The semester is wrapping up and you are preparing for final exams. Yes, that keeps you very busy, but don’t let the semester end just yet. You need to sell college textbooks! Why? You have gotten the most out of your textbooks the semester. Now it’s time to let them go, and earn some money along the way.
The Studentpreneur Show podcast is for studentpreneurs, entrepreneurs, companies and leaders looking to help small businesses be more successful and, of course, anyone considering starting their own business.
Over the years we have worked with many college students. From the students we learned that an impressive amount have an entrepreneurial spirit.
We decided to make a podcast for you, the people who inspire us most. The scrappy, passionate people working to make their mark in the world, you rock!
Special shout out to those with low budgets and feeling like you can’t get started such little capital. We know how you feel. To help, we have a great line up of interviewees. These brilliant bosses will help you start your dream business with a low budget.
Subscribe to hear from directors of entrepreneurship programs, studentpreneurs who have started their own businesses, and directors of campus representative programs in future episodes. In addition to sharing their stories, these interviewees will also share their best tips on starting and scaling a business.
This episode is the best place to start. In this introductory episode we learn who the podcast is for, how you’ll benefit from The Studentpreneur Show, and, of course, a bit about how we got started.
This season of The Studentpreneur Show is hosted by Taegan Thomas. Taegan is a high school senior fascinated by marketing and making waves in the GO CAPS (hands-on learning accelerator program for high school students). Her innovation helped BookScouter and landed her this role. We think she makes a pretty great host!
The Studentpreneur Show is produced by BookScouter.
Our goal is to help people. Naturally, we help people save and make money every day through our app BookScouter.com. In addition to our business, we also aim to help people pursue their dreams and thrive.
The links provided lead to iTunes, but if you prefer another podcast platform, just search “The Studentpreneur Show” and you’ll find us!
You don’t need to worry about the “when?” question anymore. Our team has been monitoring the best times to sell your textbooks for high sell rates and higher price points since we started in 2007.
1. The beginning of the fall semester is THE best time to sell your textbooks. On average more students are attending college in the fall semester than the spring. This typically occurs because more and more students are graduating at the end of a fall semester than in years past.
2. The second best time to sell your textbooks, you guessed it: the beginning of the spring semester. Similar to the fall semester, at the beginning of the spring semester students recently received the syllabi for all their courses. This is the best time for them to buy their textbooks. Naturally, it is also your best time to sell.
3. The third best time is the end of the spring semester. Likely due to students preparing for summer courses, the end of the spring semester is another great time to sell textbooks.
1. As a general rule of thumb with all three best times to sell is to post your books between 3 weeks before the semester begins and no more than 2 weeks after the semester ends.
Granted, college semester start dates vary. However, take a general poll of academic calendars of several large universities and that will help you gauge the best time frame to post your textbooks for sale. Not sure where to start? Take a look at Ohio State University’s future semester start dates HERE.
Why sell up to two weeks after the end of the semester? Many students will change their course schedule after the first day or week of classes. This means they still need to purchase textbooks.
Now, you’re probably wondering, “when should I avoid selling my textbooks?”
2. Glad you asked. The least profitable times to sell your textbooks are the “middles.” The middle of the semester and the middle of the summer. Students are not looking for books then, and often, neither are bookstores. Avoid the “middles” to maximize your profit.
No matter when you decide to sell your textbooks, BookScouter will help you make it a great sale!
Here at BookScouter, we pride ourselves in being the best resource for you to buy and sell your textbooks.
That’s why we created the Ultimate Guide to Buying and Selling Textbooks!
Focusing on the goal of graduating can leave little time to make extra cash while in college. Since you need to squeeze in time to work and every day looks different, here are three ways to make extra cash in college that work with your full schedule!
Are you strong in a subject area? Your college may need tutors for the campus’ academic support center. Working on campus is a huge plus: they always work with your class schedule AND, if you live on campus, you won’t need to drive (which saves you time and money).
If you feel a little nervous about tutoring your peers, consider tutoring younger kids. Care.com is a safe place to share your information and schedule with families of young kids or high schoolers looking for tutors. Similarly, if you’ve thought about teaching English abroad, consider QKid. This opportunity will not only make you money, but also give you experience in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), which is a great benefit! However, you will need your associate’s degree or equivalent of college experience to sign up for QKid.
Checkout places like University Tees and Pink University. Campus Ambassador roles do require applications and require a range of experience or interests. For a full list of Campus Ambassador options, check out this great list from Reppr. If you’re headed to graduate school, consider the Kaplan Test Prep Student Ambassador program. Kaplan gives great perks, like help preparing for your own big grad school exam!
Check out a variety of job opportunities on TaskRabbit. Sign up when you want to make extra money and allow people to find you and your skills! Also check with your campus employment office. For instance, some colleges have their own flex-job program.
Re-sell your used textbooks via the BookScouter App. It’s easy to download to your smartphone (both Android and Apple users can play and get paid) and even easier to use! Type in the ISBN number and see what over 30 vendors will pay for your book.
Our team has strategically designed different features and expanded user platforms to make your experience profitable and user-friendly.
Check every book’s ISBN number on BookScouter before you buy, rent, or sell. The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric way to identify books. Each one is either 10 or 13 characters long and is unique. You can often find the ISBN in several locations on the book. First, you can see it on the copyright page near the front of the book. It is likely that you can also find it near the barcode.
BookScouter online, The App for iOS and Android, and Alexa are all great platforms. Seriously, use all three! If you’re out and about at a thrifted book store, check the ISBN number using the App. If you’re enjoying time at home and don’t want to look on a screen, ask Alexa to lookup the ISBN on BookScouter for you.
Since feedback helps us improve your experience, leave reviews on the vendors you use via BookScouter. You can email us at support@bookscouter.com.
Read our tips and blogs for resources. Find years of tips, tricks, and updates HERE. We have tons of great tips and resources for you.
Last, but certainly not least, apply for BookScouter’s quarterly $500 Textbook Scholarship! What are you waiting for? Apply today!
Pro is right for you if you use BookScouter often (aka more than just once or twice a semester).
View more detailed pricing information from our buy and sell vendors to identify potential deals. This is a great foundation for your buyback strategy.
Look up buyback prices for hundreds or thousands of books on one screen. You can review up to 10,000 ISBNs in 24 hours! This lookup tool is in real time. The benefit is accurate, bulk information! Keep in mind this large of a list can take some time to upload. Thanks for your patience.
Check out the current, popular book list. You can view BookScouter users search for books from the past 14 days. Now, we have hundreds of thousands of users. Maybe you have a book that someone is looking for. You can also narrow your search by selecting a minimum and maximum buyback price.
Review the buyback price history for a given ISBN. Identify season pricing and trends so you can strategically sell your books for the most profit.
Pro is currently available for a monthly fee of $29.99. Ready to become a pro? CLICK HERE.