reminder: It’s normal for it to take weeks to get a sale. Don’t quit early.
Step 7: Scale While Staying in School
Once you get results, you can:
- Add new products
- Raise your prices
- Offer services (Pinterest setup, template customization, etc.)
- Automate your marketing with Pinterest or content batching
✅ What I do now: I schedule Pinterest pins weekly and update old templates during holidays or breaks.
Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Wait to Graduat
Starting a business as a student changed my life. It taught me skills, gave me freedom, and even helped me academically (Notion for time management is a game-changer).
If you’re reading this, you can do it too — start small, stay consistent, and don’t wait for perfect timing.
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