3 Ways To Make Money Online
There will come a time when kids are ready to start making money on their own.
Sometimes this happens at age four, and sometimes it happens at age 15.
Regardless, when your child comes to you wanting to know what they can do to earn money, and you’re all out of chores, suggest some business ideas for kids.
When kids start their own business, they learn valuable skills like the power of hard work, money management, marketing, and responsibility.
Here are 35 business ideas for kids to get you started.
Business Ideas for Kids
1. Tutor
2. Jewelry Designer
3. Baker
4. Custom School Supply Designer
5. Dog Walker
6. Pet Sitter
7. YouTuber
8. Slime Maker
9. Yard Services
10. Author
11. Candy Maker
12. Babysitter
13. Baseball Card Seller
14. Inventor
15. Website Builder
16. Recycler
17. Make Pet Treats
18. Trash Can Washer
19. Gift Basket Creator
20. Sock Designer
21. Face Painter
22. Produce Grower and Seller
23. Selling Hair Bows and Accessories
24. Lemonade Stand Owner
25. Chores or House Cleaning
26. Bath Bomb Maker
27. Gift Wrapper
28. Breeding and Selling Worms
29. Bow Tie Maker
30. Cleaning Swimming Pools
31. Managing Social Media for Businesses
32. Detailing Cars
33. Sports Coaching
34. Bike Repair
35. Selling Used Books
1. Tutor
If your child is great at a particular subject, he can tutor other children who aren’t doing as well.
Tutoring is generally a good business idea for kids age 12 or older. However, there are exceptions. If you feel your kid is mature enough to help another child learn, any age can work.
One idea is to have an older child tutor younger children. Younger children may respond better to an older child helping them rather than an adult.
Here are some ideas for finding tutoring clients:
- Alerting the school/teacher that your child will be offering tutoring sessions.
- Spreading the word to other parents.
- Sharing about it on social media.
2. Jewelry Designer
If you’ve ever been around tween girls, you know they usually have a penchant for bracelet making.
If your daughter (or son) is into making jewelry, let her have a go at trying to sell it.
Some places to sell handmade jewelry include.”
- Facebook Marketplace
- Amazon Handmade
- Etsy
And if you think that a kid selling jewelry can’t be profitable, think again. Take Bella Weems, for example. At age 14, she focused on earning enough money to purchase a car. She took all the money she had at the time – $350 – and started a personalized jewelry business.
That business is now known as Origami Owl and is worth millions of dollars.
Another prime example is LeiLei Secor, who started selling her handmade jewelry on Etsy while in high school. She used those proceeds to pay for college.
3. Baker
Have you ever purchased baked goods from a kid?
I did over the weekend.
I saw a younger teenage boy selling cookies, so I went and checked it out. He was selling six giant brownie cookies for $14. I purchased some, and he sold out completely by that afternoon.
If your kid loves to bake, take them somewhere they can sell their creations. People, in general, are likely to support a kid who is making an effort.
And you never know, a baking business now may lead to a successful bakery later in life.
Plus, with a baking business, you aren’t tied down to only selling baked goods. Kids who find a bit of success can start baking YouTube channels, sell subscription boxes, or start their own recipe blogs.
4. Custom School Supply Designer
Interested in raising a future shark?
Daymond John reportedly got his start in entrepreneurship by customizing pencils for girls in his first-grade class.
If you have a crafty child, she can follow in Daymond’s footsteps and customize school supplies. If you have a Cricut machine, the customizations your child can offer are limitless.
Kids interested in creating custom supplies can sell their creations at school, on Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, or even create their own website.
5. Dog Walker
If you live in a neighborhood of dog owners and your kid is old enough to be trusted, a dog walking service is a fun idea.
Your child will have to find dog walking clients who will teach him about marketing and then will have to deliver on the service.
6. Pet Sitter
Along the same lines, kids can pet-sit if it’s okay with mom and dad. Pet sitting for kids usually entails bringing animals into your home for a specified amount of time – while a neighbor is on vacation, for example.
This does require a bit of sacrifice on your part, but if you’re okay with extra animals in the house, it could be an option.
Or, if your kid is old enough, pet sitting could mean your kid staying at someone’s home while they’re out of town.
7. YouTuber
Kids can make money on YouTube. After all, the highest-paid YouTuber is Ryan Kaji – a 9-year-old.
It takes time to build up a subscriber base and get to the point of actually earning money, but it is 100% possible.
And since gaming is the number one niche on YouTube, kids who are into playing games have a fair shot of becoming popular.
The one downside is that kids may face criticism from their peers. This needs to be weighed out and thoroughly discussed before starting a channel.
8. Slime Maker
It makes parents cringe, and kids smile.
You know what I’m talking about…slime.
