Want to instill the entrepreneurial itch in your child? Or are you just trying to get your kid to
take on more responsibility and experience what working is all about? Well, don’t hesitate! Start now!
In this post, we’re going to pass on a few thoughts on
entrepreneurship in youth and a list of some business ideas for kids.
Our Findings
Thoughts on Entrepreneurship in Youth
Wherever possible, every parent should try to introduce
entrepreneurship to their child. The
benefits of introducing entrepreneurship to the youth are endless! Here are some examples:
Benefits for the kids
- Increased responsibility, confidence, and communication skills
- Opportunities to be creative and practice problem-solving and
decision-making
- Opportunities to learn countless business skills and knowledge
- Allows them to gain expertise in an area of interest
- Lets them earn their own money that they can spend on themselves
- Allows them to save for their future and maybe even find a
long-term career
Benefits for the parents
- All of the aforementioned benefits for your child
- It is a much better option than just giving out an allowance and/or
assigning chores (although including chores is still a good idea)
- Saves you money—other people are giving money to your child, not
you
- Keeps children out of trouble
- Helps teach you about entrepreneurship if you don’t have any
experience
Altogether, getting children into entrepreneurship is not only
good for children and parents separately, but it’s also fantastic for the parent-child
relationship. In the end, it gives both
parties an opportunity to spend more time together and develop a strong bond.
But, with all of the benefits, the most important negative to keep
in mind is that children should still have the opportunity to be young. So, if you’re going to get them into
entrepreneurship, be sure to structure it so they still have plenty of time to
play sports, have hobbies, be social with friends, and all of the other things that
kids do. Moderation is key, but you
should definitely discuss entrepreneurship with your children.
List of Business Ideas for Kids
Below, you will find a list of some business ideas for kids. We’ve left them simply as the title because this
post would be much too long if we explained each and every one of them—and they’re
generally self-explanatory. If you’d
like for us to write a post about any one in particular, be sure to make a
request!
Now, here’s the list of business ideas…
Labour-Based Ideas
- Landscaping, lawn-mowing, leaf-raking, and gardening
- Dog poo cleanup
- Snow shovelling
- Car detailing
- Window cleaning
- Housekeeping/house-cleaning
- Painter
- Golf course caddy
- Recycle cans or beer bottles
- Make your own garden and sell the food
- On-call mover helper
- Newspaper route
Light Labour-Based Ideas
- Baker (e.g. bake cookies, cakes, etc.)
- Food or drink stand, or a mobile cart (e.g. beverages at the
beach or a park)
- Pet sitter/walker
- House sitter
- Errand service (e.g. for neighbours, the elderly, etc.)
- Delivery service (e.g. for neighbours who forgot to buy
something at the store, etc.)
- Independent contractor for door-to-door sales or flyer
distribution
- Personal shopper
- Run garage sales on behalf of others
- Make art or crafts
Knowledge-Based Ideas
- Peer tutor
- Offer lessons (e.g. for skateboarding, an instrument, social
media, etc.) or perform (if you’re good enough)
- Blogging, video-blogging, writing reviews (e.g. of video games)
- Technology trainer (e.g. how to use an iPhone)
- Event planner/helper
- Online retail store (e.g. for clothes, jewellery, etc.)
- Web design
- Photographer
- Art and graphic design
And if you already have a business, consider allowing them to join
in and help you out!
Final Thoughts
With all of these ideas, make sure that it is your child who
decides on what they want to do, not you.
It needs to be something that they enjoy, are enthusiastic about, and will
actually follow through with. If it’s
not right for them, it won’t be beneficial and they likely won’t be successful.
And last and most importantly, make sure that your children are safe. Whatever work they want to get into, make
sure that they know the hazards and how to protect themselves—including the
fact that they may be working alone. With all of the benefits of entrepreneurship,
none of it will matter if someone gets seriously hurt or loses their life.
References
Just us!
Links to More Information
For some Canadian health and safety information for youth, have a
look at “The Young Workers Zone” provided by the Canadian Centre for
Occupational Health and Safety, found here.
Likewise, we recommend that you search the internet for some information
specific to your region.
And if you want an inspiring entrepreneurial story to give you the
kick to get started, check out the one about Caine’s Arcade, found here.
Want to make a request for free research? Follow the
directions found on the left.
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