Small Business IDEAS for Teenagers
Senior Errand Service
Wherever you live, there are bound to be senior citizens who need help with errands. The errands you’ll run can range from grocery shopping to picking up dry cleaning and going to the post office.
If you don’t yet have wheels, there are plenty of ways to help seniors around the house too, like washing the car, making minor repairs, or helping out with yard work. As the fasted growing segment of the population, it makes a lot of business sense to serve seniors, and it will feel good to know you’re helping someone who really needs it.
Garage Cleaning/Organizing Service
WesThorpviaFlickrHave you ever walked past an open garage that was so cluttered with stuff the family couldn’t fit their car inside? Those are your potential clients. Cleaning out the garage is a chore no one enjoys (unless they’re getting paid like you will), so convincing people to hire you won’t be that hard – especially if you’re polite and professional and your rates are reasonable.
Your startup costs will be minimal with this business – chances are you have most if not all of your supplies at home already. All you’ll need are a good push broom, some cleaning supplies and lots of elbow grease.
To get customers, make up some flyers and go door-to-door around your neighborhood. It might be intimidating at first, but before long, you’ll get your pitch down, and it will be well worth the effort.
Haul-Away Service
WikimediaIf you have a pickup, or know someone who has one and wants to be a partner, consider starting a haul-away service. Whether it’s in their back yard, in their garage, or under their stairs, people all over the world have lots of junk. nd many are willing to pay someone else to haul it away.
Figure in the cost of gas, maintenance, and insurance on the vehicle you use when coming up with rates, and make sure to find out if your local dump charges to drop off there. Another great thing about this business is that what one person calls junk, another might want. You’d be surprised at what some people get rid of, and there might be an opportunity there to sell some of this “junk” in the classifieds, eBay, etc.
To market this business, go door to door, or post flyers at your local grocery store, or laundromat’s community bulletin board.
Small Engine Repair Service
Wikimedia CommonsAre you handy with all things mechanical? Can you take apart just about anything and put it back together? If you have the skills, some tools and a garage you can work in, there is a market for a small engine repair service.
From lawn mowers to snow blowers, your neighbors are bound to have something they need fixed. For the price of a few flyers, you can be in business fast. As you prove yourself, your customers are sure to tell others, and you’ll be busy as a professional tinkerer before you know it!
Yard Service
Ok, so mowing lawns for the summer isn’t a very original idea. But who says you have to limit yourself in this category. Why not think big? Start out by mowing lawns in the summer and clearing snow in the winter, but rather than spending your earnings on the latest video game system or car stereo, use your revenue to expand your services to other kinds of yard work.
Trimming hedges, killing weeds, and planting flowerbeds are just a few of the services you could add, without spending much at all on additional equipment. As demand for your business grows, hire friends to help you out. Before you know it, you could be running a full-fledged landscaping business.