If your child is interested in selling to her peers, slime making is still hugely popular. Your child can offer different types of slime such as glow in the dark, glitter, and even take custom orders.
And if you think slime could never be profitable – think again! Take 8th grader Sophia, for example. She started selling slime on Etsy and now has her own website where she sells homemade slime and hand sanitizer.
9. Yard Services
If your child likes to be outside, there are plenty of yard services she could provide.
Depending on the age and skill levels of your child, she could offer:
- Mowing
- Leaf removal
- Snow removal
- Weeding
- Planting
Adults are usually happy to pay kids for these types of services.
10. Author
If your child has a way with words and is interested in writing a book, encourage him to do so.
Kids can self-publish books on Amazon. It may start as a slow way to earn money but can become a life-long source of income.
And while tales of instant fame and riches are rare, there have been several successful kid authors, including:
- Susan Hinton who started writing The Outsiders when she was 15.
- Christopher Paolini who wrote Eragon starting at age 15.
Alec Greven who wrote How to Talk to Girls when he was only 9.
11. Candy Maker
What kid doesn’t love candy?
If your child is skilled in the kitchen and enjoys making candy, they can turn it into a business. The candy can be sold out of lemonade stands, online, at stores, or bake sales.
Maybe your kid will even end up like Alina Morse, CEO of a multimillion-dollar candy brand, Zollipops. Alina came up with the idea for Zollipops at only seven years old after wanting a lollipop that wasn’t bad for her teeth.
12. Babysitter
There’s no set age for a kid to start babysitting, but most begin at around ages 11 to 14. Several factors determine whether or not a tween or teen is suitable for babysitting, such as their level of maturity, experience with kids, age of the kids that need to be watched, and whether there will be adults in the house.
Another good option is for tweens and teens to become “mother’s helper,” essentially watching kids while a parent is in the house working or doing household chores. This way, there’s a grown-up nearby in case of emergency.
13. Baseball Card Seller
Do you remember collecting baseball or basketball cards as a kid? Well, it turns out that it is still a popular hobby.
If you have a child that likes sports cards, he can sell them on eBay to make a profit. A quick search on eBay can reveal a particular card’s popularity and value.
14. Inventor
Kids’ brains are amazing. They’re creative and can think of things that we adults may overlook. This makes becoming an inventor a perfect business idea for a curious kid.
Some inventions that kids made include:
- The Popsicle – Frank Epperson, Age 11
- Braille – Louis Braille, Age 12
- Makin’ Bacon – Abbey Fleck, Age 8
- Crayon Holders – Cassidy Goldstein, Age 12
15. Website Builder
If you have a techy kid capable of building websites, he has a very salable service. For a kid to be hired as a website builder first, he’ll need to create a couple of websites to use as samples. After that, he can find clients through friends and family members.
If the business turns out to be a success, your kid can also create his own website advertising his services.
This is one business idea that may even lead to a full-blown career.
16. Recycler
Some people are just too busy to recycle, which is where a kid can come in.
Teens with driver’s licenses can start recycling services, charging homeowners money to pick up their recyclables and deliver them to the recycling station.
17. Make Pet Treats
If your child has a love for cooking and a passion for animals, she can start her own pet treat business. You can find pet treat recipes online, so if you can package and sell the treats, you could have a booming business.
For inspiration, check out Sadie at Wiggly Butt. She started and grew her pet treat business at only 12 years old.
18. Trash Can Washer
Last year, I saw a young man on the news who had started a trash can cleaning business. He would go around to residential areas and charge the homeowners a small fee to power wash the insides and outsides of their outdoor trash cans.
His service became so popular that he hired other teens to help.
If you have a child who doesn’t mind getting dirty or smelling trash cans, this could be an excellent business.
19. Gift Basket Creator
Do you have a crafty child who likes putting together baskets? If so, she can put baskets together for different occasions and sell them on Etsy, Amazon, or Facebook Marketplace.
Your child can get ideas on what’s popular by browsing different gift basket ideas (holiday, birthday, get well, etc.) on Etsy.
20. Sock Designer
In 2014, brothers Brandon and Sebastian Martinez started designing and selling funky socks to help raise money for many different local and national charities.
The boys are now 15 and 13 years old and still running Are You Kidding Socks, selling various socks and apparel.
If your kid is an aspiring fashion or clothing designer, these brothers prove that it can be done.
21. Face Painter
Kids with a talent for art and painting are great candidates for starting face painting businesses.
To get started, your child will need to do some practicing so that he can get comfortable painting specific designs. After a bit of practice, he’ll be ready for hire. A kid with a face painting business can get hired for birthday parties, carnivals, and fairs.
22. Produce Grower and Seller
Do you have a future farmer on your hands?
