Written by Anna Royal. Graphics by Angela Young
“Learn by Doing” is Cal Poly’s unique educational style, leading the way professors teach their students in and outside the lecture hall. This philosophy fosters a hands-on way of learning, diverging from traditional methods of book and lecture-based education. Students are encouraged to experience what they are learning first-hand, whether it be engineering a prototype or farming in the agricultural fields. Cal Poly students often utilize “Learn by Doing” outside of the classroom by seeking internships, job-related experiences, and joining student organizations where they can pursue their interests in real-world situations. Students have adopted and brought this “Learn by Doing” philosophy into the halls of the freshman dorms, gaining personal experience in running a business. From liberal arts majors to agriculture majors, we spoke to a diverse group of first-year women who have started their own businesses within their dorms by selling various products and services to their Cal Poly peers.
Among the most popular services offered by dorm-business owners are cosmetic-based. Cayden Tan, a first-year Communications major from Saratoga, has learned the ins and outs of running a successful profit-making business with her nail service. Tan has been learning to do manicures since January 2023.
“I have always been into nails since I was in 6th grade … Then I got COVID in January and was stuck in my room for a week, so my parents let me buy something on Amazon. I invested in Gel-X, and that’s when I first started trying it out,” Tan said.
Gel-X is a type of soft gel nail extension advertised to be healthier for the nail than a typical acrylic nail. Tan quickly discovered this and went to work researching the best brands of Gel-X extensions.
“I bought bad [Gel-X nails], and they would all end up falling off. So then I finally found the best brands. Then I decided to do my friends’ [nails] for fun … I [thought] this was a fun idea and a good time to hang out with my friends again…. So it just started as casual and fun, and then I was like, might as well make an instagram,” Tan said.
Aside from Gel-X, Tan offers regular gel manicures for as cheap as $8, with Gel-X prices rising to $25. With nail designs, the price can range from $30 to $35. Tan recognized her nail hobby as a great business opportunity when she noticed a high demand for affordable nail services among her friends and peers.
Rashelle Rojas is a first-year Agricultural Business major from San Jose who started her own brow lamination business. Rashelle has been doing brows on and off since 2020.
“I started my brow business back [during] quarantine because lots of people were starting their own things, and it was something I wanted to do, and quarantine was the perfect time for it. I carried it on to college just so I could have an extra source of income because I didn’t want to find a job,” Rojas said.
Rojas offers brow lamination for $35, tinting/brow lamination for $45, and shaping/waxing for $7.
There are also a multitude of product-based businesses in the dorms. First-year Child Development major: Larissa Clinton is from Orange County and has spent two years making and selling beaded jewelry, including earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.
Clinton was first introduced to beaded jewelry at a church camp during her sophomore year of high school, and the activity soon became her hobby.
“I really like working with my hands. I went to a church camp, and we did beaded necklaces there, and I really liked it. So I got a ton of beads and started doing it,” Clinton said.
Clinton, Rojas, and Tan have turned to social media as their primary advertising method, whether it be on Snapchat or Instagram. These social media accounts act as an outlet for business owners to post photos of their clients and communicate their prices and services. These “dorm businesses” are widely known among the student body due to Snapchat’s Cal Poly stories, which all students can post to their class’s shared Snapchat Story. Despite their efforts, the business owners sometimes find difficulty in attracting students to their businesses.
“It's definitely been slow because I feel like with eyebrows, a lot of girls are really picky. You have to keep posting and stay consistent with your services,” Rojas said.
In addition to advertising, all three women must manage the logistics of their dorm business, including where they should perform their services, buy their products, and manage their finances on a college budget. Clinton explained that once she runs out of the beads she brought from home, she buys more online or takes an Uber to the local Michael’s store.
The timing of when to purchase new supplies is another logistical consideration, especially for Rojas.
“The only thing I do have to be considerate on is buying the [products] before they run out, like right now I am out of brow wax, so it limits me [as] to what my [services are]. If I don’t have all [my products], it interferes with getting new clientele,” Rojas said.
Tan emphasizes that in addition to figuring out the logistics of a dorm business, getting used to the customer service aspect of performing her services has also been a learning experience.
“I definitely need to come off as confident and know what I’m doing. Sometimes it’s hard because some clients are very different from each other. I've experienced some that don’t really like to talk, or I don’t know whether they like music or not… even how perfectionist they are too…I just have to know how to adjust to certain people and what they want, and if they don't like it, how to deal with that,” Tan said.
Tan has learned to problem-solve on her feet to ensure a satisfied customer experience for her clients.
“Also, if they want [their nails] shorter or longer, knowing how to fix that on the spot and making sure they come out of it satisfied,” Tan said.
As a college student, Rojas finds balancing her budget to fit both her work and life needs to be the most difficult part of running her business.
“Budgeting [can be hard] because I like to go out with my friends and roommates, so it has been a little hard to put money aside for my own business…Right now, I’m not putting the price range too high because we are all college students, so I don’t want to raise it too high where I don't get enough clients but not too low where I don’t make any profit,” Rojas said.
Rojas has also found a challenge in coordinating with her roommates when she may have clients over to do their brows. She lives in a triple dorm room.
“It has been a little hard just because sometimes my roommates are studying for quizzes that they have, so I have to coordinate a time that is convenient for me and for them,” Rojas said.
Regardless of all the difficulties and roadblocks of running their dorm businesses, the three women all greatly enjoy their work and are happy with their businesses.
“I love doing nails; I will beg you to do your nails even if I don’t make any money out of it like I personally enjoy it so much; it’s my hobby … My favorite part is getting to meet new people; this one girl on my floor introduced me to this random girl, and I did her nails, and we clicked so well,” Tan said.
All three business owners recommend that students look into starting their own dorm business to make an income and spend their time doing something they love. Clinton feels that it can be easy to make friends from the experience, and Rojas enjoys the freedom of working for herself.
“I think there are so many things that a lot of students want … [and] there are so many things that you could do,” Tan said. “It's honestly so convenient because it’s here on campus compared to getting a job off campus, and also, you can fit it into your own schedule … I do recommend finding what you like to do and turning it into a dorm business because you can make profit out of it,” Tan said.