By Diana Winter
Introduction
Our nine-year-old daughter announces, “I want to save animals when I grow up.” She’s not quite sure what that profession entails. Within her limited scope, there are a few ideal job options: teacher, astronaut, veterinarian. But I envision a future for her that perfectly aligns with her natural creativity and playful spirit – a future she designs herself.
Launching youth into entrepreneurship early is an age-appropriate way for them to connect their interests to a multitude of future career choices. Children-run businesses can fill gaps in formal education with life and business skills to help them succeed. For example, a child struggling with math may interact better with numbers through a hands-on activity like programming a website. In this way, entrepreneurship can unlock a capability or interest that was previously unavailable. Launching youth into entrepreneurship early is an age-appropriate way for them to connect their interests to a multitude of future career choices.
Starting a Small Business for Kids
Starting a small, age-appropriate business is a fun family activity that contains educational elements. Additionally, it’s a way for kids to earn money to save for college – or to buy Nerf guns. Here, we’ll share 24 small business ideas that kids can start from home with parental supervision.
1. Online Content Creator
Kids with a strong interest in a particular hobby (like gaming or fashion) can build an audience by creating video reviews, demos, or unboxings for platforms like YouTube, Twitch, or TikTok – and ultimately monetize the channel. They can also start a podcast.
The aspiring child looking to become a famous star will gain confidence and technical skills that can equip them for high school, college, or creative jobs.
2. Mobile Store Owner
Think beyond the lemonade stand. The sky’s the limit for entrepreneurial youth who want to learn communication and sales skills.
Set up a table in the front yard and help your kids sell anything from homemade baked goods to seedlings to crafts. This type of business was the gateway for Riley Keenan Peterson, who at age five turned the annual jewelry stand in the backyard into a huge online business: Gunner & Lux.
3. Inventor of the Next Big Thing
With parental help, a child’s invented product can be manufactured in bulk or handmade and sold online. Children interested in science, technology, engineering, and math can apply their skills by solving a common problem in their generation.
When Carson Kruppfel couldn’t fit his skateboard in his locker, this 14-year-old invented a version that could – and even landed a deal on “Shark Tank.”
4. Talented Artist
Creative skills such as playing a musical instrument, performing magic tricks, or acting in character costumes can serve as the basis for your child’s first business. They can find customers through school, the neighborhood, or by word of mouth and work as an entertainer or artist at parties and special events.
Shopify CEO Harley Finkelstein worked as a DJ at bar mitzvah parties.
5. Amazing Maker
Small handmade items such as metal jewelry, soap, and bath bombs can be sold through online marketplaces with parental help. Many of these crafts require little initial investment in materials, and children can manage the production side of the business on their own. With parental assistance, kids can learn to create a website and online store to sell products online.
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Olli Vicker was only five years old when he became the face of his own refreshing bath company. But his mother also includes him in age-appropriate tasks, like making the products.
6. Plant or Pet Caretaker
Plant or pet care has mostly been odd jobs suitable for younger children looking for some extra allowance – especially when they are still too young to work as babysitters.
But children who enjoy this work can turn it into a more formal business. Parents can help set up a simple website showcasing services and prices, even accepting bookings and payments online.
7. Aspiring Artist
You can nurture your child’s love for art, crafts, or design by introducing them to the business side of the creative world. If your little one dreams of becoming an artist, help them explore available opportunities in this field.
Parents can set up a simple online store and integrate print-on-demand services, allowing children to sell their designs on t-shirts, mugs, and posters.
8. Neighborhood Helper
There are many services children can offer with a small business in their neighborhood. Kids can start a business providing gardening, leaf collection, snow removal, and simple task execution.
Children can prepare flyers and find clients by visiting neighbors and asking for referrals. Or, with parental help, they can set up a simple store on Shopify to sell time slots using a scheduling app.
9. Programming Wizard
When my brother was ten years old, he struggled with math at school. However, in the evenings at home, he was studying programming books and teaching himself how to build websites and design video games. As a hands-on learner, he found math in his own way.
