Teen Entrepreneurs: 17 Profitable Business Ideas For Your Kids
Are you the parent of a teen who wants to make money and gain valuable entrepreneurial skills? Starting a business can be a fantastic way for aspiring teen entrepreneurs to explore their passions, develop creativity, and learn important lessons about finances and responsibility.
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Best First Businesses for Teen Entrepreneurs
Take a look at these 17 top business ideas for teens to kickstart their entrepreneurial journey and pave the way to a successful future.
Tutoring Services
If your child excels in a particular subject or has a unique talent, offering tutoring services is an excellent place to start. Many students struggle with specific topics and are willing to pay for extra help. And remember, as a homeschooled teen, your child’s schedule is flexible.
Promote services through flyers or online platforms. Whether your son or daughter specializes in math, science, music, or art, tutoring allows them to use their skills to help others succeed.
Handmade Crafts and Products
Does your household include teen entrepreneurs with a knack for creating unique crafts or handmade products? If so, the possibilities for starting a business as a teenager are endless.
They could make and sell jewelry and accessories or even homemade extracts. My daughters have experimented with making homemade soaps and even candles.
Encourage your teenagers to sell their creations to turn their hobby into a business. Help them to set up an online store on platforms like Etsy. Alternatively, they could promote items on social media, or even to an email list.
Email service provider ConvertKit now offers a free email service for accounts with under 10,000 subscribers. This is a great place to start.
Maybe your teen could set up a booth at a local farmer’s market or seasonal craft shows. To stand out in the market, remind them to emphasize the quality and uniqueness of their products.
Freelance Services
In the digital age, freelancing offers so many opportunities for entrepreneurial-minded teens. If your teen has graphic design, writing, programming, or social media management skills, encourage them to offer their services on a project basis.
Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr allow service providers to showcase talents and connect with clients worldwide. Freelancing offers a flexible schedule and helps students build a diverse skill set that can help in their career or future businesses.
Event Planning
If your teenager loves organizing and coordinating events, they may want to consider starting an event planning business. From birthday parties and graduation celebrations to small weddings and gatherings, there’s always a demand for event planners.
A business like this gives teen entrepreneurs opportunities to develop communication and sales skills, negotiate with vendors, and create memorable client experiences. Use word of mouth and social media to build a strong reputation for your teen’s business in your community.
If your family is part of a local homeschool coop or group, start there. Your teen’s new business could help to plan end-of-the-school-year bashes or even homeschool graduations. And don’t forget to reach out to your church community as well.
Baking and Confectionery
If your teens are foodies, turn this passion for kids cooking and baking into a business that’s enjoyable and profitable. Offer a range of baked goods, from cookies and cakes to bread and pastries.
Your teen entrepreneurs can take custom orders for events like birthdays and weddings or sell your products at local markets and online. Emphasize the quality and taste of baked goods and use social media to showcase the delicious creations.
Social Media Management
I know that kids and social media can be a trigger topic, but yes, I’m going there! Is your older teen on TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest or Instagram? Many small businesses and entrepreneurs need help navigating the ever-changing social media landscape.
By managing their social media accounts and creating engaging content, teen entrepreneurs can help them reach their target audience and grow their online presence. If your teen understands social media platforms well, they can also offer their services as a social media assistant.
“My 16-year-old has earned a steady income around her school, sports, and extracurricular activities by working as a virtual admin. She manages the social media posts for a friend’s hand-poured candle business and helps me with my bookkeeping and other administrative tasks.”
— Sage Scott, EverydayWanderer
Pet Sitting and Dog Walking
If your aspiring teen business owner love animals, starting a pet sitting or dog walking service can be a fun and rewarding business. Many pet owners need reliable people to care for their furry friends while they are away or busy with work.
Help your child advertise their services through flyers, local pet stores, or online platforms dedicated to pet services. However, caution your teenager to think carefully about whether they have the necessary knowledge and skills to care for different types of pets responsibly and to provide exceptional care.
Photography Services
Did your teenager take a homeschool photography class? My older daughter did the iPhone Photography School and loved it.
If your child enjoys photography and hs a keen eye for capturing moments, consider offering your services as a photographer. Many individuals and businesses require professional photographs for various occasions, such as weddings, family portraits, and events.
Another lucrative option for teens with mad photo skills is to become a food photographer. As I know from my launching our newest site, Recipes From Leftovers, amazing food photos are absolutely critical to a food blog’s success.
