Starting a business is a great way for kids to earn extra money and learn about basic business principals. With this list of creative small business ideas for kids to choose from, they’re sure to find an idea that sparks their interest.
These fun money-making ideas are a great way to get your kids excited about becoming an entrepreneur and earning some extra spending cash.
Product Business Ideas
Many kid businesses center around selling physical products to earn money.
This is a good choice because it allows kids to monetize their talents and skills instead of just having hobbies.
These product-based business ideas are perfect for young entrepreneurs.
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Lemonade Stand
This classic business idea is a tried-and-true favorite among kids. All your kid needs to set up a lemonade stand is some refreshing lemonade, cups, and a table.
But if your kid wants to stand out from the others in the saturated summer market, they should consider coming up with something unique. A well-decorated stand or lemonade made from scratch could provide them with a leg-up among the competition.
Bake Sale
Another popular option among kid entrepreneurs is bake sales.
Kids who enjoy baking can sell their goods to neighbors and friends in a similar fashion as a lemonade stand. After baking a variety of sweet treats, set up a stand in the front yard and sell the baked goods to people who pass by.
Concession Stand
Your child doesn’t need to make their own food and drinks in order to make money! Instead of making homemade lemonade or baked goods, purchase popular candy, snacks, and drinks and set up a concession stand in your yard.
Purchasing snacks and drinks in bulk can reduce the costs associated with buying inventory, allowing them to make a profit simply by selling soda, candy, and chips to people in the neighborhood.
Purchasing in bulk is a good lesson in inventory and money management for a young business owner.
At-Home Bakery
If your kid has had some success with bake sales in your yard, they may want to take their business to the next level.
An at-home bakery is a great option for kids who enjoy cooking but want more steady sales. Your child can bake sweets for sale to friends and family or take custom orders.
Just be sure to check with your local health department to see if there are any rules or regulations you should know about when it comes to selling food items out of your home.
Cake or Cookie Decorating
Does your kid love decorating baked goods, like cakes and cookies? Creating their own cake or cookie decorating business is another great idea for creative kids.
Offering their services to friends and family members and posting photos of their creations online is a great way to gain new clients through word of mouth advertising.
Cooking and Catering
Maybe your kid loves being in the kitchen, but isn’t a fan of baking or decorating. They can still earn money from their cooking skills!
Starting a catering business is great for kids who have the know-how and skills to cook for a large crowd.
But if your kid simply enjoys making dinner, why not start a business making and delivering dinners to busy families?
Jewelry Making
Making homemade jewelry is a creative product idea for kids.
If you have a budding designer, creating and selling their own jewelry could be a lucrative business idea. Your child can sell their designs online or set up shop at local craft fairs to earn money.
Clothing and T-shirts
Custom clothing and t-shirts are always popular products. Kids who enjoy creating their own clothing can sell their designs as part of their business plan.
Whether your child enjoys sewing new clothing or creating graphic t-shirt designs, there’s a market for custom clothing they can fill.
Handmade Accessories
In addition to clothing, your kid could also make and sell their own accessories as part of their product line. Kids who know how to knit or crochet, for example, can sell hats, gloves, and scarves to customers.
Art Work
Creative kids can also start their own art business, selling their works of art to earn extra money. Painting, drawing and sculpting are some ways for your child to use their creative gifts to start their own business.
Handmade Soap and Bath Products
Making homemade bath products is another cool kid business idea. They could sell a variety of easy-to-make bath products, like soap, bath salts, and bath bombs.
Homemade Candles
Another simple product your kid could make and sell is candles. And since homemade candles are popular among shoppers, there will always be a market for their products.
Crafts and Home Décor
Creative kids can also use their skills to make crafts and home décor to sell.
Wreaths, signs, and knickknacks are all simple projects your kid can make and sell. Once the designs are complete, you can list them online on a marketplace site like Etsy or sell them at local craft fairs.
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Service Oriented Businesses for Kids
In addition to providing customers with a tangible product, many kid businesses can offer services to clients.
These service-oriented business ideas are a simple way for your kid to create a business, even if they don’t have any products to sell.
Tutoring
Kids who are good in school can use their knowledge and skills to create their own tutoring service. Providing other students with homework assistance and test prep is a great way for your smart kid to share their knowledge and earn some extra money.
Music Lessons
Is your child great at playing an instrument? If so, they can use their talents to teach other kids how to play.
Music lessons work great for business-minded kids who enjoy teaching and has musical knowledge they can share.
Acting Coach
Maybe your child is a talented actor. Help them use their talents to start their own business.
Dance Coach
Kids who are great dancers can create a business providing dancing lessons and choreography services to earn some extra money.
Sports Coach
And kids who are great at a certain sport can share their knowledge with other kids who are hoping to improve their game during the season and in the offseason.
Birthday Performer
Does your kid love being on stage? Working as a birthday party performer is a fun way to help them hone their talents and earn some money.
They could provide a variety of services when working as a birthday performer, like doing magic tricks, dressing up as a clown, or pretending to be a popular kids’ character, like a Disney princess.
Pet Care
If your kid is a pet-lover, starting their own pet care business may be a great idea!
There are a variety of different services your child could offer as part of their business plan, including dog walking, pet groom, and pet sitting.
Babysitting
Maybe your child is more of a people person than an animal lover. If that’s the case, they may enjoy starting their own babysitting business.
Help them reach out to family and friends to advertise their services, then let word of mouth advertising do its magic to help their business grow.
Mother’s Helper
Kids who may be too young to sit with kids alone can still earn money playing with little ones.
Offering mother’s helper services, your child can offer to play with the kids and keep them entertained while mom does chores around the house, works at home, or cooks dinner.
