Just Another Business Meeting For Salty Shreds... Ha!
5 Super-Simple Business Ideas for Kids
We're always doing something for Salty Shreds, and the constant photoshoots, planning, and general business chatter has taught my groms a thing or two about business and a whole lot about life!
Instilling an entrepreneurial spirit into the little ones will curate a lifetime of positive growth. And whether they take these lessons and shape their life out of them, or if they use them to understand the world a little bit better while another, less-entrepreneurial path unfolds, there's so much to gain from helping your kid start a business.
There's no lack of business ideas for kids, too, and trust me, every grom wants a few bucks in the piggy bank. With that, however, I am not a fan of the mundane, so these small business ideas for kids are a little more creative than your average lemonade stand. But they're also not super serious, balancing the perfect level of fun & simplicity with just enough business savvy to bank some green while teaching enlightening life lessons.
5 Small Business Ideas for Kids
Remember, these are just ideas. You can follow them precisely or choose to use them as a source of inspiration, altering them depending on your child's likes, personality, and all that good stuff. You'll see what I mean!
1. Start an Etsy Store!
How About an Etsy Store Selling Cute Masks?!
Etsy, as we know, is a leading marketplace for arts and crafts + other unique goods and the perfect place for a young kid to start growing an online business! Etsy stores are straightforward to set up, giving kids an intro lesson into the world of E-commerce, branding, and retail in general.
All they need is a simple craft, something they create that another human will benefit from, and they have the immediate potential to start generating an income (with a bit of hard work, of course). This will occupy plenty of their time with a beautiful source of creativity as they work diligently to create their inventory. By receiving the reward of monetary gain and worldly knowledge, they'll begin to understand the value of effort & time. Need ideas? Here are a few places to start:
- Beach arts and crafts!
- Classic jewelry: there's no need to complicate; classic necklaces and bracelets will always have a place on creative marketplaces.
- Paintings and drawings!
- Cute pottery.
- Homemade cosmetic goods.
- Knitted/sewed crafts.
And really, anything your mind can conjure up, as there's no limit to creativity, making this one of my favorite business ideas for kids.
2. Grow + Sell Microgreens, Succulents, and Other Plants!
Microgreens are super radical, ultra-healthy additions to any diet. And there's a reason people pay a high dollar for these nutrient-dense greens. The best part? They're super easy to grow and sell. This is one of those small business ideas for kids that will require some hands-on action, patience, and serious execution (meaning a lot of help from you!).
But the trade-off is the real possibility of making some genuine money and starting a business that they can sustain long-term!
After learning the basics of growing microgreens, which might take a few weeks of test runs, once they have a viable product, what's next is some packaging and selling the greens!
Your grom can sell their microgreens at farmer's markets/craft shows, online marketplaces, and they can even walk their confident butt's into a restaurant to attempt to secure large orders for the chefs.
For another similar route that doesn't require a lot of space/land, they can also try catering to the succulent market! Or, if you have a garden and the space, this same ideology can be applied to anything; flower bouquets, veggies... You name it.
3. The Little Baker
Maybe it's all the sugar and sweet treats, but kids tend to really enjoy baking. And, once again, a simple hobby can become the perfect business idea for kids! Baking is super easy to translate into monetary gain.
Help your kid identify a few of their favorite, significant recipes. Figure out the best way to package + present them. Locate the ingredients for the cheapest, most efficient cost (keep track of what's been spent by helping them create a budget sheet!) and get to baking!
Once they have a nice, packaged product, they can hit all the little shops, events, bake sales, and other marketplaces where they can sell their product in person. Or, for the ultra entrepreneur, starting a bakery online is not out of the question!
4. Kids can Write… Kids Books??
Some kids are extremely creative with their hands, while others are more so with their minds.
If your grom is inclined with a talent for the written word, there is no reason age should stop them from publishing their very own book! As you know, we live in a new, digital world, and self-publishing has opened doors for authors to go a publisher-free route. And these 'authors' may very much include your kid.
Kids are kids, and they know what types of stories they want to read. Besides, who better resonates with a young audience than a peer of their age?! You'll have to help with some editing, formatting, and the technical stuff. And it won't be fun.
But if your kid can whip up a half-decent story and draw up some cute images to go along with, and you have the patience to take care of the rest, there's a market for children's books out there, and maybe your grom will make a name for themselves with their unique stories!
Worst case? THEY PUBLISHED A BOOK! Whether they sell anything or not doesn't matter, as that's a huge accomplishment, and you can always think to pay them yourself for their hard work.
5. The Tie-Die Club!!
Everyone loves tie-tye, right? Give your grom a small budget & a tie dye kit, and let them hit the thrift store! Have them snag a few old T-shirts and give them new life with a super fun tie-dye session in the backyard on a sunny day or as an indoor activity for kids when the rain won't stop falling.
Then, on Etsy, at markets, or any other sales channel, they can sell their creations for a quick buck. This business idea for kids is ultra easy, and you don't have to take it seriously at all.
They can jump in and sell five tie-dye T-shirts for ice cream money, or, if they prefer a more serious 'money making' approach, they can take it to the next level by branding themselves and creating a consistent new inventory.
6. Other Kids Business Ideas
If those more in-depth business ideas for kids didn't check off the box, I'm going to list off a handful of others without the deep explanations now that you get a feel for how most kids' businesses work. Aka, they identify an area of their life they enjoy, typically creative, and you help them monetize it!
Anyways, here are a few others to give the brain some more to chew on, and when you're done, chat to your grom about the idea of starting a small business and making money. I can guarantee their stoke levels will be high, and you've scored yourself countless hours of keeping them occupied with kids business ideas like:
Thick Chick Could Sell a Class on How to Shred Balance Boards!!
- Start an affiliate vlog reviewing products they love!
- Create a class for kids by kids about an activity or hobby they particularly enjoy/are good at.
- Dog walking/pet sitting.
- Homework help for younger kids!
- Lawn care/gardening aid.
- Weekend craft coordinator
- Flipping shoes, furniture, or toys
And, really, anything else your mind might conjure up.
At the end of the day, you can make money doing nearly anything as long as you put in a bit of work and consistency. So show your kids the world is full of endless possibilities, and help them start a small business that will forever change their outlook on work & life!
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Live rad, stay salty.
- Ash, Dev & The Salty Shreds Fam.