11 Small Business Ideas for Teens in 2023 (Bonus Quiz)

In a fast-changing world, our youth face an uncertain future. School can only prepare them for so much, and today, young people are adding valuable real-world skills through their side interests. Some are even making money doing it.

Between soccer practice and driving lessons, many teens also run successful businesses. They’re saving up for sneakers and college tuition. Others are even using their superpowers to make an impact on the world. Whatever their motivations, these young people are—sometimes unwittingly—also building foundations for their futures.

Ahead, we guide young people, their parents, and their teachers through the benefits of youth entrepreneurship, ways to get started, and a range of ideal business ideas for teens.

🌟 Bonus: Read to the end to take our Baby-Sitters Club quiz to find out which character you are—and what it says about your entrepreneur personality.

Why start a youth-run business

Whatever your current plans for after you graduate—college, gap year, jumping straight into a job—remember that you’re young and can always change course. You have the most valuable resource at this stage of your life: time. It’s important to try on a few futures to see which fits best.

Get your free Big List of Business Ideas

Looking to start a business but unsure what to sell? Check out our free Big List of Business Ideas with 100+ trending products.

Learn More

Starting your own small business while you’re still in school lets you shorten the distance between theory (school books) and practice (hands-on skill building). It might also help guide your post-graduation decision—maybe your small business is worth pursuing full-time, or you might discover that entrepreneurship really isn’t for you after all.

A small business under your belt showcases leadership skills and initiative in a way a report card can’t.

If you’re applying to college, your desired school may consider your extra-curricular activities in addition to your grades. A small business under your belt showcases leadership skills and initiative, and colleges are looking for well-rounded applicants with success potential. It also doesn’t hurt to save a few extra bucks now for tuition and living expenses.

Lastly, starting a business can help to build your professional network. Even if you decide not to pursue entrepreneurship after you graduate, the people you meet along the way could be useful contacts for professional references or job offers.

To recap, the benefits of starting a business before you graduate are:

🎒 A well-rounded college application
💰 Extra money for spending or saving
🤹 Valuable business and life skills
🤝 Professional network-building

💡 Tip: “Never give up, try your hardest, and believe in yourself, because if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will.” —Carson Kropfl, teen founder of Locker Board

Start a business before you graduate and try Shopify free

11 small business ideas for teens

Liane Hentscher/Netflix

Offer babysitting services
Tutor or give lessons to younger kids
Design and sell print-on-demand products
Start a neighborhood services business
Become an online creator (and sell merch)
Sell handmade goods
Start a pet-care business
Host a pop-up market for youth
Record reviews and unboxings for YouTube
Run a summer camp for younger kids
Design websites and online stores

1. Offer babysitting services

Burst

The lemonade stand of teen businesses! Babysitting is a perfect first venture for young teens looking to build interpersonal skills or put first aid knowledge to the test. Up your babysitting game by creating a professional website with your credentials, rates, and availability.

A scheduling app and intake form on your website can help you more easily manage bookings and family needs. Promote your business by encouraging your best clients to provide a testimonial on your site.

2. Tutor or give lessons to younger kids

Teaching music lessons is an easy way for teens to make money and develop communication skills.Burst

Gifted at math or music? How about teaching some of those skills to others? If you’re patient and focused on the details, you’re a natural-born teacher. You can opt to teach one-on-one in-person lessons, or you can sell DIY kits, templates, or virtual classes through an online store. You can even use your online store to sell appointments for in-person services.

Grow your teaching business through customer referrals and word of mouth, and ask your students and their parents to leave you an online review.

3. Design and sell print-on-demand products

Unsplash

If you love to draw or create digital designs, selling your art online as reproductions is a great way to make money from home while you’re still in school.

Tech- and business-savvy teens can run a simple side hustle with a Shopify store and a print-on-demand app, which can help you customize white label products with your own designs. Your art can be printed onto a number of products including beanies, t-shirts, art prints, and water bottles.

Not an artist? Anything from slogans to memes can be printed on products to sell.

