15+ Business Ideas for Teens To Make Money This Year

For young entrepreneurs out there, this article is for you. We will provide a list of easy-to-launch business ideas for teens to start in 2023.

There are plenty of teenagers in the world today that are crushing it as young entrepreneurs (and we want you to be next!) From YouTube stars to auto detailers, there are many options to consider when deciding on your first small business idea.

So how do you know which business model is suitable for you? Unfortunately, you’re the only one that can answer that question, but we want to help inspire you to take that first step in your journey as an entrepreneur and business owner.

In 2023, there will be more opportunities than ever to start your own business. Starting a company used to require significant upfront investment and a staff of employees. Still, today we’re able to get a business off the ground with little or no money and connect with our potential customers through free channels such as social media and other online forums.

When considering our list of business ideas for teens to start, we wanted to ensure we provided ideas that require little to no investment up front (we understand your teens don’t have any money!) but with massive earnings potential on the backend.

So with all that said, let’s first talk about what to look for if you fall into this younger generation of future business owners.

Business Ideas for Teens: What To Look For

Of course, when considering business ideas for teens, there are some limitations to factor in. Certainly, teens don’t have much capital sitting around. Some may not have a car or even a driver’s license. Of course, school commitments put a limit on working hours too.

So here are a couple of things to look for when considering which business makes the most sense for your particular situation.

• Location Independent or Close to Home

Most teens are kept in one location due to schooling. Therefore, teens can either have a location-independent business (usually online) that they can run from anywhere or else start a business near their home. Of course, this will depend on where you live, but there are opportunities to make money around the neighborhood.

• Flexible Schedule

Small businesses take time to start and grow, but teenagers have limited control over their time. They have teachers, parents, and siblings dictating schedules. So we need a way for teens to work on their own time, knowing they can’t be on call 24/7.

• Low Startup Costs

The best business ideas for teens require little or no money. (After all, who really wants to ask their parents for money?) We don’t recommend it, and you don’t need it to start with one of our recommended ideas!

15+ Business Ideas for Teens

Without further ado, here are our top business ideas for teens to start in 2023. First-time entrepreneurs understand that creating a sustainable business takes time, effort, and a little bit of luck.

One big mistake we see people make all the time is chasing shiny objects or the latest get-rich-quick scheme that’s being pushed all over YouTube.

Take time to think about what you’re good at, what sets you apart, and above all, make sure you choose a business you want to start! It seems obvious, but you need to do something you like doing. Otherwise, you’ll get burnt out and quit before seeing any real success.

1. Start a Blog

For teens keen on building their personal brand, we recommend starting a blog. A blog can be anything you want and will evolve over time. Further, there are many ways to make money from a blog in today’s online landscape.

To get started, sign up for a domain name such as ‘yourname.com’ and start writing about topics that interest you. From there, you will want to be much more specific regarding your target audiences based on topics in your niche.

2. Sell on Etsy

A growing number of young entrepreneurs are making a living on Etsy. The platform connects sellers with millions of potential customers, making it a great way to get a business up and running in a relatively short time frame.

If you’re into crafts and design, start listing some of your creations and improve as you go along. You may end up with your own website once your small business starts to take off!

3. Lawn Care

Lawn care is on the list. Most adults hate mowing lawns and would pay you to take care of their yards. That is easy because your potential customers are all within a bike ride away. Look for yards that need upkeep.

Stop by and talk with them about helping with their lawn care. Once you get a couple of clients around the neighborhood, word of mouth should do the rest! Depending on the number of lawns you cut each week and the size of the yards, you can start bringing in some decent money (even applying lawn treatments like crabgrass killer could be profitable).

4. Wash Cars

Car washing is a great business idea for teens at home during the summer. Create a flyer detailing your car washing services and put it in mailboxes around town. You can do this with a free service like Canva and offer to clean cars while they are on vacation for the weekend.

Depending on your level of service, you can charge a pretty penny for these services, especially if you are doing a complete interior detail. Once you get some recurring clients, start hiring a few friends to help you with the workload!

5. YouTube

YouTube is another business model we highly recommend for teens looking to make extra money. Creating engaging videos can be challenging, and take some time to build an audience on YouTube. Still, if you stick with it, you will continue to improve, and eventually, people will start to pay attention.