Elder Care
In addition to starting a babysitting service, some kids may be good at providing elder care services to elderly neighbors and friends.
While your child won’t be able to provide medical care, they can offer companionship and help around the house with simple tasks like light cleaning and taking care of pets.
Car Wash
Washing cars is a fun activity for many kids. And that means they’ll probably have a blast setting up their own car wash service.
Your kid can make their own car wash in your driveway for neighbors and friends. Or set up their own traveling car wash, transporting their supplies from house to house.
Gift Wrapping
Is your kid great at wrapping presents? Starting a gift-wrapping service may be the perfect business idea for them.
While they will probably get the majority of their business during the holiday season, they can offer their service year-round, wrapping presents for birthdays, weddings, and baby showers.
Holiday Decorating
Helping friends and neighbors set up for the holidays is another seasonal business idea that could help your child earn some extra money to buy Christmas gifts.
As a holiday decorator, they can take the work of decorating homes for the holidays off the homeowners’ hands by doing all their decorating for them. Doing a good job will ensure they get repeat customers every year which they’ll learn is good for business!
Garage and Attic Cleanup
Tackling a messy garage or attic is something many homeowners dread. That means hiring a kid to do the dirty work would be a welcome relief.
Cleaning out garages and attics would require your kid to remove all the excess stuff, move the unwanted items to the curb, clean the area, and reorganize the rest of the stuff back in the garage or attic.
Garage Sale Setup
Hosting a garage sale is a ton of work! That means many of your neighbors and friends would probably pay someone to do it for them.
Your kid could be the one to set up, run, and take down the yard sale and keep a portion of the profits for themselves.
Lawn Care
During the summer months, providing lawn care services is a popular business idea for kids.
Mowing yards, tending gardens, and watering plants are all simple tasks most kids can handle. And they can continue their lawn care services throughout the year by offering to rake leaves in the fall and shovel snow in the winter.
Pool Maintenance
Keeping up with a pool can be a big job for many families. That’s why it’s a great business idea for your kid.
Keeping neighborhood pools clean and chemically balanced is a fun way for your kid to earn money during the summer months as an entrepreneur.
Recycling
Many recycling centers pay money for metal and glass, which means your child could earn some extra money while also saving the planet.
Your kid can offer a recycling pick-up service to neighbors, allowing them to pick up their recyclables and take them to the recycling plant. They can earn money through a monthly fee paid by their clients, as well as the money earned from dropping off their recycling.
Trash Collection
While kids may not be able to take over the garbage routes in your neighborhood, they can earn money helping friends and neighbors with their trash.
Bringing the trash cans out to the curb on trash day and back to the house after the trash has been picked up is a handy business service they could offer.
Trashcan Cleanup
It’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it, right? Kids who are business-minded can take the opportunity to earn money by starting a trashcan cleaning business.
Yes, they’ll have to get a little dirty, but since no one else wants to do it, they’ll be able to charge a premium.
And better yet, once they’ve got a good system going, they can start to hire friends to the dirty work and give them a cut of the money for it.
Tech Setup
Many kids these days are more tech-savvy than adults. And that means they have the knowledge they need to provide tech services.
Depending on their knowledge and experience, your kid could help friends, neighbors, and family members set up new computers, gaming systems, and phones.
Party Planning and Decorating
What kid wouldn’t love earning money by planning parties? If your kid loves throwing a good party, helping them set up their own party planning business is a great idea!
Photography
Kids who enjoy taking photos can use their talents to start a business and earn money.
They can take landscape and still life photos and sell them to stock photos sites. Or work with kids, families, or even pets, to start their own portrait photography business.
House Cleaning
Helping friends and neighbors keep their homes clean is a great business idea for kids who are good at keeping their own room clean.
Just make sure you tag along or are comfortable with your child being in the client’s house before you make a commitment.
Laundry Service
Many house cleaners don’t provide laundry services as part of their cleaning packages. But that doesn’t mean busy parents couldn’t use the extra help.
Providing laundry services is perfect for kids who enjoy folding clothes.
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Online Business Ideas for Kids
Not all businesses needs to be conducted in-person.
Thanks to advances in technology, your kid can create their own online business without the need to work with clients in person at all.
These online business ideas for kids are a great option for those hoping to become an entrepreneur.
Website Designer
Does your kid have experience coding and designing? Put that knowledge to good use by helping them start their own web design business online.
Creating websites can be a lucrative business for many kids who have the know-how to build a website from scratch.
Blogger
Creating a blog is a fun way for your child to put their creativity to work.
If they’re great at writing and photography, they can set up a successful blog and earn some extra money through advertising and sponsorships.
YouTuber
Is your kid a fan of watching YouTube videos? Helping them create their own YouTube channel is another fun online business idea for your kid.
YouTubers can make money through a variety of different avenues, including advertising and sponsorships.
Social Media Manager
Does your kid love being on social media? They can use their skills and knowledge to help businesses improve their social media presence by providing social media management services online.
Video Gamer Streamer
Kids who enjoy playing video games could start their own business live streaming as they play.
Websites like YouTube and Twitch provide gamers with a platform to play and earn extra money through advertisements.
Online Reseller
Creating an online store is one of the easiest business ideas for kids.
Purchasing gently used clothing, toys, electronics, and other household goods and reselling them online is a popular method for earning money.
And the business model is simple enough, even a kid can do it.
Ecommerce Shop
Another fun business idea for your kid to earn money online is by starting their own e-commerce shop.
Using drop shipping suppliers to sell their products allows them to create a store online without the need to store the products.
In conclusion, kids with the drive and motivation can become successful business owners with the right guidance and determination.
Use this list of business ideas for kids to help your child get started on the path to entrepreneurship and money making today.
