THE BEST JOBS AND BUSINESS IDEAS FOR KIDS UNDER 15 TO EARN MONEY
Whether she’s in elementary or high school, your girl can make money–and learn life skills–from these jobs and business ideas!
Working at an early age comes with many benefits. Entrepreneurship provides lessons on risk, failure, solving problems, and self-confidence. Working teaches the value of earning her own money and saving up for goals, like extra college $$$. What’s more, jobs can build your girl’s self-esteem, allow her to strengthen her talents and skills, and give her the confidence to tackle any challenge life throws at her. Ready to help your girl get a head start on an after-school job or weekend biz? Below are some age-appropriate ideas for (almost) any age.
Best Jobs For 7-year-olds
The good old-fashioned lemonade stand is still one of the most popular first-jobs for many 7-year-olds, just like Sabrina of Fresh’n Juicy. She started her lemonade stand two years ago when she was 7 and has since expanded it into a pop-up stand for covid-conscious events around Houston. She even won her city’s “Lemonade Day” Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2020. If your girl’s interested in learning the tricks of the trade, we have tons of tips, and, of course, our The Startup Squad books are helpful resources!
Best Jobs For 8-year-olds
Your girl can tap into her creativity to design wearable art, paint original artwork, or craft jewelry and sell them online. Michaela of Michaela’s Magical Crystal Jewelry, one of the jewelry-making girlpreneurs we’ve featured, founded her jewelry startup when she was 8 years old.
Best Jobs For 9-year-olds
Have an avid baker at home? Your girl can turn her hobby into a money-making endeavor, just like what twin sisters Dylan and Addison of Twin Made Bakery did. They’ve been baking from scratch and fulfilling custom orders from their Georgia home since they were 9.
Best Jobs For 10-year-olds
If your state has a bottle bill, your girl can recycle bottles and aluminum cans for a decent chunk of change. She can segregate your household’s recyclables and even pick up and cash in some of your neighbors’ bottles and cans.
Best Jobs For 11-year-olds
If you have a tech-savvy 11-year-old girl, why not encourage her to explore the photo digitization trade? People in your social circle may have some analog photos that are just collecting dust. Your girl can pitch her photo-scanning service to them and turn their old photos into digital files. She can even teach her customers how to upload the scanned pictures and share these on social media! Any value-added service is always good for business.
Best Jobs For 12-year-olds
Your 12-year-old can start a little-helper service for working families or elderly residents in your neighborhood who need help with their groceries, essentials, and the like. Your girl can also offer pet-sitting services or babysitting post-pandemic.
Best Jobs For 13-year-olds
Is your girl well-versed in a particular subject, foreign language, or musical instrument? And does she love working with younger kids? At 13, she’s old enough to become a tutor and teach younger siblings or your neighbors’ kids.
Best Jobs For 14-year-olds
A Zoom party host is still in-demand nowadays – and is great practice for being a post-pandemic in-person party host. Your girl can book clients through word of mouth or via social media promotions. She can keep things happy and whimsy for all virtual hangout attendees by wearing an on-theme costume, emceeing online games, and putting up decorations in the background. Your girl can also appear as a ‘Visiting Princess’ in children’s parties, as long as your state allows in-person gatherings. With practice and more party bookings, your girl will become the hostess with the mostess in no time!
This is by no means and all-encompassing list. Think of it as a starting point for a conversation with your girl. Encourage her to tweak these ideas or get to know some of our favorite girlpreneurs for inspiration. She can start her own business at any age. You can brainstorm about the basic business plan and work through the costs and necessary work permits together. We have other kid-friendly startup suggestions here and here, too. Even if your girl is unsure if she’d like to make an entrepreneurial career out of these jobs and business options, it’s okay! Having an after-school job, or even if it’s just a weekend gig, is still one of the best ways your girl can make money, uncover her passions and interests, and develop an entrepreneurial mindset that will help her succeed in life regardless of the path she chooses.
