Making Money As A Kid

We know. Making money as a kid is hard, but if you follow these tips, you might just strike it rich!

Steps

1. Work for someone else. Advertise your availability to the neighborhood. Make up some flyers and stick them to the neighbor's front door, but don't be intrusive. You shouldn't demand that they let you work for them. You won't get good business if you do that.
2. Do extra chores for your parents, such as dusting furniture, vacuuming, sweeping floors, or scrubbing windows. Negotiate the best deal you can, maybe one fourth what they might charge for professional service. Remember, these are extra chores on top of what you should normally do to help support a clean household.
3. Teach someone how to use a computer. If you are an able computer user, use your talent for profit!
4. Mow lawns. Charge different fees depending on the size of the yard.
5. Sell some of your things that you don't want. You could have a garage or yard sale. Put fliers everywhere. That way people will come to your sale!
6. Walk dogs. They love it, and it would really help out the owners.
7. Babysit smaller children. Take a babysitting course if you need it and look on the internet for more guidelines.
8. Look after the neighbor's pets when they go off on vacation.
9. Clean the houses of trusted neighbors.
10. Sell lemonade on a hot summer's day. See How to Make Lemonade, How to Open a Lemonade Stand
11. Wash cars and bikes for money. Be sure to do a good job.
12. Sell unwanted items, or make items especially for selling.
    
    • Set-up a bake sale. Have your parents help you cook!
    • Take your unwanted clothes to a consignment shop. Make sure they're clean and in good condition.
    • If you have been collecting LEGOs or action figures and don't play with them anymore, sell them on websites such as eBay. Make sure you get your parents help and that you know what they're worth. Set a reasonable price and be honest about the condition. For example, if your toy doesn't have a scratch on it, you can say it is in good condition. However if it has bite marks on it, don't set it to good condition. If your toy hasn't even been opened yet, do not open it: collectors pay even more money for them if they are New In Box.
13. Recycle! - Cans and newspapers are recyclable! Ask your parents if they would help you to bring unclaimed recyclables to the nearest recycling plant and give you the money. Not only is this good for the environment, it's good for your piggy bank!
14. Shovel snow off of neighbor's driveways, but be careful that you don't slip on the ice and that you have proper equipment. You can do the same in the Fall too! Rake leaves for fellow neighbors.
15. Use your strengths. If you are a very good artist, offer to do some portraits for people you know, or sell your artwork.
16. House-sit for a neighbor when they're on vacation. Just water their plants and clean. It's fun and profitable.
17. Save all of your birthday money!
18. Don't spend too much of your money on candy and treats. Try to only take a small amount of money out for those.
19. Make dog treats and sell them. But be sure to get your parents help in making them. Don't try to make them on your own.
20. Sell chocolate bars at the park or to your family and friends. Bring your parents with you to be safe.
21. Make money out of farm animal produce, such as chicken eggs or cows milk.
22. Ask your principal if you can sell stuff at school. Kids LOVE buying stuff from other kids, especially treats!
23. Most of all, have fun and keep a positive attitude. That will keep job offers coming!

Tips

• Charge reasonable prices: not too low and not too high. Think about how much it would usually be and reduce the cost appropriately. Then tell the person who will be paying you about this comparison and they should realize what a bargain you have produced. Remember to account for the time you worked and the cost of your materials.
• It's a good idea to sell at noon when the town/city is busy. More people can buy from you and defend you from bad people.
• Ask for help when you need it.
• Return money if you promised to do a job but couldn't get the job done. Honesty is the best policy and will really impress your customers.
• Decorate your area to make it look more pleasing to your customers.
• Be willing to work for little pay.
• Give free samples to your friends to spread word of your services. You should do this before you start your business, unless the item is to be consumed.
• Put up sale signs in your shop, for example, Buy One Get One Free, 2 for $10, etc. Be sure you can afford the loss or make up for it with other sales.
• Ask around to see what jobs are open first. If the town already has tons of dog walkers and car washers, try something else.
• Know that not everybody wants what you're offering, so be patient, and if they decline your services, be polite and move forward!
• Be polite with customers. Don't force them into doing things they don't want to do!
• Try your best and always leave them wanting to come back again for more. Repeat business is the best kind!
• Make sure you have your parents' permission for any job you do.
• Always be polite and don't lie.
• Ask your friends to help. You'll have to split the profits but it will be more fun and the time will fly by. Be sure to let the client know that you are bringing a friend.
• Know that you're still a kid. You don't need to start saving for retirement now. Try to enjoy the non-work world while you can, one day you'll miss it!
• Be creative. Don't think that you're limited to things like car washes.
• Try to get as much business as possible by advertising!
• Remember to have fun and ask for payment!
• Help rake leaves for other people.
• If you travel to school on a bus with lots of other schoolchildren, you could buy sweets in bulk and sell them for a reasonable price there.
• Mowing lawns and yard work are great ways to provide a service that many people do not enjoy performing on their own.
• Always make sure to thank customers for their business and their time even if they didn't buy anything.

Warnings

• Avoid selling things without permission at school, this could cause big trouble. Some schools don't even allow you to sell things. Check your school rules to see what you can or can't do.
• Don't take a job if you don't know what you're doing, you could earn a bad reputation.
• Be honest. If you lie, you could get in trouble.
• Have an adult with you to help you.
• Make sure you ask your parent or guardian before starting to work.
• Avoid dangerous neighborhoods and neighbors.
• Be careful talking to strangers; preferably talk to strangers only in the presence of an adult guardian. Some strangers want to go into your house or invite you to go into theirs. Never accept these invitations and always have a parent watching you.
• Don't tamper with the people's food or any of the objects that you are selling.
• If an item is used you must reduce the price, especially if it comes with no manual, has scratches and if you put it in a random case. It might not be in the same condition it used to be.
• Remember, if you are selling anything, don't expect that you'll make the money that you wanted.
• Don't do anything dangerous, like climbing roofs to clean gutters or trimming tree limbs.
• Be careful where you do things. Make sure you are in a safe place with an older relative. And make sure you have permission to do what you are doing where you are doing it.
• Do not take things that don't belong to you and then sell them. Remember that stealing is a crime and you could get in a lot of trouble and embarrass your parents.