If you’re under the age of 14, you can’t really get any sort of “real” job working at a business. Some states are even more restrictive making it so you have to be 16 before getting any sort of decent work. Don’t fret, there are plenty of ways kids and teens can make some extra money after school, on weekends, and during breaks.
Here are some great ways for kids to make money:
Lawn Mowing If your parents have a lawn mower, this is a great way to make some extra money. The key to doing well in lawn mowing is to do a great job and doing it on time. The best way to get new customers is to wow your existing customers. If they enjoy the work that you do, they’ll certainly tell their neighbors.
Collecting Cans I practiced this quite a bit when I was a child. I would walk around the local park and collect cans for extra money. I never made a whole lot of money doing this, but it was certainly some good exercise, that’s for sure!
Babysitting Usually girls are babysitters, but there’s no reason that guy’s cannot baby sit either! If you’re around age 12 or older, usually you can get paid quite decently if you’re willing to sacrifice your evenings by watching other family’s younger children.
Dog Walking A lot of adults just don’t have the time to give their pets a nice walk every day. If you don’t mind taking Fido around the neighborhood for a bit on a regular basis, usually there are more than plenty of adults who would love to pay you to do so.
Lemonade Stand This is an American classic, but it’s not a very profitable business for children. It takes a lot of work to setup a lemonade stand, and you don’t make a whole lot of money. You should instead consider a service that adults would really get use out of. You might try this once or twice on a hot summer day, but you won’t be able to retire early off of it.
Working at Home Mom and Dad can get really busy between work, taking care of you and your siblings, and doing all of those other grown up things; Chances are they’d love a hand around the house. You should do some chores for them just because they feed you and take care of you, but your mom and dad might be willing to pay you extra if you are willing to do more chores around the house.
Painting The next time your dad does some painting around the house, ask him if he’ll teach you how to paint. This will be a valuable skill that you’ll need to learn later on in life. If your neighbors need their fences or houses painted, you could paint them for a fraction of what they would have to pay for a real painter.
Shoveling Snow This is a great way to get some exercise and make money. Most adults hate shoveling snow. Consider calling up all of your neighbors and get an agreement to shovel their sidewalks if you get more than two inches of snow.
These are just a few great ways that kids can earn money. One thing you might consider doing is creating a list of all the different services you can do for adults, and then list the prices of each thing that you do. You could include things such as babysitting, dog walking, vacuuming, mopping, dusting, painting, lawn mowing, bathroom cleaning, and the like. Leave your name and phone number on the list, make a bunch of copies and hand them out to your friends and neighbors.
Just because you’re a kid doesn’t mean you can’t make money, there are plenty of great ways for you to make money, you just have to get out there and do it! Finally, there are two pieces of advice that will make you very successful when you do these types of projects. The first thing you have to do is be reliable, if you say you’re going to do something, do it and do it on time. Secondly, you have to work hard and do the best possible job that you can. Follow these two tips and you’ll be doing quite well in your entrepreneurial adventures! Good luck!