Programming and digital skills are becoming increasingly important for many future jobs. There are numerous child-friendly coding programs available, depending on how they learn. Once they master it, help them start a business focused on designing and building websites for others, teaching programming, or offering other digital services within the community.
10. Vendor at a Festival or Beach
If you’re looking for long summer experiences filled with fun and learning, you can help kids start a business selling goods. Kids can buy goods wholesale (funded by “investor” parents) and sell items like water, ice cream, and sunscreen at local events, festivals, or even at the beach.
Think of it as a mobile lemonade stand. Some venues and public parks may require permits or fees for vendors, and parents should be prepared to help. However, provide children with independence by empowering them to create signs or design their own cart or booth.
11. Thrifting Seller
This is a low-investment idea for kids who are interested in fashion, trends, photography, and/or social media.
Kids can make extra money by searching thrift stores for rare or vintage items and reselling them for a profit through local markets or a dedicated online store. Other business ideas for kids might include reselling sneakers, vinyl records, or board games.
Many thrifting sellers use Instagram to showcase new “drops” in their stores. With parental help, this is a great way to teach kids about using social media for business.
12. Social Impact Warrior
Social issues can inspire great business ideas for kids. If the goal of the venture isn’t profit but skill-building, a business focused on social impact teaches valuable lessons in empathy and giving back to your community.
Children, with parental assistance, can start a formal charity or donate proceeds from any other type of business to a cause they choose. They may also choose to use their programming or tech skills for good by offering free services to nonprofits.
13.
Dog Walking
Dog walking is a great way for a young entrepreneur to start a business. Children can get paid to play with puppies while getting some exercise in the process.
Set a walking route with your child so they can get used to the routine. Dog walking can also be a fun activity for kids during the summer and after school.
14. Maker and Seller on Etsy
Amazon does not allow children under 18 to open accounts, but Etsy allows parents to open accounts for their children. Therefore, an aspiring child can turn their hobbies into money-making opportunities by selling those fresh-baked goods and handmade jewelry online.
15. Waste Collector for Recycling
If your state has a strong recycling program, collecting waste is a great way for children to earn money and help the environment.
For example, California offers at least one dollar for aluminum cans, one dollar and thirty-three cents for clear plastic bottles, and ten cents for glass bottles. Dustin Richman’s children, aged 15 and 9, earned $850 from cleaning up trash and collecting recyclables in their neighborhood.
16. Children’s Book Writer and Illustrator
Children who have a talent for storytelling and drawing can start their own business writing and illustrating children’s books. Storyjumper is a website that children use to create and publish their own books online for free.
People can read Storyjumper books starting at $2.99 online, and children earn a commission for each read. Amazon also provides budding authors the ability to self-publish; children will just need their parents’ assistance to register.
17. Babysitter
Babysitting is a popular way for children to create a new business. It’s a job that teaches them about child development and other useful skills, like safety and communication.
A traditional babysitter finds clients through word of mouth. But now, with apps like Care.com, children aged 16 and older can create accounts with parental help and start a babysitting business.
18. Tutor
School-aged children can help others and earn money by teaching lessons online. They will need excellent communication skills, reliable internet access, and a subject they specialize in.
The internet has made it easy for children to find students needing tutoring. For example, PalFish is a teaching platform that offers English lessons to students in China. There are no age requirements to register as a teacher on PalFish, but you must hold a TEFL/TESOL certificate.
19. Car Wash
A car wash is a business any child can start – all you need is a bucket, soap, and a water source. With low startup costs, this is the perfect first business for children wanting to try entrepreneurship.
A car wash can also become a team sport. If the young entrepreneur teams up with friends, they will learn valuable teamwork skills while funding their summer activities.
20. Greeting Card Maker
If your child is skilled in design and has good writing skills, a greeting card business is the perfect first venture. They can learn to use digital programs like Canva or Illustrator and print-on-demand services to sell them.
