Many great entrepreneurs have started their businesses as teenagers. Starting a small business as a teen can teach so many lessons like how to work with money, marketing and customer relationships. These soft skills are not teachable in school.

We have compiled a list of the top 10 teen business ideas. With a bit of imagination, creativity and hard work teens can make some extra money and learn a lot in the process.

Small Business Ideas for Teens

Child Care

Child care is a great industry to get into. The teen would have to be very responsible and have a love for children. Most jobs would be over weekends or evenings leaving the teenager with a flexible schedule. Child care would be very low cost to start and teens would have to market themselves. Babysitters can charge an average of $13.97 per hour and could grow with more child and baby experience.

Pet and Home-Sitting

Pet and/or Home sitting is a great part time job for teenagers looking for jobs over weekends and holiday seasons. Start-up costs are low and some marketing and word of mouth would be the best advertising. Growth and earning potential is great.

Dog Walking

A teen who loves animals and looking for a flexible fun job, dog-walking is perfect. It does not require any start-up cost or a special skill, only a good pair of walking shoes and the love for pets. Dog walking can be a very lucrative business, and the business will grow if more dogs are walked daily.

Gift Wrapping

This is the best job for teens needing a flexible job that brings in extra money. This will work especially over the holidays, after school and weekend business. Set up an attractive booth outside a department store. Earingin potential is good.

Home Tutoring Business

A teen who is really good in any school subject can home tutor younger kids. They can help them with study material and homework, preparing them for tests and exams. Start-up costs are low, so the profit margin is really high. Teens can charge up to $30 – $40 per hour.

Lawn Care

Teens who love the garden and working outside could consider a lawn care business. Most families with big lawns will have all the equipment needed so start-up costs can be low. However, offering extra services like aerating and fertilising can set the teens business above the rest, it might cost a bit more to get started.

Photography

Starting a photography business can be quite expensive with regards to all the equipment needed to start. Start out at schools and build a portfolio, later move on to lifestyle, events and weddings. Earning potential is very high.

Selling Home-Made Crafts on Etsy

For the creative teens who love arts and crafts, starting an Etsy shop selling their creations can be a great way to make some money. The teen would need some computer and marketing skills. This business can grow as the skills grow. Starting small can turn into a lucrative, flexible business.

Social Media Marketing

A big craze is social media, more and more businesses need marketers that know how to capture their audiences on social media platforms, and who better than a teen that knows how to do exactly that. The teen would only need a phone or computer and a business can make upto $100000 per year.

Transcription Business

A transcription business involves transcribing video and audio. The teen should be comfortable with a computer, type relatively fast and have attention to detail. Start-up costs are low. In certain industries transcription is booming, like the medical industry. Transcription projects are usually billed by the hour, so the faster one is, the more you earn.

Just Start

It might be scary in the beginning, yet just starting small and staying  consistent could be a great investment in any teens future. TRUiC provides more great ideas for small business ideas for teens as well as a step by step approach to register a business.