Money-Making For Teens: Ideas To Start Your Own Business
Are you a teenager looking to make a few dollars during summer holiday? Are you a parent who’s desperate for your teens to find an outlet for their boredom? Here are a few ideas for services that teenagers can offer, even if they are still too young to qualify for ‘official’ employment positions.
1. Babysitting. If you are reliable and love children, most families need babysitters from time to time. Let friends and neighbours know that you would be happy to watch their children while they run errands, go out, or keep other appointments. If you and the children bond well, they (and the parents) will want to have you back time and again.
2. Homemade food. Do you enjoy cooking, baking, and being in the kitchen? Here are some ideas on how to profit from your culinary creations.
- Make homemade salsa. Once you find a delicious recipe and gather the necessary ingredients, make a huge batch of homemade salsa. Next, find cheap jars at a thrift or bargain store in which to store and sell the salsa. To add a personal touch, you can even make a homemade label for the jar and sell them to friends and neighbours.
- Sell homemade pies, cakes, and cookies. Who doesn’t love baked goods? If you perfect a few specialty items, put together a menu with general descriptions and pricing. You can advertise to sell them for parties, as birthday gifts, or just as special treats for families.
- Sell jams of all flavours. You will only need fresh fruit, sugar, lemon juice, jars, and access to basic kitchen supplies to make delicious homemade jam.
3. Photography. Do you own a nice camera or love taking pictures on your own? You might find work photographing families or children. Many families love having family pictures done but rarely have the time or energy to make it happen. Advertise your photography services and offer to come to the family’s home to take the photos. When you’re finished, do some basic photo editing (if you have the software) and present the pictures to the family on a CD or thumb drive.
4. Lawn business. If you are willing to do some hard physical labour, advertise general lawn services. Here are some specific
Photo: Edgar C
services to advertise, but you can also help with other outdoor needs upon request.
- Mow lawns. Make sure you have access to a functioning lawn mower.
- Plant flowers and gardens. You might need a hoe and a shovel.
- Pull weeds. Offer to do the ‘dirty work’ in people’s yards. Don’t forget a pair of heavy-duty gloves.
5. Tutoring. If you excel in school and enjoy teaching, offer services as a private tutor. You could work with younger children or peers who are struggling in a particular subject. The benefit to this job is that it could also extend into the school year if good progress is being made.
6. Pet care. If you are an animal lover, offer services to take care of people’s pets. Here are some suggestions:
- Dog walking. Find some nearby neighbours who have dogs and offer to walk them on a daily (or weekly) basis.
- Pet sitting. If a family is going out of town, offer to come over to their house to feed, play with, and clean up after their pets.
- Dog and cat grooming. If you are a real lover of animals and have experience with your own pets, you can offer to bathe, brush, and groom the animals of your friends and neighbours.
7. House cleaning. Offer your services cleaning houses if you enjoy cleaning and have an eye for detail. You will need some basic cleaning supplies (rags, cleaning solution, duster, etc.), but you might be able to borrow certain items from the house you’re cleaning. You could offer to clean on a weekly or monthly basis, or do a deep cleaning before a party or event.
8. Music lessons. If you are a musician and are proficient on a particular instrument, offer to work with younger children or beginners who want to learn your instrument. If your students live nearby, you can offer to come to their homes for convenience. You could also put together group lessons for children who are considering taking up the instrument but don’t want to commit to official lessons yet.
Once you have an idea of what services you would like to offer, make a flyer to hand out to people around your town and neighbourhood. When some work starts coming in, make sure you stay in business by doing excellent work, being on time, and following through with all responsibilities. Hopefully with a little bit of preparation and promotion, you’ll be making money in no time!
Category: Frugal Living
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About the Author (Author Profile)
Kelsey Bohler is a young wife and mother who loves to write and strives to pursue simple, intentional living. She and her family are currently living abroad and are learning firsthand what it means to stick with a budget and live frugally. In addition to writing, she enjoys traveling, writing music, playing the piano, and being a Mum to her precious daughter.
Car washing is another great way to teens to make money. One idea that many never think of is starting their own blog on a subject they like. Man kids spend yonks on the internet, they might as well start a blog, get readers and as long as they are consistent with it, it will grow in popularity… and possible some pocket money follows too