Several weeks ago, my oldest son wanted to set up a lemonade stand in our Phoenix neighborhood. While I appreciated his entrepreneurial spirit, he didn’t realize that his entire customer base was inside their homes, soaking up Freon. We also don’t have snow in winter or even much grass ever, so an early career in yard maintenance was out of the question. Yet, I didn’t want to kill his initiative—if he wanted to start a small business at a young age, I could help guide him.
Since my son’s interests lean more into the creative arenas (drawing, LEGO, etc.), and I don’t anticipate him deciding to pursue an MBA, I thought he could start thinking of ways he can monetize his talents. Entrepreneurship will fund his love of LEGO building sets now and maybe even prepare him for a career later.
My favorite creative small business ideas for kids
Here are some creative ways children can go into business for themselves—and how you can help them get started.
Content creator
I can see your eyes rolling in the back of your head, but hear me out: If your kids are anything like mine, they talk nonstop about Pokémon and Captain Underpants. However, parents are not the most receptive audience for these topics. But companies want people who can create compelling content for social media, and they’re using TikTok, YouTube, and podcasts to get their messages across. What better way for your child to share what they love with others and learn how to use the tools needed to have a head start in the field than to share it online?
What can you do? Set up equipment, help write scripts, edit videos, and deal with trolls.
DJ
If your child loves music, they can use their impeccable taste to make their friends’ birthday parties or bar mitzvahs the stuff of legend. Building a setlist is accessible and affordable with Spotify. All kids need is a good ear, sound equipment, and the ability to read the crowd. It could even lead to a lucrative side hustle as a wedding DJ.
What can you do? Help set up the sound system.
Merch vendor
Sports fans show their spirit by wearing clothing with their favorite team’s logo. But there is little merch at the school level. If your child has a knack for graphic design, they can create t-shirts, shorts, mugs, and other items. Then, they can get them printed at a local shop and sell them on game days and online. Pretty soon, proud parents will be sporting the swag your child made at the next Friday night football game.
What can you do? You may need a permit or permission from the school to sell merch on the grounds. Getting T-shirts and other items printed might also require a small investment on your part.
Coder
Speaking of selling things online, your kid can sell their wares through Etsy and give 6.5% of their sales to the online retailer, or they can teach themselves code, design their own online shop, and keep more of what they earn. They can also use this valuable skill to build websites for others or tutor their friends on creating an online presence.
What can you do? Fund an online coding class.
Clothing reseller
No one donates to Goodwill anymore. Why should they when there are so many online vintage stores and consignment shops paying top dollar for clothing? If your kid has any cool clothes they no longer need or can find a fashionable needle in a secondhand store haystack, they can sell the items through virtual consignment shops. Better yet, they can create one of their own through social media or by using all that coding knowledge they learned from that class they took.
What can you do? You may need to loan them your camera and lift some of the restrictions on their Instagram account.
Costume-maker
With Halloween rapidly approaching, the demand for holiday outfits will rise. If your child is crafty, they can use their skills to create a costume that can turn heads when trick-or-treating or for the next Comic-Con.
What can you do? Offer access to the sewing machine or 3-D printer and help them with materials and online marketing.
Author/illustrator
After I gently told my son he shouldn’t sell lemonade in record-breaking heat, he had another idea: write and draw a comic book. He gave copies of his Dog Man-inspired story to his friends and teachers, who loved the creativity, puns, and poop jokes. I told him he should sell the next chapter in the saga for a small fee (and give his proud parents a copy for free, of course).
What can you do? In the case of my son’s book, I offered encouragement and storytelling tips. We published his masterpiece with a Xerox machine, but there are plenty of websites where kids can create and publish their stories.
