Small Business Ideas For Teens

Just a few short months ago my kids discovered the beauty of starting a very small business. I couldn’t have been happier. Oh one of my daughters has been babysitting for years. But this summer the kids stumbled upon a petsitting business they didn’t even really set out to build. A friend of ours needed some cats watched for three days. So we volunteered. Then another friends needed petsitting and we said we could do it and then a couple more friends were heading away for a week and both of my girls decided they’d help out there too. So a small petsitting business was born from a need in my local neighbourhood. FYI, they have named their business We Care Petsitting. For more information you can contact sharkainsleyschuck@gmail.com.

I couldn’t have been happier. All tweens and teens want spending money. Most parents want them to earn it. So petsitting and babysitting was the best of both worlds, even though it required a lot of sacrifice for all of us. We gave up a couple of weekends away this summer and we sacrificed hanging out with friends some days too. Nonetheless it was a great experience and the kids made some spending and some saving money too. So I thought some of my readers might also want to hear about small business ideas for teens. Running a business is possible at almost any age, so read on for small business ideas for teens that will definitely teach them the value of hard work and entrepreneurship.

Small Business Ideas for Teens – Building Business Sense

All of these small business ideas for teens allow your child to make a little money, learn rudimentary business skills, and inspire them to be their own bosses later in life.

Lawn Maintenance

One of the best small business ventures for teens is lawn maintenance. Not many people enjoy mowing the lawn, raking leaves, and the like, so it’s a business opportunity that’s ripe for the picking. All a young motivated teen needs is a neighborhood and a willingness to work. Sometimes a rake and some energy helps too.

Babysitting

This is another great small business venture for teens with the temperament for it. Everyone needs a baby sitter at some point. Whether it’s for date night or for the time between school letting out and when the parents get home. A savvy teen with a love of children can make a pretty penny and build quite a neighborhood business. I spent many hours babysitting as a teenager.

Petsitting

Maybe your teen isn’t into crying babies or hyperactive 6 year olds. That’s okay. Babysitting isn’t for everyone. For teens that really don’t enjoy working with kids, petsitting is a good option. Just like babysitters, people need petsitters, and for many of the same reasons. However, in addition to date nights and the occasional outing, some people need long-term sitters for vacations. If your teen can land a client like that, they’ll be doing well. The sky really is the limit here and the best advertising is word of mouth or word of mom. Word travelled this summer that we were in town and able to watch pets. That led to more work than we anticipated.

[tweetthis]Is your teen son or daughter able to start any of these small businesses?[/tweetthis]

Tutoring

Is your son or daughter really good at a specific subject? Do they have a lot of patience? Tutoring might be a good way to earn a little extra spending money. Rather than going to a big, commercial tutoring center, parents can pay your teen a smaller fee to tutor their children. It’s a great way for your honors teen to use that big old brain to make some money and help a child who might be struggling.

Whatever They Think Up

This is the broadest of the broad, I know. But when it comes to small business ideas for teens, part of it is about what service they can find a way to monetize. It’s the core of being an entrepreneur. The possibilities are only limited by their imagination. There are still paper routes available and flyers to be delivered. There is always need for a mother’s helper. Are they great writers? They can sell freelance writing. It’s all about creativity and drive.

Small Business Ideas for Teens are Everywhere

If there’s a will, there’s a way. That holds especially true for small business ideas for teens. Just because they’re in their teens doesn’t mean they can’t build a successful business venture. Think of the suggestions I listed above as a starting platform. From there, your teen’s imagination is the key to incredible small business ideas for teens. Let the entrepreneurship begin!