14 Success Tips for Student Entrepreneurs

This past summer, our #WakeEntrepreneurs had the opportunity to take part in a variety of entrepreneurial internships throughout the world. Here are some of their biggest tips and takeaways for student entrepreneurs.

Be Open Minded.
“Be open minded. We all have our hearts set on one type of occupation or field that we want to do, but things can always change when you least expect it. I’m glad I remained open-minded this summer because I’ve discovered that I actually enjoy sales!” ~ Jackie Morris

“Always keep an open mind to the opportunities presented to you. Whether they seem boring or uninteresting at first, it can eventually become something bigger than you ever imagined.” ~ Bella Lin

Start Networking Now.
“Start networking now, it’s never too late to start but it sure doesn’t hurt to start early!” ~ Jose Morales

“Network. People are willing to help you if you ask and make an effort to form a relationship. Networking is imperative for any entrepreneur. You never know what kind of questions you’re going to have to ask in the future and those relationships that you developed early on, will help you get the answers you’re looking for.” ~ Julia Rauchenberger

Know Your Resources.
“Innovators are some of the best people to learn from and entrepreneurs have such a unique world view. As a #WakeEntrepreneur, you must take advantage of the resources given to you and keep in mind that your professors have all seen success in the entrepreneurial field and have this rich array of talents and experiences from which you can draw inspiration.” ~ Taylor Clark

Intern at a Startup.
“Intern at a startup. Why? Because it helps enforce what you are learning in your entrepreneurship classes while also teaching you the needed skills to build a successful startup and live life as a successful entrepreneur. Leave all your expectations at the door and go in ready to learn and work hard.” ~Amit Nir

Be Picky.
“The best piece of advice I received during my summer internship came from 2ULaundry co-founder and CRO, Dan D’Aquisto. His advice for me moving forward was “to be picky.” To be picky when choosing your internship experiences and courses. Also, be picky about your day, when you will get your work done, when you will hang out with friends and what you will prioritize. Even be picky about the people you surround yourself with. Choose the opportunities and the people that inspire you, push you, and share your drive. I was picky in choosing to intern with 2ULaundry. Everything from the location to the company vibe fit exactly what I was looking for, and it was the most incredible experience.” ~ Emily Ann Betts

Be Proactive.
“Be proactive. In the startup world, there are a million different jobs that need to get done. Always look for something that you can do to better yourself during the school year. If you don’t know something, ask. Ask lots of questions. Get curious.” ~ Kimiko Morris

Prove Your Core Competencies.
“Prove your core competencies with small tasks and you’ll quickly find yourself in larger roles.” ~ Arthur Wilson

Find a Mentor.
“Find at least one mentor that you can call upon to ask for advice or to celebrate the successes with. Calling on those with more experience will put you ahead of the game rather than trying to navigate it all on your own. You’ll not only learn an immense amount from your mentors, but it’s a comforting feeling to know that you have someone who will always be there to support you in your academic/career pursuits.” ~ Kaela Griswold

Have a Calculated Approach.
“While entrepreneurs embrace uncertainty and risk when making integral decisions, having a calculated approach is necessary for mitigating the possibility of failure.” ~ Sam Evans

Take Your Entrepreneurship Classes Seriously.
“The best way to immediately apply what you learn in your entrepreneurship classes is to take the projects seriously! I was tasked with creating a budget for a SnappyScreen event and my only experience creating one was for an ENT class!” ~ Kyle Driscoll

Stay Organized.
“Stay organized and manage your time wisely! If I’ve learned anything about Entrepreneurship, it’s that you have to be able to do a little bit of everything and be able to balance it all. So in order to do that, stay organized with all your tasks and set aside enough time for each one.” ~ Laura Roberts

Ask Questions.
“Get to know all aspects of the business and industry you are working with or interested in. I’ve always found that the more questions I ask, the more successful I become. Don’t shy away from pursuing answers!” ~ Emma Beveridge

Find the Right Model.
“It is much easier to grow a company successfully with the right model in place, rather than growing a company and figuring out the right model in the process.” ~ Eamon Coughlin

Be Persistent and Don’t Be Afraid of Failure.
“Be persistent when it comes to completing a task, no matter how hard the task is or how little experience you have in achieving it. This includes not being afraid of failure, because failure is inevitable in the field of entrepreneurship. Experiencing failure firsthand made me a better entrepreneur. If you don’t succeed the first time, channel your disappointment and learn from the mistakes you made to transform your failure into a valuable experience. This will better prepare you to successfully complete further tasks of the same nature.” ~ Clement Estampes