The teenage years... What a great time.
You're old enough to sort of think you know what you want to do with your life, but you're still young enough to not really care.
And when you have the whole world at your fingertips, you can do anything.
Why not start your own small business if you're a teenager with big dreams and lots of ideas?
You don't need to have done this for years or have a lot of money to get started.
You just need some creativity, determination, and hard work.
In this article, I talk about some small business ideas teens can use.
These ideas can not only help you make some extra cash, but they can also teach you important business skills.
Some of them could be things you do for the rest of your life.
Let's get right into it.
What are the best ways for teens to make money?
As a young business owner, the idea of having your own business can be both exciting and scary.
But it doesn't have to be that way.
Here are the best ways to get started with entrepreneurship, whether you want to run a business full-time or just want to make money when you have some free time.
- Business Based on Advice
Giving advice is one of the best ways to get started. You could become a tutor in a subject you're good at, teach your favourite instrument, or show local businesses how to use social media to take their business to the next level.
No matter what you know or how good you are at, there is a business opportunity based on giving advice out there for you.
This means that if you have knowledge that could help other people and aren't afraid to share it, an advice-based business could be the perfect way for you to start your own business.
This is a great business idea to think about because you can start it with no money.
There are many coaching platforms that take care of the technical side of things, so all you have to do is focus on getting more clients and giving them what they want.
Putting together your video game channel
If you're passionate about video games, you can make money by doing things like going live on TikTok a few times a week or building up a full YouTube channel.
With software that lets you set up live streaming on Twitch or YouTube and show the world how you play, you have a lot of options.
Whether you focus on making guides for different games on specific platforms or review videos for new games, you can make a good living off of your channel if you can give your subscribers good content and get them to stick around.
Not only is this a fun way to make money, but it's also a great way to get your name out there and build a following for your future businesses.
Here's a list of how much the most popular YouTubers make, just to give you an idea of what's possible.
- Graphic Designer / Web Designer
If you are good with technology and can make results that look good, you might be able to start your own graphic design business.
For this business idea to go from good to great, you need to research how to use your graphic design skills to become a web designer. As a web designer, you can design websites and help businesses with their SEO (SEO).
Those who want to take things to the next level could also learn the skills they need to become a videographer.
With all of these skills, you'll be able to help other businesses with their visual marketing needs through graphic design.
You might also want to offer tech support and any maintenance that is needed.
You could offer these as additional upsells, but keep in mind that you don't have to do all the work yourself.
- How to Start a Blog
Setting up a blog is a business idea that can keep making you money over time.
You can build a good business on other platforms, but focusing on a site you own will give you freedoms you won't find with other types of businesses.
Among these freedoms are:
The ability to change everything about your site to fit your brand
There are no rules to follow (outside of legal ones, of course)
You have full control over how your site makes money.
As a teen entrepreneur, you can talk about anything you're passionate about, use affiliate marketing programmes that fit with your brand, and even use email marketing software to start building an email list of people who like your message.
A blog can be used to do all of these things.
- How to Start a Podcast
Becoming a podcaster is another good business that goes well with a few of the above.
You can use this online business as an extra way to market your brand, make extra money, and give better value, or you can make it your main online business.
You don't need a lot of money to start a podcast. You can record it, edit it, and publish it all from the comfort of your own home.
- How to start using social media to market
Almost every business can benefit from being more active on social media.
But because many local businesses don't pay enough attention to this part of their marketing, you have a great chance to step in and help them reach more customers.
Social media marketing involves making content for each platform and looking at the analytics to see what's working and what's not.
It also means keeping up with the latest changes and trends on each platform and talking to customers.
As you gain experience and build your own social networks, you can also start laying the groundwork for becoming a social media influencer.
This could be a very profitable business in the future, but it will take a while to work out.
- Make an app or online game. Apps make the world go round, and if you know how to code, you could fill some needs you see.
A successful business that can meet these needs better than what's already out there (faster, cheaper, more convenient, etc.) can make a lot of money.
Also, if you have an idea for an online game that is based on current trends and technologies, it's likely to become popular and bring in a lot of money.
