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My friend recently paid $75 for a fifteen-minute haircut in Cambridge. She and I were shocked at the price — a sign of a deeper issue: Harvard students lack access to affordable, student-run services.

Attending a small school outside Boston can be a costly endeavor. Tuition prices have exploded alongside a cost-of-living crisis, leaving many students short on cash.

For a campus that prides itself on innovation, we’ve failed to innovate where it matters most: meeting people's basic everyday needs. Harvard needs a student-run service economy — not startups chasing venture capital funding or a Harvard Student Agencies 2.0, but small, informal businesses run by students, for students.

Cambridge is one of the most expensive college towns in the country. Meal prices around Harvard Square can routinely hit $10-$15, and a basic woman’s haircut can cost more than $60, making even mundane errands wallet-draining. Student-run microbusinesses — haircuts, nails, tutoring, food — eliminate many of the overhead costs of a typical company, allowing them to offer services at prices that don’t punish you for needing them.

But the argument isn’t only economic. A thriving student service economy would also foster community by creating new ways for students to connect and showcase their talents. In New Haven, the “Yale Sandwich Guy” sells bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches. He’s gained a cult following of hopefuls lining up just to snag one of his signature $3 sandwiches, all while bonding in the process. The Yale Sandwich Guy ends up making more than just food — he creates a shared campus ritual. I hate to say it, but Harvard could learn a thing or two from our neighbors in New Haven.

We already see glimpses of this in Harvard’s student grilles, where House identity coalesces over late-night bites. The only problem is scale — a mere few grilles across campus can’t serve thousands of hungry, overworked students.

Harvard students have many talents and aspirations. Many yearn to harness their skills by founding the next big startup or landing a prestigious job. But students need not look beyond our Cambridge campus for opportunity — the need for innovation exists right here.

I’m imagining individual students monetizing their talents: start a hair-cutting business in your Weld Hall common room, or run a nail salon out of Mather courtyard.

Students have already proved willing. A freshman has begun offering haircuts to fellow students; his Instagram, @harvardbarbersociety, displays images of his handiwork. This is exactly the type of entrepreneurship that should be burgeoning on our campus.

For this to work, we’ll all have to cooperate. To would-be dorm entrepreneurs: be kind to neighbors near and far. Don’t run a full-volume hibachi stand at three in the morning, leave a mess all over a shared bathroom, or step right onto the territory of established local businesses. It is totally possible to do this and do it right.

Student businesses can be quiet, respectful, and niche — filling gaps in the market rather than cannibalizing it. Concerns about liabilities are overblown. Students already run organizations handling far more money and risk than a $5 haircut operation ever will.

What Harvard can do is step back. It has the opportunity to foster a culture of creativity, innovation, and collaboration. Don’t nanny-state us by requiring licenses for lemonade stands. Common sense can tell you that purchasing a waffle from a friend’s dorm isn’t going to kill anyone.

So, Harvard students, put your talents to work for the greater student good. Go out and buy a toaster or a pair of clippers. Maybe even found the newest sub joint on campus. You can rest assured knowing I’ll be first in line.

Miriam E. Goldberger ’28, a Crimson Editorial editor, is a Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations concentrator in Dunster House.