Many students are interested in becoming small business owners, but the majority of those college kids do so only after several initial jobs and years spent building up the capital to make it happen. Yet there are some students who go for the gusto and find a way to start up their own business right after their college education is complete.

If you’re one of these budding young entrepreneurs and are still finishing up your college requirements, you probably already understand that the task at hand won’t be easy. But there are many people who have made the big leap from college and have been unqualified business success stories. It’s likely that those successful entrepreneurs understood how their youth and college experience could actually give them an advantage over others in the market. You, the hopeful business owner, have the opportunity to take advantage of those things as well.

You probably understand the importance of having a great business website, so make sure that you find a way to make yours stand out from the rest when the time comes. Then consider some of the ways that you can make an impact on the business world even as the last echoes of your college alma mater are still ringing in your ears.

Network Yourself Aggressively

When you are in college, you are going to be surrounded by a number of people who can be important connections down the road. If you’re doing an internship of some kind in the business world, try to reach out to as many people with whom you make contact as possible. It’s not necessary to have your whole business prospectus already in your back pocket when you talk to these people. But you can tell them about your interests. Maybe you can create a business card that you can hand out so they don’t forget about you down the road when you might want to remake their acquaintances for business purposes.

Use Your Social Media Savvy

College students are generally among the most active users of social media. Small businesses use social media to market their products and services because of the cost efficiency and reach of the various platforms. If you put those two truisms together, you should be able to understand how you might have an edge in the business world over someone who doesn’t understand social media as well as you do. So even before you open your business, start to refine your social media game with an eye on the future.

Make Use of the Information at Your Disposal

Never again in your life will you have access to the minds that are surrounding you on your college campus. Even if your professors and administrators aren’t in the business world you envision inhabiting, the experience they have gained and the knowledge they have amassed is bound to help you in some way. Pick their brains whenever possible.

These are just some of the ways you can prepare for your future as a business owner. The better you follow these tips, the quicker that business dream will become a reality.