You can also look into other ideas.
Even though the above are some great ideas to try, keep in mind that there are a lot more.
Also, keep in mind that the right idea can be used both online and offline, and that making a profitable business often comes down to doing a few simple things over and over again.
Among them are the following:
How much money you make depends a lot on who you want to reach. It's important to know who you're serving.
How much you charge depends on how much you give. People are more likely to be willing to pay higher prices for your solution if you can show them that it gives them more value than a competitor's.
The offer you make is one of the most important parts of making sales. You have to make an offer that people can't refuse.
With that in mind, here are a few other online and offline businesses you can think about if you're a teenager who wants to start an online business:
Selling Handmade Crafts: Etsy is a great place to get ideas and see how other people market their handmade goods. This type of e-commerce business has no or low startup costs, especially if you're selling digital products. You can sell greeting cards with unique designs or add extra services like gift wrapping.
Pet sitter or dog walker: Running a business that involves walking dogs, taking care of cats, or anything else in between is a great way to make extra money and get some exercise. As a teen entrepreneur, keeping your body in good shape will keep your mind sharp and teach you healthy habits that you can keep for the rest of your life.
Car Washing Business: This is a great way for teens who want to start their own business and put in some work to make some extra money. It's also a great way to learn how to run a business while getting your feet wet.
Lawn care is one of the oldest businesses that teens have been running for a long time. Many people who don't have time to take care of their lawns themselves need help. A lawn care business can be profitable, and you can make even more money by offering additional landscaping services as "upsells." Everyone, from a close family friend to a random person on the street, could use a better-looking lawn.
Does your neighbourhood have a lot of garage sales and craft fairs? A good way to start a business is to look around for things you can sell for more on different marketplaces.
People often think of this job in terms of fashion and style, but you can offer personal shopping for almost anything someone might need in their everyday life. A personal shopper can buy anything, from clothes and electronics to groceries and cleaning supplies. This is a great idea for a business, and you should think about it.
Child care: If you're good with kids and don't mind spending time in other people's homes, this could be the perfect idea for your small business. In this way, having a successful babysitting business means making sure the kids in your care are safe and happy.
Data entry is a job that doesn't require a lot of skill to start, and if you build a business around being accurate, it can lead to a lot of different opportunities down the road.
How to market a business run by a teen
Here are some ideas to help you get the word out:
Social media platforms: A great way to get the word out about your business is to use a network where most people spend a lot of time. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can help you reach more people with less work.
Word of Mouth: If you do a great job when you first start out, people will tell others in their social circle about you. This is one of the best ways to market your business, and it's free!
Flyers: Putting flyers in strategic places is an old but still effective way to get people to notice your business. Just make sure they're designed in a way that makes people want to stop and read them.
Collaborations: Getting together with other local businesses can help you reach a new group of potential customers.
Thoughts on the Offer
As I said before, your business will succeed or fail based on what you offer to your target market.
At this point, you might not need a formal business plan, but you do need to know what value you will offer and how you will package it.
Even though the idea of a teen running a small business sounds cute (and many people do admire the drive teens show), if you want to sell online or offline, you need a good offer.
Here are some things about your offer to think about:
Value: What do you have to offer the person who might buy from you? This could be a service, a product, or just some information.
How are you going to put your offer together? This will depend on what kind of business you have, but it's important to think about how you can make your offer stand out.
How much are you going to charge for your offer? It's important to think about what your target market is willing to pay as well as your overhead costs and costs to get started.
How will you get the word out about your offer? Your marketing channels come into play here.
Wrap Up.
With the right business idea, you can make money in high school and beyond, and it can also set you up for future success in your career.
If you take the time to think about all parts of starting a business, you can improve your chances of being successful.
Even though the list of best small business ideas above isn't complete, it should give you a good place to start when you're trying to come up with your own.
More on AdamEnfroy.com: Did you know that running out of money is the second most common reason why a new business fails?
This is the case for 29% of businesses that fail.
To improve your chances of success, you must understand the financial side of starting a business.
Being ready means knowing how to get a business loan and using the right accounting software so that this important part of running a business doesn't trip you up.