💬 Wise words: “Come up with something that no one else has thought of before. Come up with something that is new so that you can surround the market on your own. You could make a ton of money selling something that’s kind of new and trendy.” —Charlie Kobdish, young founder of Charlie’s Treats

4. Start a neighborhood services business

A gardening or lawn care business is a great way for high school students to spend their summers. Unsplash

Love talking to and meeting people? Start a service business. It’s a great business idea for teens because it doesn’t have to conflict with busy school schedules. Make your own hours and take on only as much work as you can handle.

Typical neighborhood services include car washing, mowing and lawn care, house painting, and snow removal. If you have flexibility and access to a car, start a helping service like personal shopping or grocery delivery, or maybe try mobile bike repair or cleaning. For creative teens, how about a décor consulting business?

Service businesses are low-risk and quick-start because you don’t need to buy or make inventory upfront. Create fliers with a QR code that links to your website, and drop them in mailboxes or post them on community bulletin boards.

5. Become an online creator (and sell merch)

A social media influencer like a YouTube channel host is a great business idea for young people who love the spotlight. Unsplash

If you’re a natural charmer and salesperson who uses those assets for everything from getting book report extensions to winning class elections, why not monetize your skills?

Build an online community through blogging, livestreaming, or posting content on social media platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, or TikTok. You could try beauty tutorials, gaming tips, or DIY videos, and may eventually be able to monetize your account. Online creators (or social media influencers) can earn extra cash by selling promoted posts to brands you love. Once you’ve built a loyal audience, turn your personal brand into a business and sell merch.

Shopify Kids Business Starter Kit

We’ve created a free 44-page activity book of engaging activities and exercises designed to lead children between the ages of 9-12 through the journey of imagining and developing a business idea.

Get your free kit

6. Sell handmade goods

Making handmade goods in your free time and selling them online or through local stores is a great small business idea for creative kids. Unsplash

Your creative side opens plenty of possibilities to run a handmade goods business. Can you sew clothes from your own patterns, design jewelry, bake truffles, or make dog treats? These are just a few business ideas for teens who love hands-on activities.

Other ideas for handmade goods to make and sell include:

Beaded or textile jewelry
Handmade soaps or bath bombs
Pet supplies like treats or leashes
Greeting cards

Try selling through your own ecommerce site, an online marketplace like Etsy, at local craft fairs, or via local retailers. Use social media platforms to share your creations, post DIY reels, and build an audience. Be sure to pick something you’re passionate about—passion is what drives you.

💬 Wise words: “Go for your wildest dream. Do whatever you want to, even if it’s the craziest thing. Just listen to what your heart says, and make sure you’re having fun.” —Kamaria Warren, young founder of Brown Girls Stationery

7. Start a pet care business

Dog walking services are in demand since the pandemic boom of pet adoptions. Unsplash

As a teen, you’re old enough to start a business taking care of pets. You can choose to start a dog-walking business, or offer your pet-sitting services to watch or visit pets at your clients’ homes.

As with babysitting and neighborhood services, this business idea can prosper through word of mouth. Consider building an ecommerce store to sell not only services but complementary pet products like treats, collars, or dog sweaters. Target the pet owners in your neighborhood by handing out your business card (made with Shopify’s business card maker) at a local dog park.

8. Host a pop-up market for youth

Unsplash

Creating a handmade product is one of the best business ideas for teens. To take it a step further, why not curate a show with other young makers either at a high school or local community center. Find craft fair vendors in your school’s art program, and promote your show through social media marketing and asking other makers to amplify.

Other types of curated markets could include resale items and collectibles like vinyl records or comic books, or a charity bake sale.

This is an ideal small business idea for teens looking to earn extra spending money without the long-term commitment. Run a local craft fair as a one-time event, or as a recurring seasonal business.

9. Record reviews and unboxings for YouTube

Unsplash

If you thrive in the spotlight, you may want to pursue a business that puts you there. Performative teens with a strong interest in a certain hobby (think gaming, photography, or hair styling) can build a following by uploading video reviews, demos, or unboxings to YouTube—and eventually monetize the channel.