Once you build a loyal audience in whatever niche you choose, you will have a sustainable business. We love this business model so much because the sky is the limit. Similar to blogging, there is no limit on how much money you can make on YouTube.

6. Streamer

Playing video games used to be a hobby, nothing more. Today, the gaming industry allows you to turn your digital talents into a thriving small business. Studies show the gaming industry’s value could reach $321 billion by 2026, a number almost unfathomable ten years ago.

While big gaming companies make most of that money, streamers can earn a significant income. The ability to draw viewers’ attention and effectively promote products to the audience is critical and can be very rewarding.

7. Pet Sitting or Dog Walking

People like to travel, which leaves them with the constant question of what to do with their pets. Ask your friends and family to use you to watch their pets while they are away. Another idea would be to offer to board their pets during the day while you’re on summer break!

8. Housekeeping

Everyone likes a clean house, but no one wants to clean. People will pay big bucks for a clean house and usually like to have the house cleaned every week or two, which means recurring revenue.

Let’s say you wanted to commit to cleaning two houses per week. You need four clients if your clients want their homes cleaned every other week. Charge $200 per visit. Do the math – $1,600 per month for only cleaning two houses a week!

9. Run Errands

Anytime you solve a problem, there is an opportunity to make money. Most people would love you to help them with their errands when they need more time to finish everything.

Offer to do grocery shopping or drop the kids off at soccer practice. Once you’ve built up a good list of clients who call when they need your help, the money will start rolling in to complete reasonably simple tasks. If you don’t have a car, offer to do their shopping online!

10. Seasonal Chores

This one is obvious. Have a leaf removal business in the fall, snow removal in the winter, mulching in the spring, and mowing some yards in the summer. The best part about this business is the opportunity to make money year-round from the same clients repeatedly.

Consider you have ten clients and two visits to their houses each month. For each visit, you charge $80. So 20 visits per month at $80 per visit, that’s $1,600 for pretty easy work. Add some bonus services like gutter cleaning for more cash in hand!

11. Retail Arbitrage

Starting a retail arbitrage business could be the perfect business idea for tech-savvy people who like spending time on their computers or mobile device.

The idea here is to purchase sale items from discount stores and list them for sale on online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace. When you do this at scale, you can make a big profit.

12. Tutoring

Do you get good grades? Become an academic tutor! Parents will always want what is best for their children, but not all children do well in school. Offer to help their kids with their studies and charge an hourly fee. That is a great way to make some extra money after school.

13. Sports Lessons

Maybe the classroom isn’t your thing, but you’re a good athlete for your high school football or soccer team! Stop by a couple of the Junior Varsity (JV) or middle school games and chat with the parents. When they bring up their kid, mention that you would happily pass around with them on the weekends or after school.

Again, parents want to support their children, and a lot of times, a kid would rather work on their shot with someone they look up to on the varsity team rather than their parents!

14. Child Care Services

Parents love their kids but need a break from them now and then. Babysitters are always in high demand, and parents are willing to pay good money to have someone they trust to look after their kids.

Have your parents reach out to their friends about your ability to babysit or hang around some after-school events to offer your services. Another option is to talk to parents with young kids in your neighborhood.

15. Graphic Designer

If you enjoy creating graphic designs with software applications like Adobe Illustrator or Canva and think you’ve got a knack for it, consider starting your own graphic design business.

You can create an online store for your designs or start an account on a freelance platform like Fiverr or Upwork.

Final Thoughts

There are many ways to make money and start your own business as a teenager. Just because you’re young does not mean that you’re not useful. It also doesn’t mean you’re not valuable!

Teens generally don’t have as many bills or expenses as adults, which means you can charge less money than a big company while providing a similar service. Plus, most adults would rather pay a teenager trying to make extra money than trust their jobs to other adults they aren’t familiar with.

As you start your own business, you will continue to improve at what you do and make more money as you progress. Even if you don’t make a ton of money and ultimately shut your business down as life happens, the knowledge and skills you will learn are invaluable and will make you a better person in the long run.

Of course, if you’re reading this article, you’re already a step ahead and have a bright future!

This article originally appeared on Wealth of Geeks.

Last Updated on December 25, 2022 by Michael Morris