What are you supposed to do when you grow up? Go to college? Get a job? It’s not always so clear, especially if you’re still in elementary or middle school right now and aren’t sure about your future plans. That’s why you should start thinking about business ideas for kids now. Knowing what type of business you want to start and how that will help you achieve your career goals makes figuring out what kind of schooling and experience will get you there much easier.
As kids, we were told to work hard in school so that one day we could have an impressive career with lots of money. But what if you don’t want to become a doctor or an engineer? What if you want something that’s creative, like designing websites or starting your own YouTube channel? Don’t worry you still need to put in some hard work and dedication to get ahead in business, even when you’re just starting out.
This list of the best business ideas for kids will give you some great entrepreneurial inspiration and help you achieve financial success.
How to Start a Kid Friendly Business with New Business Ideas
Kids are the future, and it’s our job as parents, teachers, and other adults in their lives to make sure they’re prepared. That means providing opportunities for them to learn about a business so they can be successful when they grow up. The following list of ten ideas are perfect ways to teach your kids about the business world while still having fun:
- Involve the whole family
- Introduce them to potential role models.
- Set boundaries.
Some Quick Small Business Ideas for Kids:
Lemonade Stand
This one is a classic that never gets old! There’s nothing like running your own mini-business from home. Give each kid an apron with their name on it, and let them get to work making cups of lemonade (or whatever refreshing beverage they want!). Offer healthy snacks (yogurt, granola bars) to increase profits.
Cooking Club
With food trends constantly changing, many kids may not know how to cook anything more than cereal or sandwiches. To give them some kitchen experience, try starting a cooking club where they’ll have time to explore different recipes and techniques.
Etsy Store
Introduce children to art by creating customized pieces for sale at an Etsy store where parents can order handmade gifts for their friends and family members.
Pet Sitting
Teach children the value of caring for animals by becoming a pet sitter who takes care of people’s dogs, cats, fish, birds, etc., when owners are away on vacation or otherwise occupied.
Newspaper Delivery
Some neighborhoods don’t subscribe to newspapers anymore, but plenty of homes do. Provide a service that delivers subscriptions door-to-door and gets paid per paper.
Lawn Mowing Service
No matter what you call it—a lawn mowing service, landscaping company, or gardening service—teaching your child about landscaping will help prepare him for adulthood.
Bookkeeping Service
Parents often need help keeping track of their finances, and bookkeeping services are always needed.
Child Care
If there’s already a lot going on in your life, child care might seem impossible to find. But kids love helping other kids, and this could be a great opportunity for them to earn money and experience various aspects of childcare.
Dog Walker
Owning a dog isn’t always feasible if you live in an apartment building. For people who want a furry friend but can’t take on the responsibility themselves, offer to walk someone else’s dog for pay.
Personal Shopper
Help out busy moms by picking out clothes or toys online and delivering them straight to their doorstep!
List of 10 Business Ideas for Kids
Run a Party Planning Service
If you enjoy planning events and have some spare time, you might want to start a party-planning service! Start small with your friends and family before taking on the larger clients. The best way to get started is by asking people what they need help with and then offering your services. You could also advertise at schools or in nearby communities.
First, identify who would be willing to pay you for your services (e.g., parents of school kids). Then contact them to ask if they are interested in paying a fee for your business idea. Remember that this is just one of many kids business ideas, so always make sure that it doesn’t interfere with school work or other activities because these are more important than money! If you still have time after running your business, volunteer with younger kids to give back to the community.
Sell Healthy Snacks
Kids today are growing up with a lot more health conscious, so it’s never been a better time to launch a business selling healthy snacks. This is an easy business idea because there are no Start-up costs, you can use your own home as your headquarters, and you can start small by asking friends and family if they want to buy anything.
A large customer base of people who need these products will come quickly over the years. The best part about this small business ideas for 10 year olds is that the potential profits from this venture can be really high! For instance, if you make a thousand healthy snack bags at $5 per bag, your profit would be $5000 after paying off all the expenses. What other small business ideas for 10 year olds offer such potential?
Start a Yard Care Service
Kids love being outside, so why not turn that love into an opportunity? For example, you could start a yard care service. All you need is a leaf blower or lawn mower, some equipment like rakes, shovels and weed eaters, and the right safety gear. Then you can go door-to-door with your parent’s permission and offer to keep people’s yards looking nice.