Other business ideas for teen extroverts include hosting a podcast, becoming a videographer, or starting a photography business.

10. Run a summer camp for younger kids

Unsplash

If you love working with kids and being outside, help neighborhood parents with child care services on your summer break. When you’re not in school full time, you can invest more time in your small business. Run week-long camps around themes like drama, wilderness skills, STEM, or crafting.

Starting as a babysitter during the school year is a great way to build your client list and credentials.

11. Design websites and online stores

Unsplash

If you excel at digital art or coding you can start a graphic design business or a web design service from your bedroom. Tech-savvy teens can offer services to help design websites from scratch, create logos and fliers, or bring local businesses online by building ecommerce stores.*

Teens who enjoy playing video games may consider designing an app or online game as a small business idea. Tech support, data entry, technology tutoring, and transcribing services are other business ideas for teens who like working with computers.*

Do’s and don’ts: business tips for teens

If you’re the type to excel at school work while still balancing an active social life and extra-curriculars, you might also have what it takes to start a small business. But there are a few best practices to ensure you don’t burn out and you’re getting the most of your experience as a young entrepreneur:

✅ DO set boundaries. Excitement for a new project might cut into your school work if you’re not managing your time properly. Try setting a weekly schedule and establishing priorities from the get-go.

✅ DO hold yourself accountable. If you’ve made commitments to clients or customers, it’s important to keep them. “It’s easy to just slip up and be like, ‘Oh, shoot, I totally forgot I had that goal. Ah, whatever. I’ll see about it next week,’” says 19-year-old Simone Hufana, founder of Color HerStory.

🛑 DON’T doubt yourself. You’re great at what you do—that’s fixing bikes, mastering video games, or designing your own websites. If you’re an introvert, taking the leap from hobby to business will involve stepping a little outside your bubble, but there are plenty of business ideas to suit every personality.

✅ DO take risks. Within reason, of course! “I definitely think you have to have a strong mindset,” says 19-year-old Mateo Galvez, founder of LOTTA WORLDWIDE. “You can’t be afraid.”

🛑 DON’T overcommit. Choose a business idea that works within your current availability. If you’re already strapped for time, pick a business that’s fairly hands off, like a print-on-demand or dropshipping store.

✅ DO have fun. A small business is a valuable learning opportunity, but it should also be something you enjoy. Whether you’re running a pet cleanup service or selling music lessons, choose a business idea that brings you joy—not stress.

How to start a business if you’re under 18

If you’re in high school, you may have enough autonomy to successfully run your own business almost entirely on your own. There are, however, a few legal and financial considerations.*

If you’re under 18, you likely need parental signoff to get started. Depending on national and regional law, in most places minors cannot legally start a business on their own, nor can they sign legally binding contracts.*

Parental help will also likely be required to open a business bank account. Again, this depends on the laws where you live. Many services like Shopify and PayPal require you to be at least 18 to sign up. As such, parents are legally liable for the actions of teens through these various accounts.*

🚀 Ready to get started? Learn everything you need to know from finding your target market to building an ecommerce store in our freshly revamped guide to starting a business.

Start a Business Guide

Teens and parents should discuss how much involvement each will have, how roles will be divided, and what safeguards are in place to protect both parties. Note: This information is not a substitute for legal and financial advice, and parents are encouraged to contact their lawyer and accountant.

🤔 Questions for young entrepreneurs and their parents to ask before starting a small business:

How much time will you have to dedicate to the business each week?
How much autonomy will the teen have?
Who will manage the finances?
What are the ground rules and consequences for breaking them?
What’s the exit strategy?

Bonus quiz: Which Baby-Sitters Club character are you?

Are you a Claudia or a Kristy? The Baby-Sitters Club, a classic YA book series and Netflix spin-off, follows a group of enterprising young girls who band together to dominate the temporary child care market in their town. Take our quiz to see which Baby-Sitters Club character is most like you—and what it says about your small biz persona.

Which Baby-Sitters Club character are you?

