Summer Jobs can include:
Kid Sitting, Car Wash Service, Lawn Care Service, Pet Care Service and Odd Job Services for neighbors.
CHILD CARE: If you like kids, this is an excellent opportunity. Busy parents are willing to pay well for a good, dependable sitter. Pass out flyers and let folks know you are available.
CAR WASHING: People who care about their cars need them washed at least once a week. Find out what a local car wash charges and set your prices a little lower. If you do a good job, you’ll have business all summer.
PET CARE: Earn money by offering to groom pets, give flea baths, clean fish tanks, or pet sit when your neighbors go on vacation.
LAWN CARE: Still one of the best ways for kids age 10 and up to earn money. Offer a complete line of services including mowing, edging, weeding, trimming and flower bed maintenance. Or specialize in one service. Make it your goal to build up a list of regular weekly customers.
UNUSUAL, CREATIVE MONEY-MAKERS
CURB PAINTING: Use stencils to paint house numbers on curbs so delivery people and emergency vehicles can find houses easier. Kids who charge $2-$4 per job have earned up to $50 a day.
MORE THAN A LEMONADE STAND: Add crushed fruit or club soda and advertise “gourmet lemonade.” Or offer more choices: iced tea, sodas, goodies you bake or handmade craft items. If customers don’t come to you, load your stand up in a wagon and go to them. Get permission to sell at a neighbor’s garage sale, across the street form the park or pool, or at the tennis courts.
MAID-FOR-A-DAY: Be a personal assistant for one day. You can do anything from closet cleaning to shining shoes or helping someone throw a party
KidsDirect’s Ten Tips for Young Entrepreneurs
- Treat all people honestly and fairly all of the time.
- Set realistic goals for your business. No idea is too small. You don’t want to take on too much too soon.
- Take your time and pace yourself. Trying to expand too fast can backfire.
- Don’t expect riches. If you’re thinking of starting a business for fast cash or for financial reasons only, STOP! It normally takes years of hard work before you start to see a real profit.
- Use your time wisely. Remember to maintain a healthy balance of activities in your life.
- Stay focused on your goals. Don’t let temporary setbacks get you down.
- Don’t depend on family members and friends alone to be customers. Find customers in your community, in your state or across the nation.
- When interpreting detailed paperwork, don’t be afraid to ask for help from an adult.
- Be a professional. Dress neatly and be dependable, punctual and courteous.
- Reinvest some of your profits back into the business. Thinking long-range is a great way to ensure the continuous success of your business.
Excerpted from GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS: TRUE STORIES ABOUT STARTING AND RUNNING A BUSINESS PLUS HOW YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF, by Frances A. Karnes and Suzanne M. Bean. Copyright 1997, Free Spirit Publishing Inc., Minneapolis, MN. All rights reserved.