Depending on where you live, growing and selling produce could be a great way to learn new skills and earn extra money. If your kid can grow organically, she can rake in even more for her produce.
Your child could place a produce stand at the end of the driveway or street or participate in the farmer’s market.
23. Selling Hair Bows and Accessories
Even though the JoJo Siwa hair bow trend has died down a bit, it seems that giant hair bows and accessories are here to stay. If you have a crafty child that enjoys making any type of hair accessories, she may have a chance of selling the product on Etsy or her own website.
Maybe your child will even be as lucky a Lily Adeleye, the six-year-old creator of Lily Frilly hair bows that you can now find at Walmart.
24. Lemonade Stand Owner
It’s tried, true, and often what leads kids into entrepreneurship – owning a lemonade stand.
In fact, it’s one of the ways I got started with entrepreneurship. When I was 10, I had a lemonade stand. It did so well that I wanted to sell other items too. I went to a candy store and purchased candy in bulk and then sold it at my stand for 2-3x what I had just paid for it.
I ended up earning around $40+ per day for a few weeks out of the summer.
25. Chores or House Cleaning
If you have a kid who enjoys cleaning and doing household chores, they can sell chore services throughout the neighborhood.
This could look like helping to clean the house, do laundry, rake leaves, or wash the dishes.
26. Bath Bomb Maker
In case you didn’t know, bath bombs are pretty popular with kids these days. Some of them even have secret prizes you can find after the bath bomb dissolves.
If your kid is into making bath bombs or soaps, she can start her own toiletry business.
If you want to see what a successful bath bomb business looks like, check out DaBomb Bath Fizzers. This company was founded by sisters Isabel and Caroline Bercaw when they were only 10 and 11 years old.
27. Gift Wrapper
This may be seasonal, but this business idea for kids could be very profitable for neat wrappers around Christmas time. If you live in a large neighborhood or have friends and family who hate wrapping, your kid can do it for them.
28. Breeding and Selling Worms
This might sound kind of weird, but if you live in a fishing town, you know it’s not! During fishing season, worms are a hot commodity.
If you have a child interested in growing and selling worms, getting them started with a breeding kit could be a smart business move.
29. Bow Tie Maker
Clothing design can be as broad or as specific as your child wants it to be.
Moziah Bridges started his business, Mo’s Bows, in his grandma’s kitchen at only nine years old. Fast forward ten years, and he still has a booming business selling bow ties.
30. Cleaning Swimming Pools
There’s not a person I know who actually enjoys cleaning their swimming pool. So, if you have a kid who is capable and willing to clean swimming pools, this side hustle idea could be booming in the summer months.
I’d say that this idea would be one of the easiest to find customers quickly.
31. Managing Social Media for Businesses
You know it’s true. I know it’s true…
A lot of teenagers are more social media savvy than adult business owners.
If your child loves social media and is mature, handling social media for local businesses could be a great fit.
32. Detailing Cars
Car detailing is a task that most car owners would rather not do themselves. (Especially parents of small kids.)
If your child has an eye for detail and the equipment needed to thoroughly clean cars, this could be a profitable business for them to start.
33. Sports Coaching
If your child is a stand-out athlete and old enough to help younger players master the game, sports coaching is a great option.
34. Bike Repair
Do you live in a neighborhood where a lot of kids bike? If your kid is mechanically inclined, he can offer bike repair services.
This will probably never turn into a big business or career, but it is a fantastic way for your child to make a little money.
35. Selling Used Books
There’s a serious market for used books. You can sell books on eBay, Amazon, and more. If your child is interested in the idea, they can look for books at garage sales and thrift shops.
Your child can use the BookScouter app to check the value of books at over 50 stores before they buy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Business Ideas for Kids
Can an 11-year-old start a business?
Absolutely. A kid of any age can start a business. Kids as young as seven have created super successful companies. Even a business that doesn’t get off the ground can teach your kid the value of work and creative thinking.
What are online businesses kids can start?
Some of the best online business ideas for kids include starting a YouTube channel, selling jewelry or other handmade items online, starting a blog, or flipping items on eBay. There are many options, so it’s best to find something that would fit with your kid’s schedule and then tailor it to fit your kid’s strengths.
What is the easiest business to start?
The easiest businesses to start are those that involve selling services since they don’t require any money upfront. This can be offering babysitting, pet sitting, lawn care, building websites, or tutoring for kids.
Start Your Kids with a Business Idea Early
Encouraging your child to start their own business can teach them the value of a good work ethic and creativity.
Next time your kid asks how to earn money, suggest one of these business ideas for kids and guide them on getting started.
Looking for more ways to earn money? Check out my list of lucrative side hustle ideas!
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