Based on your Founder Sign and interests, which Baby-Sitters Club character do you most resemble? And, what can you learn from these young entrepreneurs on your path to building an empire? Get tips and business ideas created just for your personality type.

Your Baby-Sitters Club persona: Kristy Thomas

BSC’s creator and president, Kristy is known for her big ideas and strong leadership skills—even if some find her a little bossy. Her competitiveness and ego give her strong Firestarter energy. But she’s not all talk—the straight-A overachiever gets results too. That’s why, at heart, she’s a true Mountaineer. She strives for the top (like the lead role in the school play) and gets it. And, true to her sign, she’s a natural problem solver. An extrovert, Kristy is charming and talkative, and thrives around people.

Business lesson from Kristy: Like Kristy, you are driven and will boldly pursue your goals without fear. While you are capable of doing it alone, you really shine when you surround yourself with a team. So, be careful not to alienate others by being too stubborn. Work on your relationships by practicing open-mindedness and finding opportunities for collaboration.

Image: Kailey Schwerman/Netflix

Your Baby-Sitters Club persona: Claudia Kishi

Claudia is a true free spirit. She doesn’t follow trends—she makes them. And, her elaborate outfits often include some of her own handmade jewellery creations. While she is extremely smart and savvy, she tends to flounder in school. This born Trailblazer would rather focus on her art. Her life might be a little chaotic and laissez-faire, but true genius doesn’t have time to worry about the details—like a messy room.

Business lesson from Claudia: Like Claudia, passion is what drives you. You’re focused on doing what you love and making beautiful things. People are drawn to your positive energy. Your talents and enthusiasm will only get you so far, though. If you want to take that hobby to the next level, get comfortable with the more tedious aspects of running a business—or partner with a more detail-oriented friend like a Mary-Anne or a Stacey.

Image: Kailey Schwerman/Netflix

Your Baby-Sitters Club persona: Mary Anne Spier

Mary Anne is a true Cartographer, with her impeccable handwriting and knack for organization. It’s no surprise, then, that she’s BSC’s trusted secretary. Mary Anne wishes she was more outgoing, but what she lacks in confidence, she makes up for in her calm and caring personality. Her stubbornness suggests she has a bit of an Outsider streak.

Business lesson from Mary Anne: Worry less about what you lack and focus on the things you’re good at. Like Mary Anne, your attention for detail makes you a coveted partner for group projects, but normally you prefer to work alone. Start a side business that plays to your strengths—maybe tutoring or selling handcrafted goods—and the rest will come with practice.

Image: Liane Hentscher/Netflix

Your Baby-Sitters Club persona: Dawn Schafer

Sensitive but outspoken, Dawn isn’t afraid to back down from a challenge. She’s the flower child of the group, investing her energy in the causes important to her. She’s an activist at heart, which sometimes alienates her from her peers. She has Outsider tendencies but balances that side with strong intuition and positive energy, common to Trailblazer personalities.

Business lesson from Dawn: Like Dawn, you are an individual, fighting for your beliefs rather than following the pack. This might be a challenge for a high-school student, but some of the most successful entrepreneurs started out this way, too. Stick to what you believe and do what you do best: dive head first into your ideas, regardless of what others think.

Image: Kailey Schwerman/Netflix

Your Baby-Sitters Club persona: Stacey McGill

Stacey is equal measures Mountaineer and Cartographer—outgoing on one hand and sensitive and serious on the other. While she loves being around people, she rarely likes to be the center of attention. Stacey is the BSC treasurer because of her love of numbers, but her creative side shines through in her wardrobe. This personality mix makes her a well-rounded entrepreneur. She pairs Mountaineer drive with Cartographer discipline. A winning combo!

Business lesson from Stacey: What can we say, you’re a natural entrepreneur. Like Stacey, you can adapt to the many demands of a small business, from solving creative problems, to hitting the streets to find customers, to crunching the numbers. Be sure to find work/life balance, though. Your goal-chasing side combined with an almost obsessive work ethic could get in the way of your schoolwork or social life.

Image: Kailey Schwerman/Netflix