Help your child invest in a quality camera (or iPhone) and learn different photography techniques to enhance their skills. Networking with local event planners and wedding venues can help them secure photography jobs.
Car Washing and Detailing
Providing car washing and detailing services can be lucrative, especially in areas with many car owners. Your teen may want to offer exterior washing, cleaning, waxing, and polishing services.
Get quality cleaning products and equipment to deliver excellent results. Your young entrepreneur can set up a mobile car wash service where they travel to clients’ homes or businesses. Or for a safer option, partner with local gas stations to offer services there.
Reselling Online
With the rise of online marketplaces, reselling products has become a popular business venture. Platforms like eBay, Depop, and Poshmark provide opportunities to reach a broad customer audience.
Look for unique and in-demand items at thrift stores, garage sales, or clearance sales and resell them at a higher price online. Reselling items is a great business to help teens develop marketing and negotiation skills to maximize their profits. Remind them they’ll need to stay updated on current trends to identify popular items with high resale value.
Personalized Gifts
People love personalized and unique gifts, which is where creative and artistic teenagers can really shine. If your homeschooled teenager wants to make extra money and launch a business, suggest they customized gifts such as custom-made mugs, t-shirts, keychains, or home decor items.
Are you a parent to a teen who has loved baking and cooking as a kid? If so, they may want to launch a business where they bake cookies or cakes for special occasions. Use their artistic skills to create designs or print-on-demand services to bring their ideas to life. ADD AFF INFO
They could even set up an online store or collaborate with local gift shops to showcase and sell products. Social media platforms can help them reach a broader audience.
Landscaping and Gardening Services
Starting a landscaping and gardening service can be a fantastic business idea if your kids enjoy working outdoors and have a green thumb. They could offer services such as lawn mowing, garden maintenance, or flower planting.
Another option is to offer homeschooling with gardening classes for local homeschoolers.
Advertise your kids’ services through flyers, local nurseries, and community bulletin boards. Remind them that building strong relationships with initial clients will lead to word-of-mouth referrals and more business opportunities.
Delivery and Errand Services
Many people often require assistance with errands and deliveries. If your teen has their own vehicles, they can offer delivery and errand services in your local area.
Whether picking up groceries, running errands, or delivering packages, reliable, trustworthy and efficient services can be a time-saver for busy neighbors. Advertise services through local community boards, online platforms, and word of mouth.
Online Content Creation
Teen entrepreneurs and young adults with a talent for creating engaging content, such as videos, podcasts, or blogs, can monetize their creativity by becoming online content creators. Advise your teenage entrepreneurs to focus on a niche they’re passionate about. Remind them they’ll need to consistently produce high-quality content that entertains, educates, or inspires viewers.
Platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok offer opportunities to showcase your skills and attract a large audience. My daughters love technology and the online world and have honed their tech skills through various online classes. If this interests you, check out MyTekLab and Outschool offerings.
House Cleaning Services
Home cleaning services can be lucrative, especially if your teenager can build a business cleaning for busy families, homeschooling moms, or elderly individuals needing extra house help. They can provide cleaning, vacuuming, mopping, and organizing services.
Once again, advertise services through local community boards, social media, or word of mouth. Your kids will need to use quality cleaning products and be thorough in their work to build a solid reputation.
Tech Support and Computer Repair
If your teen is tech-savvy and enjoy troubleshooting computer issues, offering tech support and computer repair services can be a great business idea. Many people struggle with technology problems, from software glitches to hardware malfunctions.
Promote services in your community and online, offering to help with virus removal, software installation, or hardware upgrades. Building a good reputation will lead to more clients and repeat business.
Fitness Training and Coaching
Athletic teens who are passionate about fitness and enjoy helping others achieve their health goals could consider offering fitness training and coaching services as a good first business. Whether it’s personal training, group classes, or sports coaching, there are many opportunities to share expertise.
And remember the opportunity to cater to the homeschool community! One pain point of many homeschool moms is the lack of physical education programs for homeschoolers.
Your teenager should get certified if necessary and promote their services through local gyms, community centers, and social media. Building a strong rapport with clients will help them gain trust and grow the business.
Starting a business as a teenager opens up a world of opportunities. There are countless ways for your child to turn passions into profitable ventures, from tutoring and handmade crafts to fitness training and tech support.
With dedication, hard work, and a positive attitude, your teen entrepreneurs can achieve their dreams and set themselves up for a successful future.
