Studentgems.com, co-founded by English female matchmakers Sue Harrison and Joanna Ward, is an internet start-up that helps students find work. It is also a database for companies to search students to fill short-term positions. So students can market their skills, make contacts, gain experience and earn at a higher rate of pay, while businesses can primarily save money. Great Idea? Yes and useful for all those with small businesses. And how is their website? Pretty good too:

• easy to register (well you do have to fill in quite a few details but then you know what you are doing it for)
• easy to find job adds, students or post jobs
• with a useful section on online and offline safety as well as a what to do if you as a student or employers have had bad experiences in doing business
• nice little extras on CV and letter writingFounder Harrison told the Independent how she knew from her daughter's experiences how eager students were for the work: "My daughter's really worried about her debt," says Harrison. "Before she went off to university she did some music teaching, and was quite good at it. Now she's working in a bar and getting less than £5 an hour. It seems to be a bit wrong." Her daughter must have been thankful she set up this company.