There are tons of business ideas that parents can give their kids a chance to exercise their independence and boost work ethic early in life. It’s not uncommon for them to take on babysitting, moving lawns, or delivering newspapers as a start. They may have the entrepreneurial gene in them and a small job can turn into their own little business.
Kids can learn skills like providing customer service, improving communication skills, getting a feel for market demand, and strengthening organization skills. They’ll also learn the value of money and how to track it. When they learn at a young age how to value money, this will follow them through life.
Good Business Ideas for Kids
Guide your kids into what they can do and what they’ll enjoy. The best ideas for kids will likely include your help and guidance. While you don’t want to hold their hand with every move they make, you can guide them. Teach them about providing quality work and let them learn from any setbacks that arise.
Some factors to help them figure out what to do:
What are they capable of?
Guide your kids on a business idea that matches their skill level.
Costs to Start
Work with your child to see what they’ll need to start their business and how they can pay for it. Maybe it involves saving up for things needed. If they need to borrow money, use this opportunity to teach them about paying it back or doing a trade schedule.
How much oversight is needed
Think about how much help you’ll need to give your child. If not you then who. Maybe adult supervision is needed so come up with a plan on how to do that.
Seasonal work
If your child is going to do something seasonal like moving lawns, think about what services they can offer for the rest of the year. In the winter, it could be snow removal and in the fall, raking leaves.
Business Ideas for Kids and Teens
Car Washing
This is a great job for kids and teens. They can make their own schedule, create repeat customers, and work with pricing and add-ons. This is a pretty fun gig as well and can really evoke the entrepreneurial spirit.
Helping Moms
A mom has a lot on her plate and so it’s helpful to have a kid or teen help them out. A mother’s helper will do simple chores, entertain kids, help with meal prep, and fold laundry. Maybe errands are needed, which could work for teenagers who have their license.
Teaching Technology to Adults
Teenagers are really good with computers, smartphones and social media. They can start a business helping small businesses get more exposure with social media. Teenagers can teach people how to use their devices as well. They might even choose to take on a few people at once, teaching business owners about social media for marketing. If you have a patient child who’s really good with computers, they can start their own tech assistance service. Your child can show customers how to stay connected through Skype or Whatsapp as well.
Babysitting
Babysitting is one of the most popular business ideas. It costs very little to no money to start and is always high in demand all year round. You need to have a teen who is trustworthy and responsible enough to babysit. They could go through a babysitting course and do a bit of first aid training as a way of ensuring trustworthiness.
Blogging
There are a bunch of ways that blogging can pay and teens are quite good at knowing what people want. Start up costs are low if the child has access to your computer. If your child is pretty good at English writing in school, this is a great avenue. They can make money through ads, sponsored posts, and affiliate links.
Taking Care of Pets
A pet care business has a lot of opportunities. You might just take dogs for walk, pet sit when owners go on holidays, and other services. If your child loves animals, this could be a great opportunity for them.
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Creating
Your child might just have the ability to work with their hands and create beautiful items that people will love. This could be anything from jewelry making to painting to carpentry. You can set up a roadside stall in the neighborhood or join a craft fair. You can help them post their inventory on Etsy and sell online as well. This is a rewarding thing for a child too, letting them get well acquainted to their creative side while they make money.
Yard and Lawn Maintenance
Mowing lawns and doing some weed pulling is a simple task and a great way to teach kids about hard work. There’s always yard work to be done and it can become larger as years go by. It usually pays quite well and your child has options on the kind of services they want to provide.
Housesitting
Provided your teen is trustworthy, housesitting is a great way to make money. Your child has a chance to spend some nights on their own and make their own meals, another right of passage to help with independence. They can also do chores in the house while they’re housesitting like some dusting and caring for plants. You can advertise in your neighborhood to start just in case your teen needs some adult help. Then branch out from there.
If your child or teen starts a business and can maintain it, it’s helpful in gearing them up for adulthood. Let them enjoy the money they make while guiding them to save some money that they can reinvest. You can guide them in making small donations as well, giving them options for a charity that resonates with them. Teaching your kids these values through their own small business can greatly help develop their character and entrepreneurial spirit.