To keep yourself safe while working around kids and adults alike, wear long sleeves, closed-toe shoes, goggles, gloves and ear protection if possible. If anyone wants something more specific, like trimming trees or weeding flower beds (and isn’t willing to pay for it), just politely say no and move on.
Online Tutoring
A great business idea is helping kids learn what they need to know before entering the workforce. Use your skills, expertise, and resources to work with kids one-on-one or as a team. You can make money by tutoring them on a range of topics from math, science, and English all the way through how to do their own laundry.
You can also create an app that teaches kids how to cook nutritious meals using ingredients from their neighbourhood grocery store. Or, if you like crafting and making things with your hands, you could start a business selling homemade jewelry at local markets. Maybe even sell clothes you sew yourself? The sky’s the limit when it comes to business ideas for kids.
Pint-sized pop-up shop owner
Limit your mind to more than just the lemonade stand! The sky’s the limit for young and old entrepreneurs who want to learn and improve themselves.
Set up a table on the front lawn and help your kids sell baked goods, plants, or handmade crafts. This business was the springboard for Riley Kinnane-Peterson, who used her yearly yard sale jewelry stand at age five as a springboard to a huge online business Enter Gunner & Lux. With over 1 million followers on Instagram, she has made millions of dollars with her kids business idea.
Selling Homemade Crafts
With the booming DIY culture and internet entrepreneurship, children are often interested in the ideas of handmade items. As a result, they may find success by selling their handmade crafts at school events or on social media. With time and experience, this kids business idea can expand into a full-time venture as they grow older.
They could start with simple crafts like beaded necklaces before working up to more complex projects like quilts. For example, 14-year-old Brooke is making her own beaded bracelets and necklaces that she sells online with the help of her parents. The money from these sales helps her save up for college tuition when she turns 18 years old. The best part about this kid’s business idea is that there’s no need to wait until high school to get started. It’s never too early!
Running Errands for the Elderly or Disabled
Running errands for the elderly or disabled can be a great way for kids to earn money. They can help with things like picking up groceries, paying bills, and taking care of other routine tasks that are necessary but difficult for some individuals. It’s also a good opportunity to get out of the house and make new friends.
You may want to call ahead as well. Some people might not be able to drive themselves anywhere anymore, so your child will need to know how to use public transportation. And it should go without saying that they need to bring a cell phone!
Starting an Art Collection
In the future, everyone will want a piece of art that no one else has. As of now, with the rise of Instagram and social media, many talented artists are making their way into the mainstream market. This is a perfect opportunity for kids. They can start by picking up paintings from local artists at garage sales or flea markets.
After they have acquired some pieces, they can post them on Instagram and see if people are interested in buying them. If so, then all profits should go back into collecting more art. Of course, it might take a while before these young entrepreneurs make any money off of this business idea, but if you think about it as an investment for their future, it could pay off!
Child-Friendly Website Redesigns
In order to make a website more accessible and user-friendly for kids, you can use an online editor like Thimble. It is easy for children to use, provides step-by-step instructions for each task and lets you save your work as you go. You can also add animation, audio and video clips. You could even teach them how to create their own site! Another option would be to find a hosting service that offers child-specific templates or designs.
Another idea might be creating unique packaging or products with the help of children. Or maybe teaching them how to code through educational apps, like Scratch Jr., would help your child think critically about the world around them by giving them access to digital building blocks. With these new skills, they will be able to explore coding on the internet and learn basic programming skills before they are old enough for computer science class!
Virtual Assistant
This is an excellent business idea for kids because it can be done from home, which means that you don’t have to worry about commuting or finding a place to work. You can make a living by helping others with their tasks that they don’t have time to do.
One of the most popular services offered is social media management and marketing. For example, many people use Twitter but are unsure what they should tweet and how often they should tweet. A virtual assistant could help them get on track and figure out the best content strategy so that the company gets more exposure on Twitter.
Conclusion
Encourage your kids to think creatively and come up with their own business ideas even the craziest ones. Remember, as long as there is an audience for it; you don’t have to worry about whether or not it’s actually feasible. It doesn’t have to make sense; it just has to make money! Let your kids explore all types of avenues for entrepreneurship, like dog walking, lemonade stands, and more.
That way, they’ll be prepared to try any type of work in the future (or at least more than one). Finally, remind yourself that children should never start any new project without consulting a grownup first- anything can seem fun when they’re younger but might not work out well once they get older.
