Best Business Ideas for Teens

Forget the cliches: It turns out that a growing number of young people prefer start your own business to just sitting around watching TV or your status updates on Facebook.

Four in 10 people between the ages of 8 and 21 dream of starting their own business one day, according to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. In fact, 26 percent of all youth agree that opening a business is much more desirable than other career opportunities they may have in the future.

“Guys have a mental advantage, because they don’t know what can’t be done,” says Steve Mariotti, founder of the Network in New York for the teaching entrepreneurship, which offers business education programs to youth from low-income communities.

“While young entrepreneurs may lack the experience and net worth of adults, the younger you start, the more wisdom and experience you accumulate over time.”

According to Michael Simmons, co-founder of the Extreme Tourism Business Initiative, a business promotion and education organization focused on inspiring students, the best business ideas for teens usually include:

Low-cost companies that require very low start-up capital. Fortunately, many service-based businesses or Internet companies require little investment. For example, a lawn care business can be started with your parent’s existing tools, while a internet business It can be launched for less than US $ 50, after adding items such as the $ 10 domain registration fee and the $ 5 monthly hosting fee.

Companies that harness the strengths of adolescents. There are many businesses in which teenagers are more ideal than adults. For example, today’s teens have grown up with computers, high-tech gadgets, and the Internet. This is valuable knowledge that can be used to create innovative products and services. Teens are also adept at creating products and services that target other youth, as they have unique insights into the changing opportunities and needs in that space.

The ability to compete on prices. Adolescents are at a unique point in their life considering that they live at home with their parents and therefore have very little costs to account for. This allows them to charge very low prices and still earn enough money to take home.

Mariotti emphasizes that young entrepreneurs They should take the time to do their research – thinking, reading, and writing a business plan before taking the leap into starting a business. As to some business ideas specific that might attract young entrepreneurs, consider the following:

Web development or creating websites for local businesses. The best part of web development, unlike medical or legal skills, is that anyone can learn from reading a book, rather than paying for an expensive college education. Also, with development talent around the world, there are also opportunities in outsourcing work that could be more complex. That means that for a modest investment of time and money, a Young businessman You can earn $ 50 to $ 100 an hour creating websites for local businesses.

Marketing online. Tech-savvy teens can also use their knowledge of Facebook and Twitter to help local businesses market online. People with more skill and experience can charge more to help companies optimize their search engine hits. Compensation can range from an hourly rate to compensation equal to the percentage of a increase in sales resulting from marketing efforts.

Computer repair. Let’s face it: There are still a lot of adults out there who can barely start up their computer, let alone deal with tough issues like fighting spam and using anti-virus. Manage a service company Simply helping you diagnose problems – like when your boss can’t connect to the Internet or figure out why your computer is running slow – can be lucrative, since startup costs are essentially zero.

Printing of publications on demand. The publishing world is going through big changes – many of which represent big opportunities for young entrepreneurs. Teens are using print-on-demand services on websites like . or even FedEx Office to produce and sell everything from novels to poetry books to magazines.

Lawn mowing and care. One of the business ideas One that has stood the test of time for young people, and often children, is starting a gardening business with their parents’ tools. Seasonal work and after school, it is not uncommon for it to offer large sums of money.

Childcare service. Like youth lawn care, babysitting has long been a practice option for young women seeking make extra money earning up to $ 15 an hour after school and on weekends.

E-Commerce. Many teens are successful in selling things online – everything from jewelry and fashion to computer and software supplies. With the rise of sites like eBay and Amazon, teens can easily buy and sell their products online. At the same time, there are also opportunities to sell to your friends offline at local flea markets or even the school canteen.

Original: AOL Small Bussiness, translated by .

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