Many students come to college and use their talents to create small businesses. Aiding students financially throughout their college years. The illustrious Howard University and many other colleges have various students with different skills, from nail techs, soap makers, lash techs, hair stylists and even waxers. However, starting a college business can be difficult, as many others are also competing to get their business known. 

Courtesy of Tanaija Kee

Ophelia Brew is a skilled and compassionate certified lash tech attending Howard University. Although it is just her first year, she has been successful in her efforts to create her business, even going the extra mile to ensure it is unique and stands out among the rest.

But funny enough, it was due to a set gone wrong, “Well, it started as like a TikTok that went viral, I actually went to this lash tech and she just did my lashes so terribly, and it blew up on TikTok when I posted a video about it,” stated Brew.

There are a million reasons why a person would start a business, whether it’s for themselves or to encourage others. The best and most successful companies are usually the ones that enjoy their craft and make others feel good about it.

“It just started off as a fun thing that I just wanted to do for myself, and it just grew to something bigger. I just wanted to make other women feel beautiful.”

She used the perfect way to begin practicing her skills even before she had the thought of starting her business, “I did it back home, I would do it for my mom or my sister, but I didn’t really like to take it seriously until I got on campus. Like my friends and my roommate, she was trying to tell me to just start, but I didn’t really like take it seriously until like January of this year.”

When thinking about a business, it’s best to hone those skills before you begin to offer your services. Practice makes perfect, as well as it makes room for you to get fewer complaints from customers because their service was different from what the customer was expecting. 

Now, depending on the business you are pursuing, your start-up will be more expensive than usual. When it comes to companies that require you to take a course and obtain a license (which many students do not do), it can be costly for you.

“The lash course was almost $1000 just for like a 3-day course, just to get certified. On the first day, you work on one thing, and then each day you work on something different. You have like live model classes, so it was $800.”

For those who want to do the best for their customers, create new things, and make a welcoming atmosphere, this is important. It can be costly to do things right and go to great lengths to improve your customers’ experience.

“I also did photoshoots and stuff, and I had to pay for my shoots and my ring lights. I paid for my decor, and I also released a lash bath, which required me to pay for labeling and packaging. All of that, so it was really expensive, but it’s worth it.” 

Courtesy of Tanaija Kee

As always, promotion is the best thing for your business to thrive and flourish.

“It’s also your promotions, like get a brand ambassador, I make TikToks and cute videos, just something to promote yourself, that’s what really gets you out there.”

Knowing how to get yourself out there, finding out what will best reach the audience that you are looking for, “I took models in the beginning, but like even doing models, I was fully booked, and then, in January, when I officially started, I was still fully booked.”

Ophelia also made a website on Canva with the help of her friend, named Destiny.

The successful lash tech was gracious enough to provide one last piece of advice for all those who are still holding back from taking that leap of starting their business: “Just do it, don’t slack, don’t overthink it. I remember, when I started, I used to have so much anxiety, no confidence about my business whatsoever, ” she stated.

“I was also worried about how people would view me for posting about my lashes. When I couldn’t do lashes at all when I was terrible, I was always so worried about what others thought, and I feel like my advice would be to just do it, just focus on you, and just keep going. Don’t give up!”

Every step of her business was planned out before she started, and executed perfectly. Don’t let the opinions of others stop you from being successful.