Students Return to District: How local businesses can make the most of the growing student population

This area is home to a number of educational institutions, and every fall, students come rushing back to our city, pocketbooks and wallets in hand.

In the Central Business District alone, we have four college campuses including the downtown branches of SUNY Albany and Hudson Valley Community College, which attract thousands of students to the district. This year, Mildred Elley and Austin School opened a brand-new campus in the district, bringing hundreds of additional students to our neighborhood.

There are a number of ways that businesses can make the most of this opportunity and serve the student population.

Hudson Valley's Workforce Development Institute offered these tips for businesses looking to cater to college students:

1. Advertise in college and alternative newspapers. Don’t forget radio advertising on youth-orientated stations, including college radio stations!
2. Identify products/services you offer that fall within the 18-24 demographic and advertise sales/specials for said products/services.
3. Hire on-campus student representatives on a commission basis who can advertise/sell your products.
4. Offer to sponsor on-campus clubs.
5. Contact the student activities board for local colleges and inquire what events are coming up throughout the year that you can help to sponsor. They can also help you identify on-campus clubs and organizations.
6. Get copies of the academic and athletic calendars for the local colleges to plan sales, advertising and promotions around special events.
7. If the company is big enough, consider establishing an internship program with a local college. This will promote closer ties with the college community.