18 Simple Business Ideas for Kids to Learn Sales

Business Ideas for Kids

Last updated - August 17, 2022

Why teach your kid to run a business? It is a fun family activity that also helps them learn practical life skills that formal education cannot give. From math to management, every part of running a business helps your kid to grow into an empowered adult with the advantage of having learned the know-hows of life early.

Selling, in particular, is not limited to business and commercial transactions. It is a skill that makes kids learn to speak for themselves and advocate their cause and opinion, from selling cookies to writing college application letters and cracking job interviews in the future.

In this article, we have gathered some practical and useful business ideas your kid could try with your supervision. Besides learning the skills, they can also use the money from college savings to buy their next Nintendo console.

The Classics

The Lemonade Stand

Business ideas for kids - lemonade stands

Lemonade stands are a classic business model for kids. Setting up a lemonade stand in the neighborhood can be a good way for kids to learn resource and money management. Setting up a lemonade stand requires very little capital.

Freshly making lemonades and offering other drinks will also help the kid make more sales. While this is not a high-income business, it is nevertheless a fun and learning experience for budding entrepreneurs.

Door-to-Door Sales

Business ideas for kids - Door-to-Door Sales

Another time-tested business model, selling products door-to-door is not limited to Girl Scouts. Or you can always help your kid do the Girl Scout cookie sales by themselves by assisting with their sales campaign and preparing a script for their pitch and the areas to target.

If you have a back garden, making and selling fresh produce through stands and door-to-door sales is also a good business idea for kids. This will make them understand how to talk to people, grow food products, and how to make actual sales by taking into account all the factors in selling what they want.

Babysitting

Business ideas for kids - Babysitting

Babysitting jobs are better suited for teens old enough to understand and take care of kids responsibly. Start by making advertising posters or reaching out to friends and family to let them know your kid is offering to babysit.

Pet Sitting and Walking

Pet sitting is a job always in demand as people going out without their pets need someone to take care of their pets. Your kid could be this person. They can advertise their availability similar to babysitting and make use of the useful cash by taking care of pets for a few hours a day.

Walking pets is another thing busy pet owners can’t always do. Just a walk around the park and if they don’t mind, collecting and removing dog poop while they are at it can add extra cash as it is not something pet owners are excited about.

For the enterprising kids

Online Selling

Business ideas for kids - online stores

Take yard sales online with your kid. Creating online stores to sell lightly used shoes, apparel, and collectibles can be a profitable endeavor. A lot of kids use the profit they made from such sales as capital to buy more stuff to sell. Online, the range and scale of this business model are higher, making for a profitable model of business.

Gardening and Lawn Care

Taking care of a back garden at your house or someone else’s will teach kids to be responsible. They will learn to give routine care to the plants and it is a wholesome way to make some money as a kid. Similarly, lawn care is also a chore that your kid can get from busy house owners to make some cash. Note that they cannot handle power tools like lawnmowers which can sometimes limit their opportunities.

Pool Care

Helping out houses with pool maintenance during the summer can be a good business idea for your kid. Busy houses that often have pool parties can find it difficult to regularly clean and maintain their pools and such places can be ideal for your kid to help around and make some money while doing that.

Snow and Leaves Shoveling

Shoveling snow and raking leaves in winter and fall are painful chores for some. Let your kid help out for them by cleaning snow off driveways and doorways. Likewise, clearing leaves in the fall and even using them to make compost are interesting business ideas for kids.

For the studious ones


Writing 

Business ideas for kids - books for kids

You might be surprised at how many kid authors have made a career out of writing books for other kids. If your kid is a natural reader with a flair for writing, they can write a book about relatable topics or whatever interests them. Selling books is not a small task and this will teach them a lot and they will learn more about reading and writing.

Tutoring

Business ideas for kids - tutoring

If your kid is good at academics, they can offer to teach other kids having trouble with certain subjects and even younger kids. Teaching reinforces what they know too, and so tutoring is a useful hobby to make money from.

Blogger

Business ideas for kids - blogging

Getting your kid started with a blog or a journal can be a productive hobby for kids. While monetizing a blog is a long-term game, it is useful to cultivate writing skills in your kid and to meet like-minded people on such platforms.

For the Tech-Savvy

Social Media Manager

Business ideas for kids - social media

Is your kid always on their phone? They can capitalize on their interest in the technology by using it for making money. Kids know their way around apps and trends and they can manage the social media of neighborhood small businesses for a fee.

Streaming Video Games

Business ideas for kids - video game streamer

This is not far from the previous idea. Gaming content has dedicated streaming platforms like Twitch for your gamer kid to show off their gaming skill to other players and again, monetize in a variety of ways. 

Be warned though, that online platforms and the popularity coming with them can have downsides like trolling, addiction, and other toxic elements. Supervise and monitor such activities to prevent your kid from being negatively impacted by these platforms.

For the creative 

Arts and Crafts

Business ideas for kids -

Does your kid like making handcrafted jewelry, posters, or even enhancing clothes with their design skills? There is a lot of scope and demand for handcrafted jewelry and other products. You can help them set up a stall to sell these or an online store on platforms like Etsy to fetch a good price for their unique handicraft.

For the Social Butterflies

Online Personality

Extroverted kids who are engrossed with social media platforms and trends can transform their potential into a money-making one by creating a following for them by creating content that showcases their skills to the large social media communities. 

Making content of any kind from product reviews, educational content, and comedy skits creates a regular stream of followers that can be eventually monetized.

For the Artsy Kids

Modeling

Modeling for advertisements and artistic shoots in all mediums suits kids who want to be in front of the camera. From being in stock images like in this blog to being in the cereal ad on TV, the possibilities are endless depending on your kid’s skills and time commitment.

Music

Is your kid a natural singer and plays instruments? Encourage them to sharpen their skills and it is easy to promote their talent and release songs in an online medium. Depending on how you decide to go with it, agencies or social media platforms provide a way to monetize their skills while they grow in skills and confidence as an adult.

Acting

Similar to modeling, acting requires more effort on your kid’s part to learn and improve their skills and persistence to audition for roles. With enough passion, artistic kids can make it into the TV or big screens and make a career out of it.

Encouraging your kids to have their own business or service helps them learn useful skills as they grow and complements their formal education to make them ready for adult life as resourceful, creative and smart individuals. Have a question or suggestion? Let us know in the comments.

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