49 small business ideas for teen entrepreneurs

As a teen, you have plenty of reasons to want extra cash, but getting a traditional job isn’t always possible. Many businesses require you to be at least 16, and you need a gig that works around your school schedule.

What about being your own boss, though? If being a small business owner sounds up your alley, this guide is for you. We’ll cover some small business ideas for teens, the basics of how to get started, and tips for success. 

How to start a business as a teen

The general process of starting a business involves four basic stages:

1. Coming up with a business idea

2. Creating a business plan and researching competitors

3. Completing the initial setup and launch, obtaining a business license (if needed)

4. Running the business 

The Small Business Administration has detailed guides on how to start a business. You’ll also need to make sure you and your family comply with any young worker and child labor laws. For now, we’ll focus on which types of business to focus on and the top strategies most relevant to young entrepreneurs.

If you’re under 18, you’ll likely need help with the legal side of things from your parents or guardians. Each state has different requirements for obtaining a business permit or license or creating a business entity. For example, you must be 18 to organize a limited liability corporation (LLC) in some states – but not all. Requirements for opening a business bank account or applying for a business loan may also vary. 

Before the legal details, you need to settle on a viable concept. Consider these factors when deciding what kind of business to start:

• What are your interests, and how can you include your passions in a business opportunity?

• What are some of your skills that might make a certain type of business a good fit?

• How many hours will it take, and can you work around your school schedule?

• What is the upfront investment required, and can you afford it?

• How much profit and revenue will you need to keep the business running? 

What businesses can you start as a teenager?

Teens have started all types of successful business ventures. Some of the best summer jobs can also turn into businesses. There are hundreds of options when it comes to starting a business, but these are some of the most common (and compatible) types for teens:

• Service-based businesses

• Product-based businesses

• Content creation businesses

Next, let’s dig into these categories, plus other small-business ideas for teens.

20 service-based small business ideas for teens

Businesses where you provide a service are often a good way for teens to make extra money, as they typically have low start-up costs. They also tend to be more flexible in hours.

You can create a business out of virtually any service — you just need paying clients! But remember: Safety is paramount. Always include parents and caregivers in any job search or service. Never give out sensitive personal information, make sure they know where you are at all times and the contact information for any clients. 

The type of service you want to provide will depend on your interests, skills, and the demand for such services in your area. Here’s an overview of some popular service-based small business ideas for teens that might be a good fit for you. 

1. Dog walking

Dog walking can be a simple business that also requires very little equipment. You can walk dogs in your neighborhood and advertise your services with flyers or through social media platforms like NextDoor (but always partner with your parents and follow online safety guidelines). 

2. Lawn care

A lawn care business can include mowing, weeding, landscaping, gardening, and other outdoor home maintenance tasks. Depending on the situation, you may need to provide your own equipment — but many homeowners have their own lawn mowers and other equipment you can use.

3. House cleaning

House cleaning and tidying can be a lucrative small business, and it requires minimal equipment. Plus, it’s usually flexible in timing, and you can potentially lock in clients for regularly scheduled cleanings. As with any in-person service, though, make sure you have your parent or guardian’s approval (and ideally supervision), you know and trust the client, and you communicate your location. 

Unless you can do most of your business in your neighborhood, it’s also a potential for teens who drive. Using safety apps like Greenlight Infinity with location-sharing and SOS alerts can help make your work easier and safer. 

Get more ideas on how to start a cleaning business. 

4. Seasonal services

Seasonal services vary depending on the time of the year and the weather. In the winter months, you can offer tasks like hanging holiday lights, gift wrapping, and shoveling snow. For a summer business idea, consider housesitting for vacationers or providing pool maintenance or gardening. 

5. Child care

Child care is a classic teen business, and for good reason: Demand is high. If you’re a patient person who’s good with kids, babysitting can easily keep you busy on nights and weekends — and earn you a tidy profit. The good news is, the minimum age for babysitting is lower than many other teen jobs. Check how old you have to be to babysit.  

6. Tutoring and teaching

Tutoring kids and fellow teens in subjects you are skilled at can be a profitable business. And it doesn’t have to be just school subjects. You could also teach music lessons, sports, or even coding.

7. Car washing and detailing

Vehicle upkeep and maintenance can be costly. Why not get a piece of that action? Washing cars doesn’t require much equipment. Detailing requires more skill and specialized equipment, but you can usually charge significantly more.