21. Fashion Costume Maker
Research indicates that the cosplay costume market will reach $23 billion by 2030. Children with great crafting skills who know how to sew, sculpt, draw, or work with a 3D printer can have an interest in starting a business making their own costumes.
With the rise of superhero movies, comic books, and video games, the cosplay community is growing every year. Children making costumes can use social media to market their skills. With their parents’ help, they can set up an Instagram shop, an eBay account, or even their own e-commerce store.
22.
Voice Artist
Channels like Disney, Nickelodeon, and PBS Kids use young voice artists for their animated shows. Children with expressive voices are excellent candidates to become voice artists.
With the help of parents, children interested in this idea need to get an agent and record a demo reel. Parents will also be responsible for driving the children to auditions and recordings.
23. Skateboard Repair Technician
If your child is interested in skateboarding, they likely have a guaranteed market for this business idea: their friends at the skate park.
Using low-cost tools and assistance from YouTube tutorials, the aspiring child can set up a local skateboard repair service. By setting up a mobile shop at the skate park, they provide instant services like tightening or changing wheels.
24. Professional Gamer
Professional gaming is often considered a job for older kids. However, young teenagers have become gaming experts and are earning a living through it. Look at Seong-Jo Cho (known by the nickname Maru) from South Korea, who became a professional player in StarCraft II when he was thirteen.
The goal is to find a platform, game, and genre to specialize in. If your child is savvy with video games, they might want to enter tournaments or start streaming their gameplay live. There are many ways to earn money as a player, such as displaying ads on a YouTube channel or becoming a game tester.
Tips for Parents and Educators to Start a Child-Friendly Small Business
The pandemic has put pressure on parents who need to fill the time that was occupied by summer camps and baseball practice. As we work to return to normal, they have more tricks up their sleeves – creative fun to alleviate boredom and frustration. Kid-run businesses meet all these needs.
Kids can learn essential business skills through free online learning tools and gain experience by researching the process.
Most children’s business ideas we shared in this article require minimal initial investment or previous experience and can be started from home. Kids can learn essential business skills through free online learning tools and gain experience by researching the process. Starting is as simple as providing kids with the tools they need and watching them get started!
Parents still need to provide guidance along the way and consider multiple factors, such as time commitment, startup costs, and risks. Follow these guidelines to help young people safely enjoy entrepreneurship and achieve success:
- Good business ideas for kids focus on the child’s interests and strengths, so they don’t feel like it’s an extra chore. Or customize the work to a specific goal, such as teaching them about money or helping them build confidence.
- Choose a small business that kids can run with minimal oversight. You may need to monitor some aspects that require parental consent for minors, but also give them some ownership in the business.
- Start small and flexible so that the business can bend around school schedules and activities. For example, a seasonal project is an easy business idea for kids that can fill the summer break with meaningful activities.
- Some small businesses that involve using the internet or interacting with people should come with a set of rules that help protect children.
- Include the whole family. Austin Gill runs his candle-making business with his siblings. His mother’s homeschooling plans included incorporating him into the business, and even his father helps out, according to Austin.
- Provide them with potential role models. Teach your kids about successful entrepreneurs – especially those they can relate to (similar backgrounds, etc.). Thirteen-year-old Sophia, who loves science, looks up to her role model Marie Curie as she carves her own path in the world of science and entrepreneurship.
- Set
Limits. Some small tasks involving the use of the internet or interacting with people should come with a set of rules that help protect children. For example, many children who run YouTube channels or other social media pages have a parent who reviews the content, conversations, and manages the accounts.
Creation and commerce tools continue to emerge, making it increasingly easy for children to experiment with entrepreneurship and earn some extra money. It’s a meaningful way for parents and educators to connect with children’s interests, create fun learning moments, and foster their independence. Think beyond this list for a unique experience tailored to your child’s personality – business ideas for kids are endless.
Source: https://www.shopify.com/ca/blog/business-ideas-for-kids
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