Kid Business: Making Money at a Young Age
I have a confession to make: I spent the day yesterday on Yahoo! Answers. I was having a bit of writer’s block for the blog here, so I headed over the the Business & Finance section to see if any of the questions there would spark an idea for me. And boy, did it ever.
I see one question asked over and over again in that section. In fact, from what I’ve seen, it’s the most asked question. It goes something like this:
I’m a kid/teenager (somewhere between 11-17) and I want to make money, but I’m too young to be hired, or I can’t find a job for whatever reason. What can I do besides baby-sitting/lemonade stand/mowing lawns?
I love this question. I see myself in it, except I never asked this question as a kid. I already had the answer. I’d started my own business when I was 6 years old, writing and selling my own newspaper in my town. And I continued that business up until I was 13 years old.
So here’s my answer to everyone one of those young business-persons-in-the-making: You can start your own business. And you can do just about anything you want for your business.
But where to start? The library or bookstore. Head out and get your hands on one or both of these books:
Fast Cash for Kids* by Bonnie and Noel Drew
and
Better Than A Lemonade Stand: Small Business Ideas For Kids* by Daryl Bernstein.
I read these two books when I was a kid, and they helped so much with developing my idea into a real business. And they both come with tons and tons of ideas for businesses to start, if you haven’t thought of one already. I’m talking hundreds of businesses that you could start!
And teenagers, do not be put off by the fact that these books are targeted toward kids. Think of it this way - if a kid can do it, so can you, and you can probably do it bigger and better!
I would love to hear some stories of kids who’ve started their own businesses - please let me know if you’ve ever known or been a kid entrepreneur!
*Amazon Affliate Links
Related posts:
Raking leaves and/or shoveling snow. Unlike mowing lawns, these are chores that NO homeowner really wants to do. My best friend and I started a leaf-raking business when we were about 12 and 10, respectively. We kept expanding it until I was about 14, at which point I started hiring some other neighboorhood kids to help. I branched out to snow shoveling when I realized I needed more winter exercise in highschool. I tried a lot of other things, too, but I never really made money doing anything else. Besides, what other job lets you jump into big piles of leaves you’ve made?
I know college groups who do raking and/or shoveling as fundraisers, and make a lot of money doing it every year. The best part is that it doesn’t require any motorized equipment like mowing a lawn does, and the more people you have working, the faster it goes!
Comment by Anitra — August 10, 2007 @ 10:53 am
Anitra,
It’s ideas like those that make me love these two books. They’re full of ideas like that and how to execute them and how much equipment and money a kid will need and everything. Some of the ideas are really quite great (I wish I could remember more of tham, but off the top of my head: computer lessons/repair, flyer design, sign painting, mural painter, grocery shopping and delivery, checking in on younger latchkey kids, dessert catering, event organizing, gift basket making… the lists just went on and on!).
Comment by Stephanie — August 10, 2007 @ 9:26 pm
I have strated my own business in NC and so far i have made 25000 dollars every year. I am very pleased thanks for the advice
Comment by Anonymous — December 6, 2007 @ 11:27 pm
I about to start my own business with a couple of my friends and this site will really help.
Comment by jennie — January 24, 2008 @ 7:08 pm
@Jennie -
That’s fantastic! Best of luck, and I hope the books here help you out - I know they sure helped me!
Comment by Stephanie — January 25, 2008 @ 10:47 am
ok so im 14, im not very smart, im about a level 5 if you knw what that means. i live whith my brother and my mum, my mum is a single perant, and we are living on benefit so the money aint to good lol.
can someone please explain it in a simpler form? thankyou :D:D it would be much apretiated
i meet my gf alot, and i always need t save up for stuff but cant cause i need to spend it with my girlfriend and special occasions.
SSSSSSooo i relli need to find some way to make money online seems how im online in my spare time. but its sounds relli complicated
Comment by anonamous — January 30, 2008 @ 5:25 pm
I know a sad story. One kid was doing a website. Then he decided to sell it. He sold it for $5,000(it was bringing some revenue).
The buyer made it to $2,500/month adsense website.
Then parents of that kid sues the buyer, that he had no right(the kid) to sell website, because he was underaged.
They won the case and got website back.
So this is a very thin and really sharp line. You should be really careful doing business with teens.
Comment by zloj — February 20, 2008 @ 1:09 pm
There is are a number of dated expression that “there is no such thing as a free lunch” ,
“nothing is for nothing” and that of “easy money” as well as “everyone wants something for nothing”
These terms also apply to what might be considered easy money on the internet
It takes time , proper preparation , and as well proper funding , for the mistakes along the way , and I guess a measure of good luck and timing
For the most part everything worthwhile takes effort and consistency. If you are the type who likes flash in the pan and you find it in internet sales and ./ or marketing you may well ( almost always ) lose it at your next trip to the gambline table. Proper results require proper effort and preparations.
Comment by Cater to Me Please — February 25, 2008 @ 12:23 am
How do u start to sell a newspaper, or like a comic strip?
Comment by George — April 2, 2008 @ 7:38 pm
@George:
For my newspaper, I made change jars and bought little plastic flyer displays from an office supply store, and then took copies of my paper and the change jars around to businesses in my town. I asked them if they wouldn’t mind if I put the newspapers and the change jars on the counter, so that people could buy them. If you do this, make sure you put a label with the name of the newspaper and the price on the jar, so that people know to pay into the jar.
Then, when you put out a new issue next month, you can collect all the money in the jars and put out the new issue. Make sure you tape a piece of paper in the back of the display holder, with a phone number or something to contact you, so that if any of the businesses run out of copies, they can let you know that they need more.
For a comic strip, the best thing to do would probably start putting it online. I actually used to be really big into the web-comic community - I still have quite a few friends there, if you’re looking for a mentor.
Feel free to email me if you want any more tips! Just click the “Contact Me” link in the sidebar on this page (up near the top).
Comment by Stephanie — April 2, 2008 @ 8:46 pm
The thing I like about this post (and site) is that there seems to be a lot of ambition here. I firmly believe in that you make your own luck. Sounds like these kids are going after it and I like to see that. ~Larry
Comment by Find a JOb — July 8, 2008 @ 4:50 pm
i FOUND sOMTHING REALLY INTERESTING ON THIS SITE… im GOING TO DO IT!
http://mailbusiness.aimoo.com/General-Discussion/Make-money-quick-while-still-y-1-1032669.html
Comment by ALEX — July 25, 2008 @ 3:49 am
@ALEX - Thanks for coming by the site, but I’m afraid I have to tell you that the link you posted is a scam, and is actually illegal. You can check out the story on snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/chain.asp
Just remember that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Comment by Stephanie — July 25, 2008 @ 10:02 am