8. Photography and videography

These days, you and a smartphone can create professional-looking digital photos and videos. From shooting senior photos to capturing events, there are plenty of opportunities for skilled photographers and videographers.

9. Freelance writing

If you enjoy writing, freelancing might be a viable option. Many websites hire writers to help them craft articles, blog posts, and web copy. You can advertise your services or look for potential work on sites like Fiverr, which allows accounts for kids 13-18 with permission from a parent or legal guardian.

10. Freelance designing

If you have an eye for design and some graphic or web designing skills, you can start a freelance graphic design business if you have basic software. You can even find free programs like Canva. 

11. Tech support

Tech-savvy teens could offer tech support to individuals or local businesses. This could include helping set up new devices, troubleshooting problems, or providing advice on tech purchases.

12. Event planning

If you’re organized and enjoy planning, you could offer event planning services for parties, school events, or local community gatherings. This business can often be done on weekends or evenings, fitting around your school schedule.

13. Pet grooming

If you love animals, consider starting a pet grooming service. You can start small with basic grooming tasks and expand as you gain experience and clients.

14. Errand running

Busy adults often need help with errands like grocery shopping, picking up dry cleaning, or delivering packages. If you have a driver’s license, you could offer an errand-running service to help them out.

15. House sitting

While homeowners are away, they may need someone to take care of their home, water plants, feed pets, and ensure everything runs smoothly. House sitting can be a flexible and easy way to earn money. But it also requires extra safety measures since you’ll be in someone’s house, like approval from a parent or guardian, diligent communication of your location, and sometimes even insurance. 

16. Yard work

Beyond lawn care, you can offer yard work services like raking leaves, trimming bushes, planting flowers, and general garden maintenance.

17. Moving assistance

Helping people move can be hard work, but it’s a service that’s always in demand. You could offer packing, lifting, and moving services to those in your community.

18. Fitness training

If you’re into fitness, consider becoming a personal trainer for your peers or younger kids. You could offer workout sessions, fitness plans, and nutritional advice.

19. Fixit services

If you’re good with tools, consider offering handyman services for minor home repairs, assembling furniture, or fixing things around the house.

20. Music lessons

If you play an instrument well, you could offer music lessons to beginners. This could include piano, guitar, violin, or any other instrument you’re skilled at.

20 product-based business ideas for teens and older kids

Businesses where you produce or resell products may have higher startup costs, but product-based businesses are also scalable, meaning they can expand with demand.

There are many potential advantages to product-based businesses. They may be easier to fit around your schedule, as you can create products in batches and sell them online or at weekend markets. You can easily adjust prices to suit demand and your desired profit margins. And if things go well, you can start automating certain parts of the process to free up more of your personal time.

Here are some small business ideas for teens that involve creating your own products. Feel free to get creative!

1. Making candles

Candles can be a profitable business, with many potential outlets to sell (e.g., craft fairs, online, door-to-door, etc.) Just look at Kierra, who started a successful candle business at just 15!

2. Crafting bath bombs

Bath bombs and other fun self-care products are another good option. The cost of raw materials is low, so you can make a solid profit on each item you sell.

3. Making crafts

Craft-based businesses can turn a passion into profit. You can sell crafts at local events, online, or on platforms like Etsy. Important: You must be 18 to open an Etsy account, but minors 13 to 17 can buy and sell on Etsy with permission and direct supervision from a parent or legal guardian. Other sites may have different restrictions, so always follow an individual site’s requirements. 

4. Designing greeting cards

Greeting cards are another low-cost, high-margin item you can craft and sell. You can create digital designs to print or hand-craft creative cards yourself.

5. Producing value-added food products

“Value-added” food products have been enhanced or combined with other products to increase their overall value. Think specialty jams, pickles, sauces, dried herbs, or spices. Some states let you make these products at home, while others require you to use a commercial kitchen space. For teens with a culinary interest, it can be a way to pursue their passions and learn about business. You may even be able to apply for grant funding. 

6. Making clothing or accessories

Making clothing is more involved and may require you to outsource certain tasks. But for young fashionistas, this can be a fun and rewarding small business.

7. Reselling items

Young people can also start a lucrative business buying and reselling existing products. This could look like buying used items to sell on eBay or buying curated handmade goods to resell on your own e-commerce website.

8. Jewelry making

Creating and selling handmade jewelry can be a profitable venture. You can sell your creations at craft fairs, online, or through social media.

