10 great ideas for kids to start their own business

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Is the entrepreneur born or made? The successful writer Stephen King often says that “what separates individual talent from success is the amount of hard work that the person puts in .” Some children are born with a brilliant mind for business like the British Henry Patterson, who at the age of nine already had three businesses. Other children develop business-related skills like investing and saving over time. Regardless of which of these two categories between your child, nephew or student, it is advisable to teach management and organization tools in childhood so that they can apply them both in their personal life or in a business.

The first clarification that you should make is the following: You do not have to be an adult to undertake! We all know the lemonade stand from American movies or the makeshift second-hand bazaar in our neighbor’s garage to make a little money. There are amazing cases of geniuses that remind us of Jimmy Neutron. One of them is that of the Mexican Vania Rodríguez Montes, who invented a belt that alerts the blind to possible obstacles, and another is the Mexican Ángel de Jesús Martínez Baldazo who, at the age of eleven, developed the “ElectroCel” (a anti-theft cell phone case).

There are many ideas that are attractive to children and here are a few for them to try:

1. Pet sitting

Almost all children love animals. Many pet owners require someone to take specific care of their dog or cat while they are on vacation or simply because of their work hours. For a short period of time and the ease that it means, a profitable business for children can be walking dogs.

2. Hand-made gifts

If your child has an interest in arts and crafts, then he can undertake a creative endeavor: original, personalized and handmade gifts. It can be from a card painted by him or her!

3. Jewelry

If you notice that he has an eye for fashion, then encourage him to make accessories such as earrings, bracelets, necklaces, among others. They don’t have to use high-cost semi-precious stones. Nor do they have to be very complex pieces. There are simple and amazing designs made with wood, hemp, and other materials that are salable and inexpensive.

4. Internet personality

Children swim like a fish in water on the Internet. For the older ones who have communication skills, having a blog can be highly profitable (a sample button: Little Capitalist Pig by Sofía Macías). For those who are charismatic, it is a good option to have a vlog (video blog) on services such as YouTube, Vimeo or Dailymotion. Any topic can have hundreds of thousands of subscribers such as the case of the youtuber with 10 million followers (and counting): the Venezuelan Dross, who addresses both conspiracy theories and “The 7 most disgusting things found in McDonalds meals”, Also tutorials, reviews and gameplays have the potential to be a listed business. Not for nothing do we have YouTube Stars like Jenna Marbles or PewDiePie, who earn more than personalities in show business. Sure, all with adult supervision and attention.

5. Second hand

Children grow up quickly. That implies an infinity of clothes, toys and electronics that are replaced in a two by three. The monetization of second-hand items is an opportunity: you can use online auction sites or have the typical garage sale (with less reach, but more immediate). As trends come and go, reuse and vintage is always business.

6. Human candy

This business is simple: buy sweets in bulk and resell them at a higher cost. They can sell them to their friends and, if allowed, to their classmates during breaks.

7. MiniChef

You can always profit from food. There are recipes that can be made by children like cookies, for example. These baked goods are easy to make and transport with minimal investment.

8. Face painter and balloonist

These services are highly requested at parties but can also be featured at special events such as community festivals. With a little creativity and practice, works of art are made on clients’ skin.

9. Musician, singer

If you have a special talent for music and / or singing, you can play or sing at parties or family gatherings to earn extra money. If you want improvement and are interested, enroll them in private classes. Can you locate Taylor Swift? She started singing and composing at a young age and was the highest paid celebrity of 2016.

10. Cleaning service

From a young age, children can get involved in cleaning activities. Being an extra hand can generate a source of income, not only in your own home, but with trusted people who require this service.

It is never too early. We all have hidden talents and we can all develop skills. You do not have to go far to find clients, start offering your services with relatives, neighbors, co-workers, acquaintances… Entrepreneurship teaches children the value of work and money. It also provides them with an invaluable sense of responsibility and productive use of time. Remember that they always require supervision and support. If you require specialized and professional support, we invite you to know the BussinessKids proposal, with offices in Mexico and the rest of the American continent.