For young entrepreneurs looking to earn money, these business ideas for teens offer plenty of great ways to get started.
If you’re a teenager looking for a way to make some extra cash or dive into the wild world of entrepreneurship, you’re in luck. In 2023, there are more options than ever for young people to start a lucrative business of their own. From dog walking to data entry, the world is your oyster.
All you need is a little inspiration and a willingness to work for it. While we can’t give you a spoonful of work ethic (how great would that be?), we can help with the inspiration. In this easy read, you’ll find 27 of the best small business ideas for teens. With so many ideas to choose from, you’re bound to find one that works for you. Let’s get into it!
What To Look For In Good Business Ideas For Teens
You may be asking yourself, what’s the best business for a teenager? While there’s no cut-and-dry answer we can give you, there are a few key factors to keep in mind.
1. Ability To Work From Home or Close To Home
As a teenager who most likely goes to school every day, the ability to work from home or close to home is a must—especially if you don’t have a reliable means of transportation.
2. Make Your Own Schedule
Whatever you decide to do, your business idea should allow you to make your own schedule so you can fit it into everything you already have going on. Starting a business as a teen doesn’t have to mean giving up the club or sports team you’ve grown to love.
3. Low Startup Costs
Let’s face it—you’re probably broke. And that’s okay, you’re a teenager! The best business ideas for teens are the ones with low startup costs, so put away that hard-earned allowance money and save it for a rainy day.
Our Top 27 Business Ideas For Teens
So now that we understand what we look for in a good business model, here is our list of top business ideas for teens:
1. Start A Blog
2. Child Care Services
3. Lawn Care
4. Academic Tutor
5. Wash Cars
6. Pet Sitting or Dog Walking
7. Housekeeping
8. Run Errands
9. Sports Lessons
10. Graphic Designer
11. Etsy Retailer
12. Social Media Influencer
13. YouTuber
14. Music Lessons
15. Seasonal Chores
16. Retail Arbitrage
17. Podcaster
18. Streamer
19. Photography
20. Artist
21. Social Media Consultant
22. Transcription
23. Data Entry
24. Online Surveys
25. Candle Maker
26. Web Designer
27. Handyman Services
1. Start A Blog
If you enjoy writing, starting a blog is a great business idea that can yield high rewards. There are tons of people out there earning a fantastic living through blogging and because it’s an online business, you can run it from anywhere. When you’re getting started, the startup costs can be as low as zero depending on the platform you use.
If you’re interested in starting a blog, make sure to check out our resources and join our free Beginner Blogger course to learn how to run your blog like a business to maximize your profits!
2. Child Care Services
Are you constantly babysitting your siblings for free? Maybe it’s time to turn that free service into a lucrative business!
Ask your parents to spread the word about your new child care business on the neighborhood website or create flyers on Canva to pass around. This is a great small business idea for teens that enjoy spending time with kids.
3. Lawn Care
If you love spending time outdoors and don’t mind mowing lawns, you could make tons of extra money by starting a lawn care business in your neighborhood. The startup costs could potentially be nothing if your parents are willing to let you use the family lawn mower and once you’ve got a few gigs under your belt, you can buy your own!
4. Academic Tutor
Is there a class in school that you’ve always excelled at? Try your hand at a tutoring or test prep business. Not only is this a great way to make some extra cash, but it’ll also make a fantastic addition to your college applications.
5. Wash Cars
Car washing is a popular teenage business idea during the summer months. The startup costs are low, depending on the services you choose to offer, and many adults would happily pay someone else to wash their car for them.
You can place flyers in mailboxes around the neighborhood to get the word out or pick a central location to hang a poster and wait for business to roll in.
6. Pet Sitting or Dog Walker
Offering a pet cleanup service or dog walking services (ideally, both) is one of the greatest business ideas for teens who like animals. Your neighborhood is bound to be filled with pet owners, many of whom would jump at the idea of using a local dog walker when they’re busy.
Once you’ve built up a good client base, you can easily transition your dog walking business into pet sitting services for when your clients are out of town.
7. Housekeeping
This may not be the most glamorous small business idea on the list, but as a teenager, I’m willing to bet you have some experience with chores.
You know who hates washing the windows and doing laundry? Your potential clients. Capitalize on that by offering laundry services to your neighbors for an easy way to make extra money.
8. Run Errands
If you have a car or live within walking distance of a shopping center, consider providing your neighbors with an errand-running service.
This is one of the easiest small business ideas for teens that can drive and is a great way to earn money. Should you want to expand your services as a personal shopper, you can start by posting an ad on the bulletin board at your local grocery store.
9. Sports Lessons
Are you on the school football team? Do you excel at soccer? If sports are your thing and you’re confident in your abilities, you could start your own business giving sports lessons to the kids in your neighborhood.
This is a great idea during the summer months when everyone is out of school and wants to prepare for fall tryouts!
10. 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.
11. Etsy Retailer
There are thousands of young entrepreneurs out there making a living on Etsy, and you could be next!
If you’re a creative type who loves making digital art, handcrafted jewelry, or tie-dye clothing, upload your inventory to Etsy and give it a shot. As your small business grows, you might even want to make your own website!
