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5 Business ideas for kids

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Setting up a business isn’t something that comes naturally to a lot of people at an early age. Most people choose to do it during their mid adult life when they’ve become sick of working long hours for low pay and they see how much money their boss is making! There are some young kids though who seem to have that entrepreneurial spirit right from the get go, a natural born desire to make some money. Sometimes all they need is an idea and they’re off. So here we have 5 business ideas for kids that are easy to start up and will have you bursting the piggy bank in no time.

Car Washing

Gone are the days when half the population of Britain would be out in force on a Saturday morning washing their cars. Nowadays many people work so hard that washing the car is the last thing they want to be bothered with on a weekend. If you’re in any doubt just check out the amount of car washes popping up around your local town. You may think these new car washes have cornered the market but you’re forgetting one very important point, you’re a kid! Lots of kids these days are quite happy to sit around at home and play their Playstation all day long, many of older people don’t like that mentality. So grab a bucket, sponge, a bit of soap, dress up presentably and get knocking on a few doors. There will be many people out there who will be more than happy to help out a kid who shows some initiative. Be sure to stay safe though. If you’re going to go knocking on doors make sure you go with a friend and split the cash down the middle or even have a parent accompany you until you build up some trustworthy regulars.

Gardening

Depending on how old you are there are lots of different gardening jobs you could do for your neighbours. Mowing the grass, weeding and hedge trimming are all jobs that many people just don’t have the time or physical strength to do. If you’re old enough to handle using hedge clippers, then landing yourself a few regular gardening jobs could be just what you need to earn a bit of extra cash. Again be sure to stay safe and only work for people you know and always let your parents know where you are going and when.

Fixing Broken Gadgets

I know that a lot of you kids are very techno savvy. Do you know how to fix broken mobile phones, games consoles or even iPads? If you can safely fix these gadgets then you could set up a nice little business for yourself and the potential for profit is huge. I would bet that within your own group of friends you could easily get hold of some cheap broken gadgets to fix up, so it shouldn’t take too long to get started. When you’ve fixed them you can then get your parents to sell them on eBay for you.

Help old people with computers

As much as they’ve tried to resist technology over the years many older people are now starting to embrace it. The problem most older people have comes when they get home and get their new computer or iPad out of the box, they often don’t have a clue what to do with them and that’s if they can figure out how to turn it on! Ok maybe that’s a bit harsh :-). But here’s where your entrepreneurial technological brain comes in. I know for a fact that many older people would happily pay a young kid to help them get to grips with their new computer or gadget. So keep a lookout for opportunities in this area and word of mouth might well bring a lot of work your way.

Babysitting

This kid’s business idea has been around since I can remember but a good babysitter will always be in demand. Babysitting jobs can be pretty well paying as well, especially if the parents are a little bit tipsy when they come home from their much deserved night out!

We’ve mentioned just 5 business ideas for kids, can you add to the list?

15 Responses to 5 Business ideas for kids

  1. Great ideas! I’d also suggest helping other kids with their homework (peer to peer tutoring) and selling cakes/crafts at local stalls.

  2. FI Pilgrim says:

    I can attest that helping older folks with computers is a great job for a kid. I was doing this at age 13 for grandparents and people at my church, and here I am 19 years later working as and IT manager. I think supporting those folks helped me to see how much fun I could have making money!

    • Adam Buller says:

      Yeah there are some really generous folk around too. I didn’t have much knowledge of computers but I still had enough to help them with the basics. I’d have been happy getting paid in cookies but the extra cash did come in handy.

  3. I like the one about fixing technological gadgets. A friend of mine did iphone screens or something like that as a bit of a sideline in grad school. It wasn’t terribly complicated, you just needed to know what you were doing. I think he charged $20 and his materials were $5. All in all, a great way to get some pocket money.

    • Adam Buller says:

      Some kids are so clever with fixing broken gadgets and I think there’s a lot to be made by selling them on in good working order. A lad who used to work for me made some extra income buying broken PS3’s, replacing the lasers on them and then selling them on eBay. As you say Anne, nice little side gig for him.

  4. dojo says:

    Excellent ideas. I tried tutoring when I was 15 and it did bring in some cash. Sure, wasn’t too much (had to study anyway, so the time was limited), but I did earn some money and gained quite some confidence.

  5. Mowing the lawn, selling lemonade, raking leaves, shoveling snow.

  6. I love this! The last time a kid came to my door offering to wash my car, I agreed even though it really didn’t need doing. I just admired what he was doing. You don’t see a lot of that.

  7. Hey, Adam, great ideas!! We’ve got friends whose son makes great cash helping old people with computer stuff. 🙂 We encourage all of our kids to earn their own cash by utilizing their talents wisely. Our oldest, an author, does writing workshops at area elementary schools, our second oldest sells her delicious baked goods, etc. When they were super little, they would draw pictures and then sell them to family members. 🙂

  8. I was a girl scout and we used to pack groceries and wrap Christmas gifts during the holidays to finance our summer trips. We earned only tips but people were pretty generous.

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