Some students don't wait for a diploma to start businesses

Some students are anxious to get out into the "real world." Three 21-year-old IU students didn't wait for graduation before getting their feet wet in the small-business world. \nJunior and business major Jared Schneider is the owner of Baked!, a cookie delivery restaurant located on College Avenue. Schneider said he decided to start his own business while sitting hungrily at a friend's house one night. \nHis mother had sent a batch of fresh, homemade cookies back to school with him a few days before. He shared the cookies with his friends, and it sparked an idea: "What if you could get homemade cookies and milk delivered to your door?" he thought to himself.\nSchneider had an idea, but it was hard for him to get started. Banks wouldn't look at a young college student's plans. He said they didn't believe he had what it took to run a business. \nHe decided to take out a business loan from a company close to his hometown. When he showed them his business plan, he was told he had the best plan the company had ever seen.\nJosh Gold said he has always been interested in business. One summer, while home in New Jersey, he remembered his ex-girlfriend saying there was not a restaurant in Bloomington that offered a good salad. That idea inspired Gold to open Mixed Greens on College Avenue.\nMixed Greens is now a franchise, with a second location in his hometown. When Gold spoke to the owner of the store, he liked the idea of opening a restaurant on or near a college campus. Gold said he likes working for a franchise because he says he has control and isn't following someone else's rules all the time. \nSenior Chris Merryman owns The Laptop Shop on Third Street, where he sells and services notebook computers. \nMerryman began working in information technology 10 years ago and has sold numerous computers on eBay. About two years ago, Merryman realized he was broke, so he drove to Indianapolis and made a quick $400 working on computers. He invested the money into his business, which now has $60,000 in inventory. \nSchneider, Gold and Merryman all said their lives have changed since starting their business. \nSchneider said he is amazed he is still in school because of the amount of time his business consumes. He said people don't understand that he now has his own business to run and can't do some of the things he did before. \n"I love stress because it helps to keep me going," he said. \nMerryman said he doesn't have a lot of excess stress he can't handle. \n"I thrive off of being productive," he said. "In my opinion, you only live once." \nMerryman said he pushes himself to get what he wants. He juggles school and business with hard work. Merryman has maintained above a 3.7 GPA so far and will graduate with honors.\nMerryman said he will continue to run his business, eventually starting a franchise. Right now he said he has a lot of options. \n"This is a hobby, making good money and a means to an end," he said. \nHe is currently able to pay for his own tuition and has no student-loan debt.\nGold said any problems he is dealing now are worth the payoff in the future.\n"(Stress) comes from a few places," he said. "Sometimes things don't work in the store, which causes stress." \nHe said he doesn't mind because he believes stress now will allow him to be stress-free in the future. He felt more pressures in the beginning because he said some considered him just a kid. \nGold is not enrolled this fall, but he will resume taking classes next semester. "School will always be there," he said, "so I decided to pursue work." Gold said he needs only 11 credits to graduate. He said he would like to open up Mixed Greens restaurants on college campuses all around the country. He has a lot of ideas but is putting them on hold.\n"I have to stay focused with this for right now," he said.\nThough these three students are able to tell success stories, each owner had to prove himself to the business world. Gold said he faced a lot of negative feedback.\n"Because of the stature that I was a young businessperson, sometimes people took me for granted," he said.\nLike Gold, Merryman said in order for students to run their own businesses, they need to like the work. \n"If it's something you don't like, it won't be successful," he said. "Enjoy what you do"