13. YouTuber
Anyone can run a successful YouTube business, regardless of age and whether you have a social media presence. There are 9-year-olds making thousands of dollars a month on YouTube—seriously. Start by choosing a niche, researching how to succeed, and posting consistently to position yourself in front of your target audience.
14. Music Lessons
If you’re passionate about music and skilled at playing an instrument, offering music lessons is a great small business idea. The school hallways are filled with potential clients, so put up a few flyers or ask your parents to spread the word about your new music lessons business to their friends.
15. Seasonal Chores
Take advantage of the changing seasons by adapting your small business to the time of year. This could mean mowing lawns during the summer, raking leaves during the fall, and plowing driveways or offering a gift wrapping service during the winter.
The most successful young entrepreneurs are the ones that can make a business idea work year-round, so don’t be afraid to get creative and shift with the market!
16. Retail Arbitrage
If you want to sell online, starting a retail arbitrage business could be the perfect business idea for you. The idea is to purchase discounted products in bulk and resell them at a higher price point. You can create your own online store for selling or utilize a marketplace like eBay or Amazon.
17. Podcaster
One of the best business ideas for teens with a lot to say is to start a podcast. There are tons of ways to do this, from interviewing guests to chatting about topics you’re passionate about. You can use social media marketing to build an audience and potentially become a social media influencer in the process for a dual income.
The startup costs are a bit higher than some of the other small business ideas on this list because of the need for sound equipment, but you don’t need anything crazy. Start with a good podcasting microphone and build from there as you earn money.
18. Streamer
What if you could turn playing video games into a small business? Well, you can. Use an online platform like Twitch to earn money by streaming while playing your favorite video games. Next time your mom tells you to stop gaming, you can tell her it’s that entrepreneurial spirit hard at work! (Kidding, don’t do that.)
19. Photography
Do you love capturing fun times with your friends and family on film? There are plenty of free online courses you can find to hone your craft and turn it into a business as a photographer or videographer.
You can easily get practice and build a portfolio for your photography business by offering to shoot birthday parties and holiday celebrations for your loved ones. If your expertise lies in editing, you could opt for a photo editing business instead.
20. Artist
This is one of the best business ideas for teens with serious art skills. There are tons of ways to start a small business as an artist, from selling graphic art on Amazon to selling paintings or pottery on Etsy, or even an online store of your own. Whatever your medium, there’s a way to make money from your art if you want to.
22. Transcription
This is a great idea for an online business that you can run in your free time for some extra cash. If you’re a speedy typer, consider creating an account on an online platform for transcribers and start converting audio files into text for your customers. The startup costs are minimal since all you really need is your computer and a foot pedal.
23. Data Entry
If you’re a skilled typer but aren’t interested in transcription, data entry might be more your speed. This may not be quite as exciting as other businesses, but it’s an easy way to earn money from home on your own schedule.
Data entry requires you to copy information from one source to another, like entering content from different files into a spreadsheet. Depending on your skill level and how much work you take on, this can be one of the best and easiest business ideas.
24. Online Surveys
While this isn’t the most lucrative business idea, taking online surveys is an incredibly easy way to earn money in your free time. A quick Google search will show you that the options are plentiful when it comes to taking surveys for money.
However, this is probably the most time-consuming way to earn the least amount of money possible in a small business, so play at your own risk.
25. Candle Maker
If you want to make your own products as part of your small business idea, it’s best to choose something that never goes out of style. Artisan products like candles and soaps are easy to make at home and there’s a huge market for them.
So, consider putting your craft skills to the test by starting a candle or soap making business. You can start an online store for your business and reach out to upcoming craft fair coordinators to become a craft fair vendor.
26. Web Designer
Many small business owners need websites, but don’t have the time or expertise needed to do it themselves. This creates a huge opportunity for tech-savvy teens looking to earn money.
By taking an online course or two, you can gain the knowledge required to start a small business as a web designer. Provide discounted rates to give business owners a better deal than they would get with a professional.
27. Handyman Services
If you’re a handy teen that loves household tasks like patching holes, repairing fences, painting walls, and fixing furniture, try starting your own business as a handyman.
I’m willing to bet that more than half of the homeowners in your neighborhood have at least one or two tasks around the house that they’ve been putting off. Do them (and yourself) a favor and use that entrepreneurial spirit of yours to tackle the jobs on their behalf.
Final Thoughts
Whether you decide to create the next great app or online game, start a neighborhood gift wrapping business, or implement a local recycling service, there are about a million ways to start a successful business as a teenager.
There are so many teens with their own businesses and even more teens with business ideas they haven’t yet put into action. If you’ve been debating starting a new business, give it a shot and see what happens. What have you got to lose?
12. Social Media Influencer
In today’s digital age, becoming a social media influencer can actually be a wildly profitable business idea for young people. Pick a niche you like, whether it’s comedy or beauty, and make a dedicated account for your content on a social media platform.
Keep in mind that the competition in the social media world is staggering, so you’ll need to be creative, authentic, and persistent to succeed. Your social media presence will likely start off small, but if you stick with it you can monetize the audience you build.