Ten Business Ideas For Teenagers: One of the most popular questions that teenagers ask their parents is What do you want to be when you grow up? Most teenagers want to start their own business, and it’s not hard to see why: these days, businesses can come in all shapes and sizes, giving even an ambitious teenager the chance to be her own boss.
Ten Business Ideas For Teenagers
So with that said, here are ten business ideas for teenagers that can get your creative juices flowing if you are ready to become your own boss!
Donate Blood Plasma
Plasma is one of three main components that make up blood, along with red blood cells and platelets. When donating plasma, you get paid (or compensated) to give 100+mls of your blood. You can donate as often as twice a week and there are two types of donation procedures: apheresis (donating blood through an apheresis machine, by which typically about 2 liters are collected) or plasmapheresis (donating plasma only, by which about 500mls are collected).
Plasma donors should be at least 18 years old, in good health, and weigh over 50kgs. It is also best to avoid eating for 4 hours before donating! On average, paying plasma donors can earn $20-50 per session depending on supply/demand. This represents between $150-$300 per month if you do sessions once a week.
If you have student loan debt or just don’t want to wait until after graduation to start making money, then donating plasma could be ideal for earning some cash quickly! And once your first set of donations is done (typically after about 3 months), you can sign up again if there’s still demand more plasma donations from centers near you.
Become a Tutor
The best business idea for teens is one that doesn’t involve starting a business at all: Tutoring. Most large cities have tutoring programs for all grade levels, and many are looking to expand their offerings. If you’re a strong student, don’t be afraid to ask about becoming an individual tutor; schools will often subsidize your wages as part of their program.
If you know any college students, offer to tutor them in subjects like math and physics; you could also charge them rent or a service fee for using your space or computer. And here’s an idea: If your local store is willing to let teenagers hang out inside after school (and they probably are), use it as your tutoring HQ.
You might even convince them to put flyers up promoting your services—that’ll get you more clients faster than any other single step. You can also hire other kids who need money or feel they have time on their hands. Ask around at school and see if anyone needs extra money or help with homework—or better yet, post something online (that way there’s no pressure).
Even if only 10 percent of people agree to do it, that’s still some serious cash! You can always start small with $5 sessions before bumping up to higher amounts. But make sure you either keep track of time spent—or draw up a very clear contract that spells out what’s being offered and how much it costs so everyone knows where they stand from day one.
Start Your Own Business
If you’re still in high school, it’s not a good idea to strike out on your own. An entrepreneurial venture can wait until you have some real-world work experience and/or more education under your belt. If you’re already working full-time and/or going to college, here are ten business ideas that may be right for a teenager.
There are many ways to pursue these opportunities; some require no cash outlay upfront while others may require investments. In most cases, there is little or no risk involved—in other words, nothing ventured, nothing gained! Here are 10 great teen business ideas
Wash Cars
If you live in a neighborhood with a lot of driveways and know your neighbors, car washing is a business idea that could prove to be lucrative. It’s also relatively low-risk because it’s easy to set up and find customers—just put up some signs on local bulletin boards or hang out some nice, shiny buckets near strategic street corners.
You can rent equipment if necessary, but many car washes have their own specialty soaps and buckets at their shops. This isn’t an especially high-profit line of work, but you can make decent money if you develop good customer relationships over time.
Many teens start small by just setting up shop in their driveway; from there they can upgrade to commercial parking lots as more customers come in. Whatever method you choose, keep records for tax purposes.
Baby-sit
Babysitting can be a great way to get some experience in business, work flexible hours and make some extra cash. Babysitting is a job that you can do anywhere, so it’s easy to take on side jobs for cash when you’re in school or between other jobs. Baby-sitting is also a job where you might have an opportunity to develop skills later on; if your teen shows enthusiasm and maturity in his or her babysitting duties, you might find that he or she earns more money later on by becoming an au pair or nanny.
The hourly rate for babysitters ranges from $5-$20+ per hour depending on age, location, and clientele. Ask around, start with friends and family who may already know parents looking for occasional help with their kids.
If there are no openings available locally, try posting ads at local colleges or community centers (or put an ad up at home). You can also call major grocery stores that often use college kids as babysitters while they’re stocking shelves during evening hours. If a teenager does really well with some families/individuals he/she could move up to being a housekeeper/cleaner or full-time nanny later down the road after gaining experience.
Sell Crafts Online
Teens with a knack for crafting can make serious money by selling their goods online. Craft marketplaces like Etsy, Zibbet, and Artfire are perfect for matching up buyers with sellers who list their products in just about any imaginable category.
Simply set up your own shop on one of these sites, design your crafts and add a few details about pricing, shipping, and turnaround time. Voilà! You’re now an online entrepreneur (just be sure to find craft supplies that won’t break every school rule).
Mow Lawns
Mowing lawns isn’t glamorous, but it is a business that you can start without a lot of money. Once you build your client base and reputation, go ahead and join Angie’s List or another similar website. Keep in mind that getting rated highly by members of such sites will allow you to charge higher rates with little resistance from clients. Start your mowing business slowly and grow it over time as you gain more experience. Here are some tips on how to start a lawn care business.
Make Handmade Jewelry
Making your own jewelry gives you an opportunity to customize a piece and learn some new skills at the same time. Plus, jewelry can be made out of all sorts of materials—from paper to glass to beads—making it a truly versatile craft. To get started, check out our list of 10 DIY Jewelry Projects for Teens. Whether you’re looking for cheap gift ideas or want to dip your toes into entrepreneurship, making your own jewelry is a great way to go!
Be an Affiliate Marketer
Making money online can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. If you already enjoy working with people and have experience in an area that’s related to what you want to do, why not look into starting a business as an affiliate marketer? Affiliate marketing is one of many ways of making money on your own terms and using resources you already have.
And if you really think about it, there are hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of products available for affiliates to promote—everything from books, electronics, and clothing all the way through travel packages and even legal services. So basically there’s something for everyone out there and you don’t need a degree or previous experience to make great money doing it. You just need to find out where they’re hiring.
When looking at colleges, don’t limit yourself because of location…think outside that box! Sure, we’ve all heard stories about farming kids who go away and forget where they came from; however, being home-bound should never stop anyone’s dreams of bettering themselves!
Earn Money On YouTube
You can also monetize your videos on YouTube, just like you would a podcast. This is only available to select creators at present, but it’s worth checking out if you think you have what it takes.
The YouTube partner program allows you to earn a share of ad revenue from your videos and channel through Google AdSense. To get started, sign up for free with YouTube (using your personal email address) and set up an AdSense account through their partnership portal here.
I have written an extensive guide on how to make money as a YouTuber here. Sell T-Shirts: Just about every business has some sort of merchandising aspect to it, even if that business is being run out of someone’s house. If people have access to something or receive a piece of merchandise from your company in exchange for signing up or purchasing something, they may be more likely to check you out again in the future.
It helps give them something physical they can associate with your brand and remember when they may want more information or order. And if people like what they’ve gotten so far, they’re more likely to buy anything else you decide to sell down the road; that’s especially true online where retention rates are often very low and new sales rely almost entirely on repeat traffic via search engines or social media networks.
Also Read: Top 7 Business Ideas For Women At Home
Conclusion
Starting a business is no small feat, but it’s an incredibly rewarding one. If you take your time and do everything you can to understand what works, what doesn’t, and how to build something sustainable, odds are good that you’ll be successful in building a real business.
Which means money for college, high-class shoes (for when you want to dress up), or enough cash to help family members who could use them. The opportunities are endless. Good luck!