9. Baking and selling goods

If you enjoy baking, consider selling homemade baked goods like cookies, cakes, or bread. You can sell your products at local events or to friends and family.

10. Art and prints

If you’re an artist, you can sell your artwork or create prints of your original pieces. You can sell these at art fairs, online, or through social media.

11. Creating handmade soaps

Handmade soaps can be a popular and profitable product to sell. You can experiment with different scents, colors, and ingredients to create unique products.

12. Upcycling and selling furniture

If you’re handy with tools and enjoy crafting, consider upcycling old furniture and selling it. You can find inexpensive pieces at thrift stores, refurbish them, and sell them for a profit.

13. Making and selling pottery

Pottery can be a fun and creative business. You can sell your pottery at local craft fairs, online, or through social media.

14. Selling digital products

Digital products like printable planners, digital art, or e-books can be created once and sold repeatedly. This can be a great way to earn passive income.

15. Custom T-shirt printing

With careful use of a heat press and some creativity, you can start a custom T-shirt printing business. Design your own shirts or offer custom printing services.

16. Creating handmade bags or accessories

Handmade bags, purses, and other accessories can be a profitable business. You can sell your creations online, at local markets, or through social media.

17. Making and selling skincare products

If you’re interested in skincare, consider making and selling your own skincare products like lotions, scrubs, and lip balms.

18. Creating and selling personalized gifts

Personalized gifts like custom mugs, photo frames, and engraved items can be popular and profitable. You can sell these at local markets, online, or through social media.

19. Crafting and selling home decor

Home decor items like wall art, cushions, and decorative pieces can be a profitable business. You can sell your creations at local markets, online, or through social media.

20. Designing and selling planners and journals

Creating and selling planners and journals can be a profitable business. You can design your own or offer customizable options.

9 top content creation teen business ideas

Businesses, where you create content (e.g., YouTube, podcasts, social media, etc.), have very low startup costs and allow you to pursue your passions.

The downside is that it tends to take a long time to start seeing a profit with these types of businesses. You may have to put in effort for many months — even years — before you start making a significant amount of money.

If this is the type of business you want to start, check in with your parents first! You might even start an online business as a family. Here are some other ways people create content for cash:

1. Social media influencer

Creating social media content can take on many shapes. You could try to become a social media influencer, which for the lucky few, can potentially lead to sponsorships or paid ads. But influencer salaries vary widely and it’s a competitive, crowded field.   

2. Blogging

Blogging about something you’re passionate about can help sharpen your writing skills and become an online business that can grow over the years. Bloggers can make money from ad revenue, affiliate marketing, and sponsorships. Some popular topics include gaming, fashion, food, photography, and health and wellness.

3. Podcasting

Starting a podcast can be fun! Startup costs can be relatively low, but you’ll need something interesting to talk about — and interesting people to talk to. Podcasters can generate revenue from sponsorships and advertising.

4. YouTube channel

Starting a YouTube channel can turn a passion into profit. YouTube’s minimum age is 13, and YouTube creators can eventually earn profits through advertising revenue and sponsorships.

5. Live streaming

Live streaming video games or other content on websites like Twitch can be a fun way to turn your hobbies into a business. Twitch requires streamers to be at least 13 years old.

6. Creating an online course

If you’re knowledgeable about a particular subject, consider creating an online course. You can sell your course on platforms like Udemy or Teachable.

7. Writing an ebook

If you enjoy writing, consider writing an e-book on a topic you’re passionate about. You can sell your ebook on platforms like Amazon or your own website.

8. Creating a subscription box service

Subscription boxes are popular and can be a profitable business. You can create a subscription box service based on a niche you’re passionate about and sell it online.

9. Starting a membership site

If you have valuable content to share, consider starting a membership site where people pay a monthly fee to access your content. This could be in the form of exclusive articles, videos, or other resources.

With a small business, the sky’s the limit! Look for a small business idea that aligns with your interests, offers low start-up costs, and has the flexibility to work with your schedule.

What’s next?

Starting and growing a successful business also requires smart money management skills. Greenlight can help you manage your money wisely, whether your income is from an allowance or a small business. Learn how to budget, set savings goals to raise startup costs, earn interest, and use a debit card safely to pay for supplies and business expenses. Try one month on us!

Visit the Greenlight Learning Center for helpful resources on all things family, finance, and fun.

This blog post is provided "as is" and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice. Some content in this post may have been created using artificial intelligence; however, every blog post is reviewed by at least two human editors.