Andrew Youatt was tired of the same take-out food he ordered during his stint as a night receptionist.

Last year, Youatt, a music performance senior, decided to start GoGreenMenus.com, a Web site that allows people to access restaurant menus and bar specials. At the time, there wasn't a centralized menu or directory specifically for the MSU community to order from, he said.

"I realized that the same two or three restaurants kept delivering food." Youatt said. "It occurred to me that these weren't necessarily people's favorite places, but the ones they know about."

Operating an online business is convenient, but being a student and business owner is not an easy thing, he said.

"You don't have a typical workday — part of that is you get work done when you do have the time," Youatt said. "Unfortunately for me, working with restaurant owners, the times when I'm free is when they're the busiest."

Meet two more students who tested the entrepreneurial world.

Success with computers

When history junior Josh Dalman started Lost and Found Data Recovery, he wanted to help students the way his father once helped him.

"The idea came to me after I lost a paper I was working on," Dalman said. "My dad helped me recover it. I realized it would be beneficial for other students to have."

Dalman's Lost and Found Data Recovery, located at the Web site address lostandfounddata.net, gives students the opportunity to recover their lost files even after they have been deleted. Dalman makes house calls instead of having students come to him.

Crunched for time, Dalman has the added pressure of working two other jobs the MSU Sailing Center, and at a local grill and tavern.

Competition for business owners can prove to be difficult, especially if the owners are students, either because of time limitations or inexperience, Dalman said.

"But I can relate better to students as a whole," Dalman said. "I'm on campus, and I offer things that will help students."

Success online …

Online ordering isn't new to MSU, Youatt said. In order to defeat competitors, such as campusfood.com, he had to convince restaurants to join him.

"Being a student on the one hand, for some owners, is a disadvantage," Youatt said. "But they're also looking at the target market, and I know what students need. I'm on that plane."

Youatt received money from his grandfather after his death to pay for the licensing, Web design and advertising for GoGreenMenus.com.

The site is free to users and restaurants who post there. However, for every order bought through the Web site, a commission is taken to be paid back to Youatt. He also makes a profit from advertising revenue.

"Right now, I haven't been driving that a lot because the site is still pretty new," Youatt said. "But that is where the money comes from, and a lot of money has been going back into the site."

Maintaining a business while attending college is risky, said Forrest Carter, a marketing and supply chain management professor.

"A student taking a full class load drastically cuts their chances (of success), just like a person who is trying to maintain a 40 (hour per) week job," Carter said. "The chances go down for anyone who isn't able to focus their time."

… and not so much success

Not every student-owned business can overcome the challenges.

General management sophomore Tammam Alwan closed his online business, Al-Mart, which he started during his first semester at MSU. Al-Mart allowed students to purchase household goods directly from a manufacturer instead of going through a retail store, which would cut down the price.

"It was very demanding and testing to see how far I was going to go," Alwan said. "It was so demanding that it started to affect my schoolwork and my grades, and I am of the opinion that school comes first."

Despite closing Al-Mart, Alwan still advises students interested in starting their own business venture to go for it.

"I would do it because it is going to test your determination, your time management skills, knowledge and advice from others," Alwan said. "I don't think it matters if you make money — the point is you got out there and tried it, because it's a great learning experience."

Ashley A. Smith can be reached at smithas7@msu.edu.