Inside Job

Dorm life--it's filled with cramped spaces, weird roommates and funky smells. And if you're like college students all over the country, your room is also filled with the hottest décor. If you have an eye for design and a knack for creating greatness out of small spaces, a business capitalizing on dorm design could be for you. From selling groovy beanbag chairs to multifunctional shelves, businesses are clamoring for a share of the $2.6 billion that students and parents spent on dorm and apartment furnishings last year, according to a survey commissioned by the National Retail Federation.

Dorm design is hot. "Students know what they want, and they're savvy consumers," says Gina LaGuardia, editor in chief of The CollegeBound Network, a New York City magazine publisher that targets the pre-college market. "They don't just want an end table--they want [one] that has neon lighting in it that serves as a lamp and an end table," LaGuardia adds.